Barack Obama marked six months in office at 12 Noon today.
Looking back at the halfway mark of a year, I would continue to say that Obama has done a very good job of inspiring the American people and initiating bold action on many fronts.
He has proved to be a magnificent orator and role model for America’s image in the world, and has shown compassion and principle in his dealings with domestic issues.
The economy may still be questionable, but realistically no one could have expected that after such a short time, that we would have definitive results, but the indications are that things are starting to improve, although it will be a long haul to get out of what most experts call The Great Recession. We cannot expect miracles overnight after years of mismanagement and incompetence by the Bush Administration.
Obama has not been afraid of controversy and challenge, and while he has not been able to please all constituent groups, no one can deny that his intention is to bring fundamental social and economic and diplomatic change, but the key word is patience, as after all, "Rome was not built in a day!"
Obama continues to have independent support and the good will of most Americans, and he has been helped by the complete breakdown of the opposition party, which continues to be simply the party of "No", offering no constructive alternatives in any area of policy, and allowing their party to be hijacked by the extremist, hate mongers of the far Right, meaning many of the radio talk show hosts such as Rush Limbaugh and Michael Savage; and the irresponsible, reckless rantings of TV talk shows on Fox News Channel, including Glenn Beck, Bill O’Reilly, and Sean Hannity. Fortunately, their propaganda is not reaching intelligent, thoughtful people who understand the horrible mess that Barack Obama is faced with, and the courage he has displayed in facing these problems with a sense of confidence and purpose.
So I say to President Obama: Congratulations on a job well done, and I continue to give you a professor’s grade of B+! 