What overall grade would you give Obama at this point in his presdiency?

[MADem]

46. Well, here's my take...

If we can give kids trophies for simply showing up to practice every week, I can throw a little gravy on my POTUS grade to tasty it up. If I were in a lousy mood, I'd give him an A for the same reasons. The fact that I'm in a good mood gives me a lean toward the "plus."

I thought Bill Clinton was a flawed fellow but a wonderful President. He stopped--in its tracks--the inexorable march towards All GOP Bullshit, All The Time. Yes, he had to compromise and half-step to do that, and some purists didn't like his approach, but he did what he could, not what he'd have liked, and in any event, the alternative would have been horrific. All that Reagan-Bush stink is STILL being felt in Federal government as a consequence of the system that gives political appointees a leg up in converting their service from discretionary to "civil service." And once in, it's hard as hell to shift the bastards. They're still there and they will hang on until they can max out their retirement or they are pushed out in a drawdown/payoff.

Believe me, the 'reverb' from Cowboy Bush will continue to be felt down the years, because so many of his incompetent asshole appointees slid into civil service positions--the revolving door was whirring to beat the band while he was in office. The only way to fight that fire is with fire of our own, which is why elections matter, both at the legislative and executive level of federal government, AND at the state and local level as well. That dorky little alderman, today, could be the mayor tomorrow, the governor next week, and a Senator or President in two shakes of a lamb's tail.

A President has to work with the government he's got--and POTUS hasn't gotten many favors on that score at all.