Really ? We're going to take a snapshot at 100 days ? In this always on, 24-7 what have you done for me in the last five minutes world, we're going to actually stop and grade President Obama on what he did in about 14 weeks of work. This is the same country that needs a Google Map of Swine Flu cases updated every five minutes, like there's a little googlite in every hospital...
It's really a little mind-boggling. No, I mean it. We have some major and serious problems right now, like the economy, unemployment, two wars, global warming, health care, plus all the stuff that the government has already said it doesn't really have time for right now because of the list I just mentioned.
Let's step back here. Why is the economy in such bad shape ? Simple. Short-term gains have trumped long-term growth. When people indict Wall Street for causing 'the economic meltdown' you have to remember that for many of us, our 401K managers were pushing for the same ridiculously high short-term returns that individual investors and day-traders were pushing for. I'm not saying I ever called up TIA-CREF and said 'hey, where's my 10% return this quarter', but it's like when everyone screams about the bank bailouts- the money you may be protecting might just be your own, if you have any investments left, that is.
But let's not go there and talk about who's at fault and who isn't and who is hurt and who isn't by what's going on, although I'll posit this: if the economy deteriorates enough, it doesn't really matter who is at fault, you, I and everyone else is going to suffer.
My point is this. We've gotten where we are in so many ways by being unable to look past the end of our noses. Sub-prime mortgages, Iraq, pyramid schemes, torture, steroids in baseball... and then we turn around and we have this ridiculous discussion about 100 days.
100 days ?
We elected Mr. Obama to be President for 4 years. The opportunity for further landscape shifts in politics is minimal until the mid-term elections- although perhaps with Senator Specter changing parties that's less true than otherwise. Regardless, he's about 7-8% through his first term, so grading him is a little silly.
No, it's just plain stupid.
Let's worry about how we're doing as a country and leave it at that.
Besides, how did the major news outlets have time to break away from the swine flu to cover the 100 days benchmark ? I'm just asking...
2 comments:
I took the time to read your entire statement about the first 100 days. I agree with it. 100 days is too short to show results but I think the "first impression" the public gets is probably good. The press has been critical of Geitner , they like to pick Biden apart too. It is saying something that Specter became a democrat and it is a good message for Obama. Dick K
Thanks, Korbs. I agree that as a first impression it's useful, but CNN's day by day breakdown was so excessive it was silly.
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