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I should stay out of this, but I’ll dive in anyway.
Not trying to pick sides, but it’s really impossible (even a bit foolish) to even think a president will be truly “great” before he even takes office.
That said, if I were to speculate what traits could lead Obama to be a “great” president, I would say the fact that he has become the first black to be elected president is a start. But not so much for his race, but because he has risen to a place where many people thought a black would not attain for a long time. It’s a tribute to overcoming his race as a barrier to the presidency. That, in my opinion, is a great accomplishment. Although I did not vote for him, he has commanded world-wide admiration for his election to office.
I also think he has the raw ability to reach out to all political sides and get them, within reason, to work together (like Regan did) for the common good- even if it is a liberal-based agenda. If he can, then he will be headed down the path to “greatness”. But even then, there’s still a long long way to go.
We shall see. As an American first, I hope the very best for him.
BTW, my list of “great” presidents is: Washington, Polk, Wilson, FDR.
Obama has much potential. Since Regan, none of our presidents have presented themselves in such eloquent manner. He also doesn't appear to let emotions run his thought process like others in the past (Dem and Rep alike). In a time when our image is so low, I think this is really important with the international community.
He also has the power to inspire people, which have longer lasting effects than his actual presidency. I can't remember a president that inspired people, and I'm not just talking the black community.
Whether he takes a centrist or liberal approach will be interesting to watch. I personally don't think he'll be as liberal as some people claim. As far as policies, we'll just have to wait and see.
The world is his oyster and only his to lose. I hope for all of us he succeeds.
I will suggest "better than average". He doesn't stand a chance of being "great". He's walked into a huge mess and there is no way that he can clean it all up in four short years.
However, I believe he is capable of seriously turning the tide, IF the people give him the opportunity to do so. In spite of McCain's concession speech, a lot of people seem to seriously WANT to be divided. They refuse to support our new leader elect.
Where will that get any of us?
If we can all work together (United we stand) towards a better life and quit bickering and fighting about everything but instead, try to reach a happy medium, he will succeed.
If on the other hand, all we want to do is turn our backs and ridicule and berate his every move, he will fail (divided we fall), but so will we as a nation.
He definitely has the charisma to do that...which is why he won the election. The problem is that Charisma does not count for much when the country is at stake. That takes experience and tenacity.
I believe he has the tenacity, and I believe he will surround himself with very experienced people as advisers. No one person has all the answers which is why a smart CEO hires those with expertise in each area.
Obama has much potential. Since Regan, none of our presidents have presented themselves in such eloquent manner.
He also has the power to inspire people, which have longer lasting effects than his actual presidency.
I can't remember a president that inspired people, and I'm not just talking the black community.
Whether he takes a centrist or liberal approach will be interesting to watch. I personally don't think he'll be as liberal as some people claim. As far as policies, we'll just have to wait and see.
The world is his oyster and only his to lose. I hope for all of us he succeeds.
IMO, I wholeheartedly agree, dispite some troubling things already, which I'll just quietly note below for your folks' opinions. I am very much hoping he can and does move things away from the past public distrust and dismay at our Federal gov'mint.
Quote:
Originally Posted by eastidahomom
I will suggest "better than average". He doesn't stand a chance of being "great".
No, I'm sure he really can come off as "great", whatever that actually means. I think it's pretty much a public opinion rating, rather than a 'measurable'.
He's walked into a huge mess and there is no way that he can clean it all up in four short years.
However, I believe he is capable of seriously turning the tide, IF the people give him the opportunity to do so.
And if he doesn't catch the "Hubris" disease or decide to revert to the ancient far-left guide-book: more entitlement programs, more taxes, more government involvement / intervention, more gun control legislation, more pandering to the race card, wealth re-distribution, class envy, etc. If he really does represent a new direction, a change, and a refreshing new realist's attitude, we'll all be the better for it. That's what I'm fervently hoping for.
In spite of McCain's concession speech, a lot of people seem to seriously WANT to be divided. They refuse to support our new leader elect.
Where will that get any of us?
Down the drain. In a hurry.
Please, I'd really appreciate your thoughts on the following two things that I've noticed in the past few days:
1. He or his staff have created that official-looking "Office of the President-Elect" podium complete, I think, with the actual official seal of the Office of the President above the words. Perhaps I missed it in the past: has any other newly elected prez-to-be ever done this before?
2. This afternoon I heard that his staff have created several Obama web sites with a ".gov" extension on them. I haven't checked this out yet, but I will. Aren't those specifically reserved for actual official government sites? He isn't the prez yet, right? If it is OK though, I'm gonna grab "rifleman.gov" first thing Monday morning. The government agencies will all have to buy their neat stuff from me! !!!$$$$$$$$$!!! And also maybe no more BATFE visits to my gunshop?
I get the sneaky and chilling feeling that there are some verrryyy clever intellectuals with a great understanding of very subtle mass public attitude manipulation who are nudging us into assuming BHO is already in a position of presidential authority, influence and "goodness". He deprecatingly said yesterday that he wasn't attempting to do anything yet, because this country "has only one president at a time". And yet...
Does anyone else have any concerns about my two points? Am I just paranoid? A negativist? Can someone please tell the muted black helicopter operators hovering above my house to go away?
Seriously... I wish him and our country, of which I'm still v. proud, all the best. Otherwise we'll have to endure the relentless sarcastic insults from the Euros, Canada and others.
