I look forward to four years of a president who knows how to use the Bully Pulpit. To be fair, I do expect to be heart broken by Obama at least once in the next four years, but for now I am enjoying the moment.
I’m enjoying it enough to recognize that Bush did do a whole hell of a lot for Marine Snctuaries.
There. I said a good thing about Bush.
Congratulations to President Obama and the people of the US of A.
As a foreigner who wants good things to happen in any and all parts of the world, I wish Americans will work more in harmony with their president. How successful Obama can be as American president will depend on how well his fellow-Americans can rein in their demands for their expectations to be satisfied.
http://novice101.wordpress.com/2009/01/20/inauguration-and-high-hopes/
Keep the hopes alive.
Thanks SH. I’ve been blogging about participating in democracy (and American society) for a while now, and one cannot shine too much light on how the future of the country depends on our ability to work together.
He also didn’t (against my expectations) pardon Libby or “Tubes” Stevens, etc.
I’m giving him props for that.
I look forward to EIGHT years of President Obama.
And I look forward to working my ass off to see that it’s only four years of President Obama. 🙂
Marty, your comment about the bully pulpit strikes home with me. GWB was the worst President I’ve ever seen at the use of said pulpit. He and his staff were awful at communicating to the American people just why the government was doing what it was doing. I’ve lost count of how many times fellow conservatives and I would be watching Bush take an absolute hammering in the media, and we’d wail, “why doesn’t he fight back?” He never did, he ceded the PR battle to the Democrats and to the media, and that’s one significant reason he is so unpopular.
Reagan and Clinton were both masters of stepping around the press and communicating straight to the American people, and doing it in ways that resonated. Obama has that potential and I feel sure he’ll use it…although with the Democrats controlling Congress, he probably won’t need to.
Maybe it’s an even-numbered-President thing, because both Bushes (41 and 43) were lousy at it.
I expect to be disappointe but far far less than I have over the past 8 years.
Viva la revolution!
The Presidents Bush have something more significant and probably telling in common than their odd-numbered presidencies, you know.
Well, yeah, point taken.
Trust me. If the RNC tries to shove Jeb Bush down our throats in 2012, all Hell is gonna break loose on the right. No more Clintons, no more Bushes. I think both George Bushes are stand-up people, I thank them for their service over the years, and I wish them long life and a happy well-deserved retirement. And the key word there is “retirement.”