Richard Neustadt, one of the most respected experts on the
American presidency argues that we should ask four questions in order to
appraise the personal performance of a president:
1.
What were his purposes and did these run with or
against the grain of history? (in other words, what are his actions and are
they appropriate for the time in which he held the office?)
2.
What was his “feel,” his human understanding,
for the nature of his power in the circumstances of his time?
3.
What was his stance under pressure in office,
and how did this affect his decision making?
4.
What is his legacy?
We will start our examination of the presidency by beginning
a preliminary evaluation of our current president, with no prior political
knowledge necessary. Because president Obama is still in office we cannot
discuss his legacy. However we can evaluate his actions, “feel,” and stance
under pressure. Please give your gut rating on President Obama’s actions as
president, his “feel” for the people (does he get it?), and how he has acted
while under undeniable pressure. Rate him from 1-10 on each of the scales then
provide a brief reason why. For
instance:
Actions: 2
“feel” for the people: 8
actions under pressure: 5
Then simply explain your rating.
Keep in mind these are your opinions and there are no wrong
answers!
Having no real knowledge about the current political climate, I worry that my gut instinct will be incorrect not because I have a "wrong" opinion of Obama, but because I have utterly no opinion of Obama at all, and am instead drawing arbitrary numbers out of my head.
ReplyDeleteFor what I do know, I would rate his actions a 6 or a 7 for now. Mainly because under his leadership as president, a lot of new bills (laws? legislation? I'm not even sure what the technical terms are) have been passed. Healthcare reform is one thing in particular that I am thinking about, as well as his plan to make birth control free. Another thing that has passed is gay marriage in New York...probably not a direct result of his actions, but I feel that having a liberal president leads the country to be able to explore more liberal ideals such as gay marriage. The reason I did not give him a full 10 for "actions" is because I often hear people say, well yes Obama passed all of this health care mambo jumbo (or health care crap, if I'm hearing it from a Republican), but we have yet to see the results from these bills (laws, legislation). So I don't know what to believe anymore!
In terms of a "feel" for the people, I would give him a 5, because I feel like he has a very good feel for the democratic party people, and understands liberal concerns. However, I fear that because he is so liberal, it allows room for extreme conservatives such as the Tea Party members to tout their extremist conservative ideals in order to counteract Obama's extreme liberal ones.
And I have no earthly idea what to rate him for his actions under pressure. I can't, off hand, think of a single incident so far that I have heard of that would require Obama to act under pressure like Bush did with say Katrina or 9/11. So any number I would put would seem completely made up and arbitrary. (But if I need a number, I'll put 7 because he's quite eloquent speech giver, and can probably calm all of us down, even if he has no idea what the hell to do himself)
-Tovah Silbermann
Actions: 4
ReplyDelete“Feel” for the People: 9
Actions under pressure: 2
I feel that President Obama, although a gifted orator and in theory a very inspirational figure (given his background and his position as first black president), is paralyzed by a pointed lack of leadership in times that call for strong leaders. I think that for many issues where there is a need for pressurized decision-making that includes making very tough calls, he has shown minimal ability to do so. The downgrade fiasco (the origins of which are obviously not his fault) calls for a strong leader to comfort and rally the people of the United States and make sure that the world understands that the US will still be the primary superpower, despite these setbacks. No strong leadership à la Churchill on the issue, however, was forthcoming, and the whole debacle only served to delegitimize the American government and decision-making process, making it almost laughable in the eyes of the world (see the official Chinese newspaper’s biting editorial: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/indepth/2011-08/06/c_131032986.htm).
I do think that Obama is very much emotionally in touch with the people, which is why he was elected (despite his clear lack of experience) in the first place, and why he still has support across the country. He is relatable to and has a pulse on the populace—if only that translated into definitive, responsible action in the multitude of serious issues that the United States faces that he has yet to make a significant positive impact on as president (Iran, the national debt, restoring consumer confidence, the wars in the Middle East, health care, straggling education, lack of productivity combined with proclivity of consumerism in the country).
-Sarah Nattel
Actions: 3
ReplyDelete"Feel" for the people: 6
Actions under Pressure: 3
As previously stated, I too have not so much of an opinion on Obama - and it is because I remain uninformed and uneducated on American Politics. Whatever opinions I do have though, stem from hearing parents and adults discussing, be it at synagogue or at a shared meal; and what I do know is that those conversations generally do not bear such a happy nor proud vibe.
