For those that voted for Barack Obama, has he turned out to be the president you thought he would? Or more simply, is he adhering to the agenda originally proposed to his constituents? I didn't vote for him and I wasn't excited about some of his policy stances, largely energy related, and he's turned out to be more moderate than I ever expected. Some of that, could be attributed to the upcoming mid-term elections and the realization he may be losing some of his liberal cronies. By taking a more central demeanor, he's appeasing both sides of the political sphere, specifically one group that's growing quickly-moderate independents, a group that I most closely identify.
I also didn't put him on a pedestal, portraying him as the Jesus of politics. It's no surprise to me that many are disapointed with the results of his first year and a half in office. When you create such lofty expectations for one man, what do you expect? He's not going to revolutinize the poltical system through some liberal coup, so forget it. What many don't seem to understand is, thirty years ago, Barack Obama would be a moderate republican. Recently, I was listening to a podcast on this topic and I couldn't help but agree with this epiphany. Think about it, Offshore drilling? Nuclear energy expansion? Sounds like a republican to me and I haven't even addressed our military aspirations. His liberal social policies mixed with his recent open minded energy position, has me thinking, don't Barack Obama and John McCain have a lot in common? Would my vote, going to either party, have created the same result in terms of policies? Quite possibly, yes.
Just as an example, Justice Stevens of the Supreme Court, recently retired will be replaced in the near future, was thought to be the liberal lion of the supreme court. A very little known nugget of information is, that he's a Republican. This demonstrates exactly the quagmire created by constantly shifting political ilks.
Is Barack Obama a great president? No, at least not yet. His vacillating motivations and his less than hard-nosed foreign affairs attitude concerns me. Could he be great? Absolutely. One of his greatest qualities is his potential for an illustrious career and to right the ship of American politics. He ran on three pillars during the election, he's partially completed one and with a democratic congress that's about to lose a few friendly seats, I don't see him ramming the others through, especially in a single term. Guantanamo Bay is open and we still have troops in multiple Middle Eastern countries. Regardless of these hardships, there are certain intangibles that make him a man of magnanimous importance, his charisma and regal nature, to name a few. For now, I'm more impressed by his rhetoric and persuasive prowess and less by actual political action. Let's see if he can change my view. No Apologies, I Don't Think Before I speak
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