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Whether one is satisfied with President Obama's performance so far depends on your expectations.  If you voted for him expecting a complete ban on old growth logging, nationalization of health care, and withdrawal of all forces from Iraq and the Middle East, you're disappointed.  If you voted for "anybody but Bush" and measure success by that extremely low bar, Obama is a gift from heaven simply because he can express a complex idea in understandable English.   I am very pleased with his performance so far because more than anything I was hoping for a true leader; someone who would help us as a nation face and deal with the myriad complex, urgent and important problems we have neglected for far too long, with health care being a great example; who could help us overcome fear through understanding of these difficult issues; who is a realist who understands that effective politics, especially national politics, is the art of compromise; and who can appeal to the common interests of the majority of Americans rather than letting the extreme views on any side of an issue control the agenda.  I think he is doing all of these things.  Sure, he's not perfect, but he is far, far better than his predecessor in motivating problem-solving.  As a very average middle class American just trying to support my family, I'm grateful to have him as my leader. 

posted 3 years, 11 months ago
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