For actions, I chose 3 because, at the end of the day, far too many people remain jobless and the economy is still incredibly unstable. And despite the President's efforts and achievements in healthcare and children's insurance (and I do applaud them), we are still suffering greatly in numerous areas.
Next, in terms of his "feel" for the people, I do believe he has some level of a "feel" for the American people. After all, as Sarah mentioned, that is why he was elected and continues to receive support. He is a charismatic speaker and has successfully gotten the people's attention, however, I believe that he's yet to prove his leadership abilities to them. There is much more to a President's role than just being able to speak well and rally support. One must do something once one has gained the support that was so desired.
Now, for "actions under pressure," I rated the President a 3. Although I do not know much, I do know that to be a President, one must be a leader, in both the best and worst of times. The President is under a lot of pressure from many angles (war, national debt, joblessness, etc.), however a leader is yet to shine through. :(
-Pamela Apfel
Actions: 7
ReplyDelete"Feel" for the People: 8
Actions Under Pressure: 4
As radical as this may sound to some, I think the perpetual Obama bashing for his every single action should be somewhat reduced (insert here all uproar and fury.) While many say that the president has "yet to do anything", I can't help but see the positive political changes that have come about under his leadership- universal health care (hello, this is HUGE), the path towards repealing the Don't Ask Don't Tell law, and helping to support the DREAM Act, which prevents students who are children of illegal aliens of being wrongfully deported. Although major issues such as the debt and jobs are clearly not anywhere near a place where we want it, I think that before we rush to blame the President we have to remember the obstacles in his way: a large portion of these problems are due to his predecessors' actions (two wars can be pretty costly) and a Congress that often refuses to cooperate with the President simply not to allow him any "victory." Therefore, I do think that the actions that are direct consequences of the President's actions are overall pretty positive.
As mentioned, President Obama is undoubtedly known for his orator and people skills. To be fair, he didn't have to deal with a 9/11 or Katrina; however, I felt his responses to things like the BP oil spill and the assassination of Osama bin Laden were powerful, encouraging, and inspiring.
I gave a lower rating for his actions under pressure not because I think he may have "cracked", but because I think that he often isn't as forceful in advancing his or his party's beliefs as needed. President Obama consistently attempts compromise in Congress, which although is laudable and appropriate, it seems as if he often promotes a "bipartisan agreement" where his party's wishes end up almost completely absent.
- Talya Seidman
Actions: 6
ReplyDelete"Feel" for the people: 9
Actions under pressure: 5
When it comes to President Obama, I feel that everyone has been judging him on what he's doing "wrong", but nobody stops to think about the fact that a lot of "issues" that we are facing now was actually passed down to him from the previous Presidents--such as Bush's recession. I gave Obama a 6 for Actions, and a 5 for Actions under pressure because I feel that with what he was given, he is handling it as best as he can, but at the same time, I feel that he still has a lot more that he could offer.
According to the latest Presidential Tracking Poll on Rasmussen Reports, "42% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of the president's performance. Fifty-six percent (56%) at least somewhat disapprove."
Lets remember how Obama was the President to be in the White House when Osama Bin Laden was found and killed which led to a slight deduction in the pressure Americans were feeling.
I gave Obama a 9 on his "feel" for the people because, since being elected, Obama has shown a sense of comfort when it comes to dealing with the people. He strikes me as casual, unlike the previous Presidents who were always very formal when it came to addressing us. He is at ease behind a podium, which allows the people to feel comfortable with him, and he opened up his life to the people, which allows us to feel like we know him, not know of him.
-Beth Hendler
President Obama has been in office since January 2009. Since then, the United States has been on a tumultuous rollercoaster ride. I would rate Obama in the following way:
ReplyDeleteActions – 4
I feel that while President Obama has been acting in some ways to help the current situation in the United States, his actions have been a bit misdirected. For example, healthcare is a sore issue in this country and change does need to happen. People should not be paying exorbitant prices set by insurance companies and should have the ability to afford health insurance. While the president did take steps to reform the system, his healthcare bill was so long (1,990 pages!) that he did not know himself what was in it. The president has been caught numerous times contradicting himself on the details of his own bill. I felt that this bill was rushed to be passed by the 100 days in office review and before the midterm elections. While right in the attitude of change, this bill in no way reflects a realistic change, ie parts have already been deemed unconstitutional.
