Obama's first 100 days

I take a look at President Barack Obama's first 100 days in office.





Links
CNN Progress Report
Sizing Up Obama's First 100 Days - TIME
In First 100 Days, Obama Meets or Exceeds Expectations - Gallup
In First 100 Days, Obama Seen as Making a Bipartisan Effort - Gallup
The Next 100 Days - Washington Post

Obama Job Approval

I've edited the Pollster model to only include live interview polls. I have major issues with Internet polls and the IVR-automated polls, so I didn't include them. Look for yourself, the IVR (mostly Rasmussen Reports) are off from the main trend line by 10-15 points.

Extreme & mainstream

First off, I want to remind everyone I believe Alan Keyes has every right to say everything he did. Free speech. It is your right to sound totally bat-shit crazy.

Now turning to the larger theme, I think everyone needs to start listening to what people say and do. We all have the right (dare I say duty) to say what we think, but we all need to start understanding what ideas & beliefs are mainstream, and what ideas should be considered fringe and be marginalized.

I would hope we can all agree that Alan Keyes and his ideas are not mainstream, and he lives on the extreme right fringe of the political spectrum. And really, when people hear him talk, they tune him out. Or laugh at him. Either way, that is how we treat people with views that aren't mainstream, but they have their voice and every right to use it.

But when do we start legitimizing these fringe ideas by supporting them with equal weight and balance? 55% of people support traditional marriage, but 81% support gays being able to serve openly in the military. 52% of Americans want to keep weed illegal and 60% approve of labor unions, but only 39% believe in evolution and 46% think we shouldn't close the prison at Guantanamo Bay. 58% of people think we should actually teach creationism in school as science! Do 58% of Americans want to start ignoring parts of the Constitution and Bill of Rights?

So what we need is a reality check. We can't have people arguing the New Deal didn't work. Because it did. I'm just waiting for Lindsey Graham to take to the Senate floor and proclaim "The Earth is Flat!" John McCain will then be called up to yell about the young folk.

We need to stand up and call bullshit.

Honesty. It hurts. Weed is illegal because the government tied it to violent crimes and non-white cultures. Evolution is science. Creationism is religion. Public school (government funded) can't teach creationism because it establishes one religion as better or right, and that is unconstitutional, so all long as we are still working under the United States Constitution, that is kinda a big no-no. And people aren't for closing Gitmo because they want to feel safe. I want to be safe. You want to be safe. And you think you are until your best friend, who happens to be of middle eastern descent, gets taken and locked up for no reason. But is Gitmo working?

If we let people lie, mislead and get away with it, we are doing even more damage to our nation than we thought. We need an informed electorate, which comes from great news. But, news and the businesses it created are fare from perfect. But if we can keep the dialog honest, open, and productive it will make everything just that much easier.

It's what we do; strive to form a more perfect union.

Greatness Watch 12/14/08

This will be a short one this week. That kinda week. Even more so for Gov. Rod Blagojevich. What a week. Senate Republicans to Detroit: Drop Dead. Everyone to Blagojevich: Fuck You!

And yeah, don't we all want to know what is really going on between Blagojevich and Obama. No really, what is their connection? Tell me!



Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D) says Obama has mishanded the Blagojevich scanda. I agree Obama has mishandled this. I don't know what to think about Obama not being good at dealing with political corruption scandals. Maybe it is a good thing. Just maybe. But that is really neither here nor there.

Obama should learn from this. Move fast, follow your gut, and do the right thing. Just like Obama handling problems in the campaign, he learned fast. So, he's just learning again, this time about acting as more than a great candidate, but rather a great president.

So, what do the people think? Well, it seems Obama is more popular than Bush is unpopular. How about that?

So, can we just take one big fucking breath and let Obama get into office before we hit him with everything? I'm not surprised the GOP does not agree.

The state of Obama, 12/10/08

So, Gov. Rod Blagojevich was arrested on a federal conspiracy complaint. Among many things, he was trying to sell the open Senate seat left by President-elect Barack Obama to the highest bidder. And if he didn't get enough in return, it seems he was planning to take the seat himself. What a fucktard.

But, since this broke, I have thought if Obama tap dances through this mess, it will be for the best. Best to get your first scandal (even if it really isn't yours) over and done with. This should be a testing ground on how to handle any sticky situation in the future.

So far, you have Illinois's Lt. Gov., Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL) and now Obama calling for Blagojevich to resign. And I'm with David Gergen.

"I have a hard time pronouncing his name. I just call him the idiot."
- David Gergen, CNN, talking about Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

Now, with all of this going on, how is everyone seeing Obama?


71% have a favorable view of Obama? That's what Gallup says. CNN says that number is more like 79%.

A new CNN poll finds 79% of Americans approve of President-elect Obama's performance so far during transition, with just 18% disapproving.

Obama's approval rating is 14 points higher than the approval rating for President-elect George Bush in 2001 and 17 points higher than President-elect Clinton's rating in 1992.

Said analyst Bill Schneider: "An Obama job approval rating of 79% -- that's the sort of rating you see when the public rallies around a leader after a national disaster. To many Americans, the Bush administration was a national disaster."

- Political Wire

How do we know Obama is getting one hell of a honeymoon? This. Well, cool. What does America think of Bush? You know, Bush, the current President.

28% job approval? 13% Satisfied with the State of the Nation? Well, low as it is, Bush is set to gain a couple of points as he leaves office.

This is all crazy. And just so you know, even before yesterday, Blagojevich's approval was at 13%. He makes Bush look like Santa.