I may end up being disappointed in President Obama

[cali]

but it sure as hell isn't going to be before he's actually been president for at least a few months. It isn't going to be over appointments. I'm committed to his presidency being a success. I'm committed to giving him a fair chance.

For anyone that's been paying attention to him, it's clear he has an overarching and ambitious plan to remake the political environment- and no, I'm not talking about bi-partisanship, that's only a small piece of his plan. Such an ambitious plan won't come to fruition over night. You can't alter the trajectory of the country in a matter of weeks or even months, anymore than you can turn a super freighter on a dime.

I intend to give President Obama a chance, and not to nitpick over his every decision.

[ogneopasno]

1. Turning this wrong-way battleship around is going to take a lot of time. I'm willing to give him

that time.

[BlooInBloo]

2. There's always *something* on the horizon for concern trolls to wring their hands over....

If only they would look *back* just once, and see how they've been wrong about EVERYTHING.

[cali]

4. if only they'd look back indeed. and if only they'd

pause before reactively attacking Obama.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

3. Obama is but the first step of many necessary steps.

The pendulum doesn't swing back all at once.

[cobalt1999]

5. Some folks have put him on a pedestal and have unrealistic expectations though.

They are the ones who will feel the disappointment and anger the most. You'll see them start to explode with every decision Obama makes now.

I'm cynical of all politicians and have modest expectations, so I'm with you. I won't nitpick him.

[cali]

7. true enough.

If you've deluded yourself you're going to crash and quickly.

[depakid]

11. My thoughts almost exactly

I'd only add that what we're going to see is a return to the rule of law (which grinds slowly) -and an end to the ad hoc, arbitrary and capricious nonsense of the past 8 years.

We may not like the result in any given case, but in the end, the process is what's important. Having been a student (and a professor) of constitutional law, President-elect Obama understands this.

[cobalt1999]

17. A return to the rule of law

What's the old saying "Sometimes you don't know what you've got until it's gone".

That sure will be nice. Along with the return of science to an administration.

[bigtree]

6. I believe in pushing his administration hard

. . . but, in that effort, we should remember to promote those things he's doing well, when that occurs.

I think this is going to be an administration that listens.

[cali]

8. I believe in grasping certain obvious things

like how vital it is to move the center back from the right. And understanding that President Obama is a lot smarter than the DU strategists.

[bigtree]

10. I think that the way we get there is by pulling him hard to the left

. . . with our constant and unrelenting advocacy for the issues and concerns we each care about.

I think those advocacy efforts are most effective when directed at our legislators who will be tasked with fleshing out the administration's proposals. I don't believe we should be shy about how we feel when we address these.

[cali]

I think you badly misunderstand who this man is.

but we'll see.

[bigtree]

19. not underestimating the man

. . . just being realistic about what he'll pursue and what he's likely to achieve in this Congress. He's very pragmatic.

I do think he has the potential to be a great president. I don't see how you came to your conclusion about my impression of him from what I wrote.

[mrcheerful]

9. FDR also was said his plans for america were over reaching and ambitious

It took effect after his death before the country saw all of the benefits the new deal promised. Dream big and start making change is the plan. Remember FDR put america to work building roads, Dams and digging ditches to get america back to work. One such program, the WPA, was called We Putter Around by those that were against FDR and the people doing the WPA work projects.

[UnrepentantUnitarian]

18. My family was basically saved by the Civilian Conservation Corps.

They were rural Southern (Georgia) dirtfarmers who had become migrant workers picking citrus fruit in Florida. FDR's programs got my folks back on their feet. They became solid, responsible, tax-paying citizens who were part of a growing middle-class. If Obama has that kind of vision, then the "trickle-down" folks can whine all they want. My family knows a better way.

[curse of greyface]

12. Shouldn't he at least be sworn in before the tearing of clothes and wailing? nt

[KSDiva]

13. Yep, I may not like every cabinet appointment or person

he choses to work with. But he's so methodical that I do believe he has a plan and each person perfectly fits into that plan. I don't know what it is, but I trust him to get it right. His campaign was flawless. I expect a very good presidency and a very fair one.