Feel for the people – 6
President Obama understands that Americans are going through tough times. He knows that thousands each month are losing their jobs, their homes and more and more are joining the “unemployment sector”. He understands that change needs to happen in the healthcare division of this country and that issue of terrorism, narcotics and border security are a prime topic of concern in the U.S. However, it is really yet to be seen how he will address many of these issues, especially unemployment. Recently the president announced a $450 billion American Jobs Act. Again, while the mission of the act is on target with the current situation of the country, spending and taxing during a time of economic turmoil is totally impractical.
Acting under pressure – 2
The president evidently does not act well under pressure. A clear example of this is the recent budget talks in which the president (and both parties) resorted to name calling, placing the blame on others and walking out of talks. This is NOT how a president should be acting. He is the mediator between parties and is supposed to bring bipartisan efforts to fruition. President Obama has not been clear on his stance on numerous issues and many of the stances he took during his election he has backtracked. While President Obama has not had to deal with a 9/11 or Katrina situation, the current pressures he is dealing with now are just as hard in other ways and he is not doing too well.
-Lea Speyer
Action: 4
ReplyDelete“Feel” for the people: 7
Actions under pressure: 8
I am torn as to my view about Obama and his Presidency but a lot of what I am going to write is bits of pieces from what I have heard from newspaper, TV, and from people around me as well.
I gave President Obama a four for actions and seven for “feel” for the people. As was said before, he was able to legislate dealings with health care and was the first to truly see this battle to completion. He has been doing what the people want. On the other hand, we have not seen it implemented and the cost of health care continues to rise. I agree with what a lot of people have said about the President being an excellent speaker and motivator and I think people enjoy listening to him and feel that the President is doing something in their favor.
President Obama has shown composure under pressure as he gave the order and risked the lives of many soldiers, in the killing of Bin Laden. Similarly he has followed through on his plan to get the troops out of Iraq and is concentrating the battle against terrorists in Afghanistan. I think with everything that the President handles on a day-to-day basis he has acted well under pressure that’s why I gave him an eight. If the President is under pressure and the people realize it I think it will make the people nervous. He has kept his cool.
In the end though, President Obama will be judged about what happened domestically in the US and right now with unemployment and a weak economy, I think people are becoming unhappy with his performance.
-Rebecca Eckstein
Actions- 2
ReplyDeleteAs already mentioned in our first class, the economy is one of the greatest and most pressing issues affecting Americans today. In my opinion, Obama’s recent job proposal was weak and does not show much hope of improvement. Sadly, once successful or promising fields have been almost totally destroyed. For example, the manufacturing industry has been totally devastated, the high tech industry has been mostly outsourced, and even the finance field has turned into a disaster. If we don’t hold on to any of these, what’s really left?
Feel for the people- 5
For this category, I give Obama a neutral rating of 5- neither positive nor negative. Like already mentioned, the economy and unemployment are one of the main concerns for the American people. Even the employed often have less than permanent employment, which means that the employment situation is even worse than statistics show. There’s a certain level of difficulty in saying that Obama does not care about the American people. However, he seems to be held hostage to some contingencies (such as labor unions), which prevent him from doing anything affective for the American people.
Actions under pressure-4
Again, regarding the debt crisis, Obama failed to show strong leadership, and show that America was headed in the right direction. Just like many Americans were disgusted by the Republican’s congress, it seems that Obama is staying with the same system his predecssor used, which is unfortunatley a doomed track.
- Miriam Barth
Actions – 4
ReplyDeleteFeel for the people – 7
Actions under pressure – 4
I will be the first to admit that I have little to no knowledge about politics in general, let alone the specifics of a presidency. My opinions, therefore, are based purely on my own gut feelings as opposed to educated observations and understandings.
I rate Obama a 4 for both Actions and Actions under pressure because I think the pressure he is under is more of a constant (i.e. in terms of the unemployment and the financial crises in our country) as opposed to a situational pressure (like that of 9/11) and his attempts to solve these big issues and have not thus far been so successful. He has made some progress with other issues, like healthcare, but from what little I know, I know that some of his policies are controversial and their success is debatable. I do think that Obama is “active” in the sense that he is trying to fix things and wants to make change and I hope that this drive will push him to make a more tangible impact.
