Did Obama blow his honeymoon during the transition?

[Cato the Younger]

Okay, first of all this is not Obama bashing though some will accuse me of doing just that. But am I the only person who thinks that Obama blew most of his honeymoon during the transition when he couldn't do much?

There was much talk about how the transition team was reading up on FDR's first 100 days but they should have paid attention to what FDR did during the period of November 1932 to March 1933. The highlight of what FDR and Louis Howe did was to not say a word, keep their cards up to their chest and let Hoover continue his destructive policies on the country. Was it cruel? Yes, it was vicious but politically necessary for FDR. He could not allow himself to be tied to anything the outgoing administration did. Should those policies fail FDR would be tied to those failures and should they manage to work, the Republicans would claim a victory.

No, 2008 is not 1932, first off we don't have 25% or more of the nation dumpster diving for dinner and in 1932 there was a real chance of armed uprising. But Obama by working with the Bush Administration, no matter how slight, is going to be tainted by the remaining TARP funding and other feeble efforts Bush did to "help" the economy. I am sure that reaching out for bipartisanship is wonderful but hasn't bipartisanship been likened to date rape?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. No.

[Lost in CT]

2. Um NO... nt

[stray cat]

3. He never got a honeymoon - Bush had been out of commission for nearly 6 months

[ThomWV]

4. President Obama's first 100 days began on November 6, not January 21.

[notadmblnd]

5. he blew the honeymoon with me when he started appointing people

responsible for this mess, to fix it. However, I realize that I don't quite yet understand the method of his madness, So I'll refrain from making any judgments.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

6. No.

[TomClash]

7. Emphatically NO

He passed the stimulus plan. It's a huge victory.

rugman can cry all he wants that it's not large enough, but it's $789 billion. The Marshall Plan was about $130 billion in today's dollars. The entire New Deal cost $500 billion.

[blogslut]

8. No

n/t

[spanone]

9. he had NO honeymoon

[Gman]

10. The man has a damn near 70% approval rating

think about that and then, what do you think?

[aquart]

11. There was NEVER going to be a honeymoon.

Didn't matter which Dem got the job, the Republicans never intended to cooperate.

[WilliamPitt]

12. I'm concerned.

[Veritas_et_Aequitas]

13. No honeymoon, sir.

Also, I like your name.

[blondeatlast]

14. No--he never had a honeymoon and the trial by fire began on Election Day. CATO? Hmmm... nt

[KharmaTrain]

15. The Transition Continues...

Sheesh...sounds like copy right out of the corporate media, dictated by some right wing harpie.

Or someone who was hoping the world would turn on a dime on January 20th...every little ill wasn't cured overnight. The outrage I tell ya.

No, this isn't 1932...in many ways it could be worse. Not only do we have rising unemployment (consider this 1930...by 1933, Hoover had screwed things so bad it made the depression worse...a saving grace is the markets collapsed on booooshie in his last months, imagine how much worse had this been had it occured in 2005 :shiver:) but also two wars that are draining resources that should have been used here at home. There are fires everywhere...and people are expecting everything to change overnight? Please!

There's a part of transition that is known as continuity. We've seen administrations where everyone was tossed out and it took months for things to move smoothly...and those were in "good" times. We don't have such a luxuary here. President Obama will be spending the first year, if not longer, in fixing the messes of the past 8 years...and there are few easy choices. Also, anyone and everyone who can help in this goal...who cares what party...is very needed.

Those who obstruct, that's another issue. Many were the cause for the mess we're in, I'm surely not gonna pay any attention to what they say...or those on the other side who want Christmas yesterday and play Monday morning quarterback.