[IndianaJones]

14. amen. nt.

[no_hypocrisy]

15. I'd rather be "disappointed" in President Obama than President McCain or

worse, President Palin.

I'll learn to live with it.

[TreasonousBastard]

16. I probably won't be disappointed, because...

I don't expect him or anyone else to be able to do more than get us one or two steps ahead.

Too many problems, too many competing solutions, too many competing ideologies... The world is messy place and no one has been able to do a good cleanup in all of recorded history-- so why expect it now?

Having said that, yes, the peanut gallery should just shut up and let him do his job-- it's barely been two days since the election, he won't be in office for months, and yet the chattering masses of ignorance just can't sit back and watch without having kibitz.

(If the kibitzers, concern trolls, jailhouse lawyers, barroom experts and other voices of doom were EVER right in their assessments, maybe they would have earned the right to talk.)

[Bake]

20. THANK YOU!!

:hi:

Bake

[Romulox]

21. LOL at all of those who argued he was tacking right, but "only for the GE". nt

[cali]

22. lol at all the idiots who don't fucking grasp the most basic political

maneuvers. In order to pass things like health care reform, shifting the tax burden back to the rich, etc, you have to move the center back to the left. Governing from the center is THE way to move liberal/progressive legislation. duh.

:rofl:

[Romulox]

23. There isn't going to be a move back to the left. That's become clear.

Your foul mouth and insults don't strengthen your arguments, btw.

[cali]

24. oh, fuck. I';m just fucking heartsick that you fucking don't like my choice

of language. And hey there, genius, throw insults out, and you'll get them back. And sorry, nothing is obvious except that foul little pukes from the right and the left have closed their little minds and live only in their own sad little constructs.

[Romulox]

25. That's right let it out. The internet is the place where you can get even

with the "foul little pukes from...the left"

:silly: :rofl: :hi:

[cali]

27. can't stand stupid wherever it comes from

and yeah, there's plenty of it on my side of the political divide too.

[Romulox]

29. So you have a problem with the center/right too, huh?

:silly:

[cali]

31. I fuckin' hate the right. And I make no bones about it.

shit sucking scumbags. I criticize some factions on the left. I detest and blast the right. And yeah, that includes the purported center right.

[SmileyRose]

26. NETVOCATES

the "I'm concerned about Obama" "what change" "he lied" "I'm disappointed" bunch are probably either paid RW nut Net advocates or else just plain immature folks who are playing games.

[Javaman]

28. And then again, you may not be. nt

[torgos_pizza]

30. Good grief, give him a chance, he hasn't even been sworn in yet....

Just a tad pessimistic are we?
Jesus, he hasn't even been sworn in, give the guy a chance!

Are you regretting not having voted for Mccain?

[cali]

32. jeebus. t ry reading for comprehension.

in fact, try fucking reading at all. I'm one of the most avid supporters of Obama on this site- and have been for a year. My OP is all about giving him a chance. And man, is that clear.

FAIL.

[uppityperson]

34. aw, come on Cali, you expect too much. Maybe you need to use

smaller words. "but it sure as hell isn't going to be before he's actually been president for at least a few months." has a 4 syllable word in it.

[cali]

35. lol. yep. I should have used "really" instead of "actually"

only 2 syllables. would have made all the difference, I'm sure.

[uppityperson]

33. You missed the point of the OP.

Give him a chance, he hasn't even been sworn in yet. Quit nitpicking all his moves now. "I may...but it sure as hell isn't going to be before he's actually been president for at least a few months."

That is the point.

[DemoRabbit]

36. Well said!

[HughBeaumont]

37. Anyone expecting a miracle worker should keep looking.

If President Obama even does a 1/4 of what he said he'd do in his first term, it's already more of a progression over what we've experienced in the past 8 years.

My concern is re-election prospects. Will the "overnight-success-happy" American public understand that this is the largest MESS any sitting president has had to clean up and it in all likelihood cannot be done in one term? I think he has a better than good chance, especially if the Republicans nominate Palin in 2012 (I mean, do they GOT anyone else? Jindal? Huckabee? JEB?).