I rate Obama a 7 seven for Feel for the people because I think he has a good sense of what the people want and what the people need. He is very relatable and makes people feel at ease. His eloquent speaking abilities help him gain people’s affection and he does his best to maintain that affection. I think it is important that regardless of what the public opinion is regarding his politics, he will continue to be a likable person.
Actions: 5
ReplyDelete"feel" for the people: 8
actions under pressure: 3
I was one of Obama’s supporters during the election and most people ask me if my opinion has changed since he has been in office. Obviously, it has changed to some degree because many things that he had promised to the American people were not really dealt with. I do give him the benefit of the doubt though at times and think that even though he is the President, many different people not in the spotlight are still part of the decision-making. The President cannot do everything and the Congress etc. play a huge role in what is passed and what is not passed.
I do think that Obama has a very good feel for the people though. I think that's how he won the Presidency and that's how he still stands. He is a talented speaker who always makes sure to reach out to the people who are less fortunate and he speaks of a time where things will be easier for America. However, the things that he articulates eloquently may not actually be carried out. Words can only do so much. Perhaps he is not able to work under the pressure of being a President, when there are so many different factors that he always has to take into account.
- Adena Berkowitz
Actions: 3
ReplyDelete"Feel" for the people: 5
Actions under pressure: 2
Like many other people in this class I am not so well informed on President Obama or any government issues for that matter. That definitely is a big reason why I am taking this class. All I can do is read these comments and give my opinion to the best of my ability.
As far as Obama taking action, I think he has done a considerable amount of good for this country like "Going Green" campaigns and health awareness but not nearly enough for the President of the United States. In my opinion, there needs to be less speaking and much more action.
In terms of "feeling" for the people, I gave him a five because this is where I think he stands out the most for me. Being that he is the first black president of the U.S. and so young, I feel like he is more relatable to the public. People wanted change and they can feel that with President Obama up there. But sometimes I feel like he is just a face for the public and a good speaker rather than a great leader. Like Adena said, "words can only do so much."
As for actions under pressure I don't think he has done a great job. I can't imagine the pressure that comes along with the title of President of the United States. On the other hand, one knows exactly what they are getting into therefore he should be handling it much better. All of the problems that we discussed in class last week can't be solved in one sitting and definitely not alone, but action needs to take place sooner rather than later.
-Tamar Benzaquen
Action: 4
ReplyDelete“Feel” for the people: 6
Actions under pressure: 8
My opinions of Obama may be rather general due to the limited knowledge I hold about his presidency. For starters I have given him a 4 in terms of his actions mainly due to the still existent problems in our economy. Obama was elected during the downfall of the economy and has yet to have shown any significant improvements. People remain jobless and our economy is not nearly as strong as it used to be. As Miriam said it took our class a matter of seconds, when asked to list our countries biggest problems, to claim the economy! In addition Obama’s plan for the Middle East in his press conference with Israeli prime minister was to return to the 1967 borders. This plan did not exactly suit my beliefs or seem like a good plan of action for the problems in the Middle East.
Secondly Obama’s “feel” for the people. Obama is a very powerful and moving speaker and became our countries first African American president because of the connection he was able to make with the American people. He can relate to the people, however, he has problem getting Congress to back up his plans and initiate them for the people! Lastly I gave Obama the highest mark for the actions under pressure section because of the success in capturing terrorist Osama Bin Laden. It was under his command that we were able to get him out of Pakistan. In the last ten years he was the only president to stop Bin Laden from continuing terror on our country.
While it is hard to rate a president that is still in office, I will give it my best and evaluate what he has done thus far in these three years.
ReplyDeleteOsama’s campaign for Change targeted many young Americans. Many were sick of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan and looking for a change in focus; domestic policy rather than foreign policy. Obama assured the nation that he would work hard to cut taxes, lower tuition rates and provide every American with healthcare.
Shortly after Obamas victory he went to work on Obamacare- he worked tirelessly against the GOP to pass the bill. I applaud his persistency; however the bill is extremely complicated and does not really affect many Americans. The only memorable piece of the bill- is that it provides care until 25; afterwards the child must get off their parents insurance.
While Obama focused his time and energy on this bill- he failed to create equilibrium between domestic and foreign policy. In the EU, Obama is not seen as powerful, nor in the far-east does China want to work along Obama and come to peaceful negotiations.
