Obama's First Year

The presidency carries with it such prestige, but also with overwhelming responsibility. I have much respect, but indeed also pity, for anyone who is President of the United States. This country has so many crises, it really is impossible to do (i.e. fix) everything at the same time-especially when new government programs (i.e. bureaucracy) is the main avenue through which one seeks to fix a nation's problems. Let me be clear: I like President Obama personally, but I must judge his words and actions. And it is the majority of his words and actions that I believe are making matters worse, and not better. President Obama has had words that I and many Americans have liked-words about fiscal responsibility, words about ending "don't ask, don't tell," and words of restraint in foreign policy. The fact that government's fiscal irresponsibility was one of the main causes of the financial and economic melt-down would make one believe that fiscal responsibility would be part of the solution. But the president has been anything but fiscally responsible. Although he has been more honest in accounting than the former administration, by any accounts he has increased the deficit almost explosively. His budget increases the debt by trillions and, by all projections, by a greater extent than President Bush did. You can't fix a problem partially caused by 'x' by increasing 'x.' Also, he has not ended "don't ask, don't tell"-something he could do with an executive order. We need servicemen and women and to exclude persons perfectly qualified to serve is ridiculous-especially when we are more militarily overextended now than perhaps ever. In addition, the President seems to be, as Rachel Maddow suggests, simply carrying on the Bush doctrine in regards to Afghanistan. He is trying to prevent an attack that is, by all accounts, not eminent. We have seriously decreased the number of active terrorists there; we should set a real deadline for withdrawal and be focusing on protecting ourselves through security measures and new technologies. Also, if Obama would actually secure our borders (i.e. not be Bush), he would have a much better chance of passing comprehensive immigration reform-something I think all intelligent people agree we need.

Based on all these issues, I give President Obama a D-. He had much potential to be a transformative figure, one of moderation, one of putting the country first; and I pray, for the sake of the nation, that he will see the light, forget politics, and use common-sense, pragmatic solutions to save this country from itself.