Here's what I wrote at 100 days:
Originally posted by: ironwing
Foreign policy = B for style, way too early to see if he'll follow through.
War in Iraq = D, needs to be much more firm that we are leaving Iraq and doing so shortly. Wavering only leads to more Iraqi and pentagon stalling. If Obama fails to decisively cut the cord, he will be the new LBJ.
War in Afghanistan = D, needs to figure out exactly what the mission aught to be and then decide if the mission is worth the costs. Right now it looks like the mission is drifting toward pacification (whack a mole) which is a no-win for anyone.
Economic policy = C, a B for action, a D for failure to articulate just exactly what it is he is doing.
Social policy = A for working through his campaign promise checklist
Health care, immigration = Incomplete, need to see if he can accomplish anything
Environmental policy = So far, mostly a group project with Obama simply signing off on initiatives Congress had lined up waiting for Bush to leave. He gets an unearned B+. Hopefully we'll see some leadership here.
Homeland Defense = C-, has stayed the course. Obama needs to understand what Bush and the post 9-11 kneejerk Congress have created and take a sledge hammer to DHS before we end up like Russia or Pakistan with the internal security apparatus running the whole show.
Budget and deficit = D, so far continuing to play the Bush game of kick the can. His tax proposals need to be brought in line with his spending proposals.
Now that he's had 200 days:
Foreign policy = A for style, C- for substance. He understands that the policy goals the neo-cons pursued were bat shit crazy but I don't see that he has figured out how to turn the ship. Quite frankly, I think this is a result of selecting Clinton as Sec of State. Domestic issues were her strength.
War in Iraq = C+, he has stood firm that the US is leaving. I think the pentagon brass know it and the commanders on the ground know it: the US is leaving and leaving on schedule.
War in Afghanistan = D, no change in opinion, needs to figure out exactly what the mission aught to be and then decide if the mission is worth the costs. Right now it looks like the mission is drifting toward pacification (whack a mole) which is a no-win for anyone.
Economic policy = C-, he's screwed. He can cheerlead but not much else.
Social policy = A for working through his campaign promise checklist, no change.
Health care = D, he gets a C for effort, an F for failing to push for a single payer system or other reasonable public system. His proposals and the congressional Dems proposals still pander to the pigs at the trough at the expense of the taxpayers.
Immigration = Incomplete, need to see if he can accomplish anything, no change
Environmental policy = C, he has reversed the worst of the Bush abuses but has failed to develop any underlying, cohesive policy on the whole range on environmental issues.
Homeland Defense = F, has stayed the course and so fails. Obama needs to understand what Bush and the post 9-11 kneejerk Congress have created and take a sledge hammer to DHS before we end up like Russia or Pakistan with the internal security apparatus running the whole show. At every opportunity to dismantle the police state, Obama has defended it. At a minimum, he needs to start starving the beast.
Budget and deficit = D, his tax proposals need to be brought in line with his spending proposals. No change.
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