Declarations of Obama’s failure are premature and pathetic. Not only has he already rolled back some of the most egregious abuses of the previous administration (torture, wiretap, etc), he has moved more aggressively and with greater success than any previous president, toward achieving his goals in health care.
By the end of Obama’s first term, we will have comprehensive health reform, a rational carbon-emissions regime, and a younger SCOTUS. Even if he accomplished nothing else, this would be enough to mark his Presidency as a major force for positive change, but there will undoubtedly be other successes in foreign relations, the right to organize, and improved oversight of Wall Street.
The only explanation for the persistent call for failure from the right is a desire to paint Obama as “not much better” than Bush, who was recognized as a failure at home and around the world. This effort will fail because Obama is much better than Bush, as he continues to prove on a daily basis. He is not perfect, but he is smart enough to learn from his mistakes – something that had been missing from the White House for a while.
Peace.
DS
