Kristof offers a report card for Obama’s first term:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/06/o...irst-term-report-card.html?_r=2&smid=tw-share
I take issue with a lot of it. First, the categories don’t seem to be equal in importance. Economic policy (both fiscal as enacted by Congress and the president, and monetary as enacted by the members of the Federal Reserve he appoints) and foreign policy seem much more important to me than issues which only affect a tiny sliver of the population–such as the Army’s policy towards gays.
On all of these areas but one, I would have given Obama a lower score. Take the economy, where Kristof gives Obama a B. What about the across the board bailout of the TBTF banks and their non-prosecution for fraud? What about Obama’s adding $6 trillion to the national debt? Extending the Bush tax cuts for political reasons (conciliation)? I think Kristof is focusing only on jobs and the fact that Team Obama temporarily averted a depression by kicking the can down the road. I’d give Obama a C here.
Kristof gives Obama an A- on education, but look what has happened with young adults seeking college educations lately. They collectively owe almost $1 trillion, which is more than the total outstanding credit card debt. Many of them graduated or will graduate with worthless degrees from overpriced universities, and will be stuck with unpayable debt for decades. I think the most I’d give here would be a B.
Obama gets a B+ on foreign policy, despite having escalated the Afghanistan occupation, despite probably crossing the line on international law with Libya, maybe with Syria, and certainly with all the drone attacks and the continued torture. I can’t give Obama more than a D here, even though I’ll grant Bush was, and Romney probably would be, worse.
On “Other Domestic Issues”, Kristof failed to mention the NDAA, which allows presidents to unilaterally indefinitely detain those whom he deems to be threats to national security, and incidentally target for assassination. Also he omits any discussion of Obama's escalation against whistle-blowers. I’d have a hard time giving Obama a passing grade here, as he has gone beyond even Bush in this area.
Other areas which Kristof failed to comment on include energy policy, environmental policy, and drug war policy. Obama is overall mediocre in these areas, with a disappointing lack of innovation and creative thinking.
Kristof gives Obama an F on communication. While I agree he has not overall communicated effectively, I wouldn’t say that communication per se is his worst problem. He hasn’t communicated well because he serves two masters (or ostensibly serves one while really serving the other). But I think Carter may have been worse on communication, as he chided the American public and lapsed into sanctimony. Obama hasn't stooped to that yet.
The average of Kristof’s grades, assuming equal weight for each policy area, is about a B-.
I’d give Obama a C-, granting that he was able to push through a flawed healthcare plan, which might be improved some day. But I think Kristof over-values certain things and totally ignores others. Obama is at best a mediocre president, beholden to the biggest banks that bankrolled his campaign in 2008, and alas, one who has continued most of the failed Bush policies. That’s pretty unforgivable.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/06/o...irst-term-report-card.html?_r=2&smid=tw-share
I take issue with a lot of it. First, the categories don’t seem to be equal in importance. Economic policy (both fiscal as enacted by Congress and the president, and monetary as enacted by the members of the Federal Reserve he appoints) and foreign policy seem much more important to me than issues which only affect a tiny sliver of the population–such as the Army’s policy towards gays.
On all of these areas but one, I would have given Obama a lower score. Take the economy, where Kristof gives Obama a B. What about the across the board bailout of the TBTF banks and their non-prosecution for fraud? What about Obama’s adding $6 trillion to the national debt? Extending the Bush tax cuts for political reasons (conciliation)? I think Kristof is focusing only on jobs and the fact that Team Obama temporarily averted a depression by kicking the can down the road. I’d give Obama a C here.
Kristof gives Obama an A- on education, but look what has happened with young adults seeking college educations lately. They collectively owe almost $1 trillion, which is more than the total outstanding credit card debt. Many of them graduated or will graduate with worthless degrees from overpriced universities, and will be stuck with unpayable debt for decades. I think the most I’d give here would be a B.
Obama gets a B+ on foreign policy, despite having escalated the Afghanistan occupation, despite probably crossing the line on international law with Libya, maybe with Syria, and certainly with all the drone attacks and the continued torture. I can’t give Obama more than a D here, even though I’ll grant Bush was, and Romney probably would be, worse.
On “Other Domestic Issues”, Kristof failed to mention the NDAA, which allows presidents to unilaterally indefinitely detain those whom he deems to be threats to national security, and incidentally target for assassination. Also he omits any discussion of Obama's escalation against whistle-blowers. I’d have a hard time giving Obama a passing grade here, as he has gone beyond even Bush in this area.
Other areas which Kristof failed to comment on include energy policy, environmental policy, and drug war policy. Obama is overall mediocre in these areas, with a disappointing lack of innovation and creative thinking.
Kristof gives Obama an F on communication. While I agree he has not overall communicated effectively, I wouldn’t say that communication per se is his worst problem. He hasn’t communicated well because he serves two masters (or ostensibly serves one while really serving the other). But I think Carter may have been worse on communication, as he chided the American public and lapsed into sanctimony. Obama hasn't stooped to that yet.
The average of Kristof’s grades, assuming equal weight for each policy area, is about a B-.
I’d give Obama a C-, granting that he was able to push through a flawed healthcare plan, which might be improved some day. But I think Kristof over-values certain things and totally ignores others. Obama is at best a mediocre president, beholden to the biggest banks that bankrolled his campaign in 2008, and alas, one who has continued most of the failed Bush policies. That’s pretty unforgivable.