PS: Isn't it odd that they don't have so many introspective websites of their own to insult us on, and that we still let them vent here because we can handle criticism and have freedom of speech? {...well, so far anyways. Let's also be on the lookout for Chuck Schummer and the Fairness Doctrine crowd. Yikes!!!}
Last edited by rifleman; 11-08-2008 at 08:25 PM..
Reason: typos
Obama has much potential. Since Regan, none of our presidents have presented themselves in such eloquent manner. He also doesn't appear to let emotions run his thought process like others in the past (Dem and Rep alike). In a time when our image is so low, I think this is really important with the international community.
He also has the power to inspire people, which have longer lasting effects than his actual presidency. I can't remember a president that inspired people, and I'm not just talking the black community.
Whether he takes a centrist or liberal approach will be interesting to watch. I personally don't think he'll be as liberal as some people claim. As far as policies, we'll just have to wait and see.
The world is his oyster and only his to lose. I hope for all of us he succeeds.
IMO, I wholeheartedly agree, dispite some troubling things already, which I'll just quietly note below for your folks' opinions. I am very much hoping he can and does move things away from the past public distrust and dismay at our Federal gov'mint.
Down the drain. In a hurry.
Please, I'd really appreciate your thoughts on the following two things that I've noticed in the past few days:
1. He or his staff have created that official-looking "Office of the President-Elect" podium complete, I think, with the actual official seal of the Office of the President above the words. Perhaps I missed it in the past: has any other newly elected prez-to-be ever done this before?
2. This afternoon I heard that his staff have created several Obama web sites with a ".gov" extension on them. I haven't checked this out yet, but I will. Aren't those specifically reserved for actual official government sites? He isn't the prez yet, right? If it is OK though, I'm gonna grab "rifleman.gov" first thing Monday morning. The government agencies will all have to buy their neat stuff from me! !!!$$$$$$$$$!!! And also maybe no more BATFE visits to my gunshop?
I get the sneaky and chilling feeling that there are some verrryyy clever intellectuals with a great understanding of very subtle mass public attitude manipulation who are nudging us into assuming BHO is already in a position of presidential authority, influence and "goodness". He deprecatingly said yesterday that he wasn't attempting to do anything yet, because this country "has only one president at a time". And yet...
Does anyone else have any concerns about my two points? Am I just paranoid? A negativist? Can someone please tell the muted black helicopter operators hovering above my house to go away?
Seriously... I wish him and our country, of which I'm still v. proud, all the best. Otherwise we'll have to endure the relentless sarcastic insults from the Euros, Canada and others.
PS: Isn't it odd that they don't have so many introspective websites of their own to insult us on, and that we still let them vent here because we can handle criticism and have freedom of speech? {...well, so far anyways. Let's also be on the lookout for Chuck Schummer and the Fairness Doctrine crowd. Yikes!!!}
To be sure, Obama and his people have been very agrressive and dismiss federal laws about campaign money and other things. On the one hand, one should play "fair". On the other hand, many think it's OK to cheat until you get caught. But many presidents have done similar things. I think what Obama is doing is trying to create a lasting organization to promote his marxist & social beliefs for long after he's ouot of office. Well, while I disagree with his politics, he's certainly free to do this all he wants.
Totally agree. Also, FDR's programs actually worsened the Depression, but at least people thought he was trying. Then WWII came along and solved the problem for him.
This is not correct. He didn't worsen the Depression. If we look at the GNP value in 1929, the GNP decreased to 54 % of the 1929 value by 1933 when he took office. By 1937 the GNP was up to 95% of the 1929 value so FDR's policies almost doubled the size US economy while being in office only 5 years. One needs to remember what we built during these years. Grand Coulee and Bonneville Dams, TVA dams, The Golden Gate and Bay Bridges many of our US Highways, rural electrification etc. and those took a lot of steel and concrete. In 1938 the US suffered a deep recession that saw 10% drop in GNP. With the war approaching nation's output rose in 1939 and exceeded the 1929 level of output. I argue that FDR managed one of the strongest recoveries the US economy has ever seen. A recovery that provided the infrastructure we have lived off of ever since. It has been said of FDR "that it took a crippled man to teach a crippled nation to walk again".
It is impossible to predict what issues a president-elect will have to face. It is difficult to predict how a president-elect will respond to those crises when they do come. None of us could have accurately foretold 9/11, Katrina, or the current economic crisis, but we elect leaders (or at least, I hope we do) who in our judgement have sufficient inteligence and wisdom to deal with such unforseen crises - that they have gravitas.
In my opinion, there were many presidents in the recent past who could not have been great even if an opportunity for greatness was thrust upon them. They simply did not have the wisdom to deal with complexity. They didn't understand nuance. They were more party puppets, poster boys for the will of the party and not at all concerned with the welfare of the people. They were not the civil servants they pretended to be. And so when the crisis came, their lack of character showed.
In my opinion, President-elect Obama is a person who does understand complexity. Moreover, he surrounds himself with people who think a problem through - rather than friends or contributors.
It will still depend on what problems/crisis come up. But I do think he has the tools to become a great president, simply because he has already shown himself to be capable of deeper thought then recent politicians have exhibited.
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High potential. High risk.
Fairness Doctrine 
