Keeping Score on Obama

[silverscreenselect]

Jeemie in particular may find this site interesting.

The St. Petersburg Times has identified 510 campaign promises made by Obama and is keeping track of what if anything is being done. Until something final occurs, they are listed as no action, in the works, or stalled. Once something final happens, it's either promise kept, compromise, or promise broken. They call this the Obameter.

http://politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/

Obviously, most of these show no action taken, and many are long range. Others are trivial, such as getting a puppy for the White House, which is in the works.

The Times shows five promises kept:

1. Appointing a Republican to the Cabinet
2. Directing the military to bring an end to the war in Iraq (we'll see how that plays out)
3. Accelerating the release of Presidential records (this only applies to past Presidents, and will most likely be used by enterprising reporters looking into digging into Bush's records as quickly as possible, Bush had delayed the release of a number of Clinton era records perhaps looking ahead to his own post-Presidency)
4. Requiring new hires to affirm that their appointment was not due to political affiliation or contributions (anyone seriously think this is gone from government? Plenty of wiggle room as the responsibility is actually on the person doing the hiring to affirm that he or she will only hire based on merits)
5. Banning lobbyist gifts (the ban is on the appointee not to accept gifts, I'm not sure how much of a change this actually represents)

The one promise that resulted in a compromise:

Prohibiting political appointees from working on any matters that relate to their former employer for at least two years.

Apparently, there is a clause in the order allowing Obama to waive it if it is in the public interest. It took him all of two days for this issue to arise (a waiver is "under consideration") in the case of his new Deputy Secretary of Defense, William Lynn, who used to be a lobbyist for Raytheon. Apparently, there are tough new anti-lobbying rules unless Obama decides he doesn't want tough new anti-lobbying rules.

[gsabc]

I would like to see them do an equivalent chart of campaign promises vs. eventual actions for the last five presidents. Certainly both the promises and actions should be well documented in their own archives. That would offer a genuine comparison.

[Jeemie]

I would like to see them do an equivalent chart of campaign promises vs. eventual actions for the last five presidents. Certainly both the promises and actions should be well documented in their own archives. That would offer a genuine comparison.

I'm sure they'll be equally bad.

But Obama promised real change, and made really bold promises.

He's not supposed to be "the typical politician".

[smilergrogan]

But Obama promised real change, and made really bold promises.

He's not supposed to be "the typical politician".

But to promise real change and make really bold promises is the typical politician, especially the presidential variety. What (successful) presidential candidate has not promised real change and bold actions? What presidential candidate has not claimed to be not a typical politician?

[Jeemie]

But Obama promised real change, and made really bold promises.

He's not supposed to be "the typical politician".

But to promise real change and make really bold promises is the typical politician, especially the presidential variety. What (successful) presidential candidate has not promised real change and bold actions? What presidential candidate has not claimed to be not a typical politician?

Difference this time is so many people believe him.