Overall- Osama promised change; but what has he done except for run the country into even more debt, create NO jobs and successful foreign relationships
In 2008 the United States of America voted in President Obama as the 44th President. As a voter these are my thoughts three years later...
ReplyDeleteActions: = 4
His foreign policy has been a failure as his ambitions in the middle east have only exacerbated the problems, the Iranian threat has only progressed, and his influence in the European and African policy is nearly as irrelevant as Bush's. His economic polices have resulted in a discouraged Wall street and significant amounts of unemployment. However, his capturing of Osama Bin Laden, and ousting Ghadafi helps ever so slightly.
“feel” for the people: 6
His approval ratings are always higher after his speeches and I believe that the majority of lower and middle class Americans view him as their emissary. His policies seem to be somewhat within the consensus and his actions highlight his desire to be one of the people. The Obama family in general have portrayed themselves as regular people, as opposed to the Bush's who were viewed as wealthy oil magnets. His campaign began this strategy with a reliance on social media and his actions have further enhanced his viewpoint as "one of the people".
Actions under pressure: 3
He vacillated on his withdrawals of Iraq and Afghanistan. His environmental policies are a far-cry from his campaign. His policy on gay marriage was forced and he can't give straight answers most of the time. People might point to Bin Laden's assignation as a strong act, which I will not totally deny, but in truth the accolades go to the defense establishment and the troops over there. The risk on his political career was miniscule. In general he has yet to thrive under pressure.
“Feel” for the people: 7
ReplyDeleteI do believe that Obama has an overall feel for the people. I think that the greatest proof of this can be seen by nature of the fact that he is a skilled orator. In order to be an effective speaker, you have to understand whom you’re speaking to, what they care about, what pulls at their heart strings, and what they want to see in the future. When Obama brings these elements into his eloquent speeches, it shows that he at least has an intellectual understanding of what the people are going through, but when it comes to putting his words into practice, his effectiveness is often a different story.
Actions: 3
As far as actions, it is difficult to give Obama a good rating because things have not changed too dramatically over the past 3 years that he has been in office. We are still facing a financial crisis, possibilities of a nuclear Iran, and plenty of issues that we put on the board in our first class. The lack of action may in some ways be a result of his “feel for the people” personality. People’s critiques of him as a wishy-washy president could result because he considers what everyone has to say and might not always have a strong opinion on his own as to how to solve the issues at hand.
Stance under pressure: 6
I think Obama’s stance under pressure is not completely ideal when it comes to devising plans of action in difficult situations. This was reflected in what feels like his rush to get policies passed by certain deadlines, whether it’s in his first 100 days or now that he’s devising a bill to create jobs right before he must get involved again with re-election campaigns. However, I do think that Obama has a personality that holds well under pressure. Obama is not one to have emotional outbursts, and is always presented well to the public -- appearing presidential and projecting a pleasant and confident demeanor. One time in particular that I recall this being the case was when I saw a youtube video that showed Obama laughing off an Osama bin Laden joke at the white house correspondents’ dinner, one day before bin Laden’s death was announced. It was impossible to read Obama’s face after the joke, but there is no doubt that Obama was containing plenty of emotion that he very successfully kept to himself. Although it may be somewhat of a trivial example, it shows that he kept his cool when caught by surprise.
Check it out at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLDqMWmqmow
Feel:2
ReplyDeleteActions:4
Stance under pressure: 6
Feel:
It sometimes seems like Obama is in another place entirely when he talks about getting things done. It seems like he is just on a completely different wave length than the rest of the american people. In his speeches he attempts to convey understanding of the suffering that the american people are going through during this recession era; but in reality, more often than not, it seems like americans just end up complaining about all the points that he continually misses.
Actions:
Obama ran on a the platform of "Change." He promised america that things would be different during his presidency than ever before in history. Well, if that includes making Congress do everything in their power to stop votes that Obama supports from passing, then I guess he has succeeded in making change happen. It is no secret that often times when a Democrat is in office, the Republicans in Congress will attempt to assert their power by negating many of the bills that the president wishes to pass. With Obama, it seems like they are on a mission to assure that nothing will go through until Obama is out of office. That Congress will be completely useless until there is a Republican in the oval office again.
