One year ago today, I nearly froze to death as an observer in Washington, D. C. at the inauguration of the Obama Presidency! I was proud to be a witness to history, and everyone of the two million people at the inauguration had great hopes for the future with this new, young President who was extremely articulate and charismatic.
Now, a year later, the halo is off, and reality has set in: It is easier to be elected as President, as hard as that is, than it is to govern and accomplish one’s goals and programs.
A fair appraisal of the Obama Presidency after one year would have to say that he has accomplished a great deal, but has also been disappointing in many ways. But then again, could one really have expected anything else? When one looks at any President while he is in office, as well after he has left the White House, there is always a record of what one might call “a mixed bag”. Running a government is difficult, and there are always many critics and opponents who are out to undermine success and promote defeat.
Much has been said by the author about the various challenges and actions by President Obama during the past year, and assessments have been made in some detail throughout the year.
I will summarize that I believe Barack Obama has accomplished a grade of B at this point, with the possibility of improvement to a higher grade over time. Certainly, the shocking election of Scott Brown as the successor to Ted Kennedy’s seat last night dims the celebration of the anniversary of Obama’s taking the oath of office, but it is also a wake up call for both Obama and the Democrats. One cannot assume that one election is a trend for November, but the one way for the Democrats to gain traction is to fight for what they believe in, rather than cave in and give up the fight for health care reform and other domestic changes.
The President has his heart in the right place, and his foreign policy direction is promising and inspiring. His view on civil liberties is to be applauded. I think as long as the Democrats and Barack Obama focus on the creation of economic recovery and the job situation shows improvement, then he and his party will see their losses in November be smaller than one might think based on the euphoria in Republican circles over the Scott Brown victory.
So overall, Mr. President, congratulations on a good job, but become more aggressive and determined in your commitment to change, and show the American people that ultimately you and your party are the true party of change and the middle class, and that the Republicans only wish to promote fear and division, and have no real plans for economic recovery or domestic reform. Carry your head high and keep the commitment to what you believe in, and ultimately, it will lead to triumph!