I do not know about the key tests that an US prez has to pass to be considered a "good Prez", but, from my European POV he has - within this short time - achieved some major changes that are from our EU POV *very* important and make him credible, and he has also failed in some other respects, time will tell what history will say (as with Bush Jr., actually), we can all have opinions, but in the end, results and history counts (to be evaluated 20+ yrs later).
Let us see, and this is completely personal, why *I* think Obama is doing better than anybody covering the job in the last 20 yrs:
Despite his failures (Guantanamo still open, wars not solved, banks do give him the cold front, etc. ...) he has realized some *major* achievements, not only for the US, but also for the planet (not surprisingly, Bush also ruined stuff in those respects ot only for the US but also for the planet, this impact comes with being the leader of the Imperium), esp. in the exterior politic field (which, if I recall right, was the field that during his campaign he was critizised most), but also internally:
- On Feb 3, 5 days into office, he revived SCHIP, some 3+ Million *children* (the future, how could those religious fanatiics miss it?) included in health care and at least with - theoretically (practically their parents being 10 yrs older in general will drag it down again) - a chance to make it to a stage where they can truly represent the future of this great nation.
- In May, he managed to get the so called "religious majority" (what a fascist newspeak word, it is like "Al Kaeda" for a secular government as they also think religious beliefs should be the bae for a state..., so just to show where the prob is I will use it demogagically), er, he got *US Al Kaeda*´s influence reduced in the supreme court (aka the "joint jiraahh of the Elders")
- Until May 2009 he had not only managed to squash the quarrles with Russia, but also to get the moderate Muslim nations (where religion indeed is part of state, do we want that, really??) on his side: By cancelling the missile shield (which was of no use anyway vs. Iran if Russia did not play part) he got the Russians on the boat to stop Iran´s musings, by his correct and not prepotent Telly Interviews that got broadcasted in Europe, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, etc he managed to show ppl that Bush´s "Axis of Evil" simplifaction was over (from the other side, with same significance and with(out) the same importance, US and NATO are "the axis of evil", using this phrase simply is useless outside on the planet because every nation will define it differently, but it *does* impress you religious faction inside your nation - US and Muslim nations alike, think about it a minute! "US the Satan!" replaced with "Iran the Satan!")
- In September he became the first prez ever to preside a SC meeting, an achievement all by itself (and, it came as a result of his diplomatic delicacy understanding that the world simply is *not* black vs. white, good vs evil, democracy vs. oligarchy, christians vs. muslims, faith vs. pagaism, darwin vs. creationalists, etc... but much more a complicatet pattern of shades of all of this)
Spare me more details (re: Health care plan etc) as there is a character limit here, but also his speech at the Nobel Prize reception was one of honesty, great ethical value and valor: As recipient of the Peace Nobel Prize to state and explain that and why wars might be considered necessary, from my EU POV is something no other US prez during my life time has been able to even formulate before credibly, maybe with the exception of Kennedy.
So, from my POV we here do not see him as messias at all, but at least he is *inspiring*: When I became a soldier in Germany in the ´70s it was to defend
values the Americans had brought to us, that we had subscribed to, and that
inspired us.
With Bush and the stupid and (foreseeably stupid outcome!) war vs. Iraq w/o reason (and hence, let me assume: For crude after all?!) this inspiration went into thin air: All Europeans except the US vasalles (politicians: Despite "Ansar"´s - Bush could no even pronounce the name of the prez of "The Republic of Spain" which in fact is a kingdom and the name was "Aznar" - support, 94% of the people were aginst it which resulted in the fulminant destitiution for him and his party and the retriveal of the solds from the illegal war)
this inspiration was lost: I have a bunch of serious email discussions handy, if asked for, that show this fact, who would seriously argue going with (self defined by their own standards set in Nuremberg 1946) war criminals that simply ignored "International Law" that *THEY* had first imposed?
Now with Obama, at least
a part of this inspiration to fight for values
has come back, and it has nothing to do with his skin color. I would send my sons out again now, but not in 2003.
Do you as youngster remember 2003? Well, here was my take on that day 6 1/2 yrs ago, and I still feel the same and feel I have not had to change that truly democratic view and illusion for one yota:
http://www.warandtactics.com/smf/wa...2003-start-of-the-iraq-war/msg10673/#msg10673
Now, things *have* started to change, an area of a paralyzing "lead blanket" on this planet has gone, give the guy time, is my take. That the ghosts we called upon in the last 8 years won´t simply vanish, that we are in a kind of WWIII, well, that´s something our current and future generations will have to deal with, but Obamas take is the best way I can think of.
My 2c,
Rattler