Stance Under Pressure:
Honestly, from the time that Obama took office, he has been under pressure. The economy was in a downward spiral, the euro was depleting and America was (and still is) in two wars. He had a lot going against him. I really see everything that he has done as president as an action under pressure. If people are this upset with him 3 years in, the I cannot imagine what the people will do to him, if reelected. after 5 or 6 years in office. He has such low approval ratings that, as of now, the Republican candidate (whoever that may be) might just be a shoe in in 2012.
In Obama's defense, he has stood strong, continued to make inspiring speeches and held support of many loyal americans and that will certainly be an advantage in the future. He has tried to enact change, even under such immense pressure and that is an admirable trait of a president.
Actions: 4
ReplyDeleteEven though President Obama did succeed in passing the Health Care Bill, I am giving him a low rating on actions because of the great dispute that arose between those who supported the bill and those who did not, as well as the fallout of the bill. Granted, if there was ever a time to pass such a bill, now would be it. However, Neustadt claims that we must judge a president based on if his actions fit with the times that he is in office. When the Health Care Bill was being passed, there was extreme controversy between those who supported and those who did not support it. It felt as if more controversy arose on this issue than I remember on numerous others. This large divide between the supporters and the opponents of this bill makes me believe that this was not the time to pass such a bill. Had there been more unified support, I would have believed that this was the correct time to pass such a bill. Furthermore, the fallout of the bill has been somewhat disastrous with the president himself unsure of exactly what he passed. Such an extreme fallout begs the question if this was the proper time to pass such legislation.
Feel for the people- 6
From the moment Obama decided to run for office, he had a wonderful sense of what the people wanted. That’s how he was able to win the election in the first place—by running a campaign based on what the people wanted: change. Furthermore, his ability to pass the Health Care Bill proves that he did know what his constituency wanted. However, his failure to work on the economy and jobs sooner makes me wonder if he actually knows what is really going on with his constituency. Furthermore, his recent jobs speech makes me further question his sense of how the “other” part of America lives, as his proposal will most likely only make a very small dent if any. Does he really know how bad it is?
Actions under pressure- 3
I do not think that the president has acted very well under pressure during his presidency. One look at how long it took Congress to reach a compromise on the debt ceiling and my belief is proven true. Furthermore, he has been very slow to fix the economy and the lack of jobs, problems that were present in 2008 when he took office. The only time he works well under pressure would be when his campaign is at stake—then he rushes to pass bills and make “moment” speeches.
Actions – 6
ReplyDeleteFeel – 5
Stance under pressure – 6
Obama has undoubtedly done many notable things during his three years in office. Firstly, the infamous “Obamacare” legislation that left many Americans reeling because of the individual mandate. Although the effectiveness of Obamacare is debatable, what isn’t is that Obama is the first president who was able to pass healthcare reform legislation, an incredible feat if you consider the attempts made by other presidents (Hillary-Care just doesn’t roll off the tongue as well anyway). Is the legislation sloppy? Yes. Does it really help us all that much? Maybe not, I really don’t know. What I do know is that America’s health care system needed to be changed, and at least an attempt was made by Obama to try and change it.
Another notable action was the Obama-approved surge of 30,000 troops of Afghanistan in 2009 and then the subsequent announcement that he would begin to withdraw those troops by September 2012. (Wow! Just in time for the election, what a coincidence.) This, I think, is obviously just a stunt to gain popularity before the election. The fact is, there will still be more troops in Afghanistan after the removal of the surge troops than before he came into office so he doesn’t get any points there.
What he does get points for is the assassination of Osama Bin Laden. I’m going to give him all the credit for that just because republicans won’t give him any. (Even though I think it really was just a symbolic gesture that acted more as closure for the American people than anything else.)
I’m really not sure how to gauge Obama’s “feel” for the people. He ran an amazing campaign that inspired so many people, but I think as soon as he stepped into office that immediately wore off. I often get the sense that Obama has way too much faith in other people’s intelligence. I really don’t think he’s able to reach the meat ‘n’ potatoes Americans like his predecessors Clinton, and Bush Jr. So he gets a 5.
For stance under pressure I give him a 6. I really do think that the entirety of his three years in office was spent under immense pressure. I think with the Republican congress doing everything possible to kick him out of office come 2012, he really is doing the best he can. One simply has to look at what went on during the debt ceiling crisis to know the frustration that Obama must be going through. I still only give him a six because during the debt ceiling crisis he told congress he wasn’t going to let them leave until they reached a consensus and then told them not to call his bluff, which was a hilarious but not very effective threat.