I like it.
Welcome to the White House, Mr. Obama. I hope your time in office goes well.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Welcome to the White House, Mr. Obama
I continue to be amazed and impressed at the huge outpouring of enthusiasm and excitement surrounding Mr. Obama's imminent presidency. After 8 years of a rather unpopular president (and before that, 8 years of a rather polarizing president), the idea of a president that gets this kind of wide-spread, positive emotional reaction from so many people takes some getting used to.
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After 8 years of a rather unpopular president
As reported in the media...
the idea of a president that gets this kind of wide-spread, positive emotional reaction
As reported in the media...
Remember that about half the population voted for the "unpopular president" (twice) and about half the population voted against the "popular" president. There are about as many people who are unenthusiastic about the new president as there are those who are gaga for him. Of course, you only see the latter on TV.
The thing I find the most ironic about all this "enthusiasm" is that I've witnessed more rabid bigotry in the last week against anyone who dates mention that he or she isn't excited than I've ever seen before. In that sense, I'd say this president is quite polarizing.
I wish him well and do think he'll do some good things for our nation. But some of his actions will be the most polarizing we've ever seen, particularly if you oppose the murder of unborn children.
I'm not sure the impression of Obama's popularity is entirely a fabrication of the liberal mainstream media. The crowd at his inauguration was almost 2 million people, and his favorability rating is in the high 70's / low 80's. His popularity overseas is also significant, which I think bodes well for our national security. However, 60% of military officers report being pessimistic and/or skeptical of Obama, so I guess the impression of popularity depends on where we look.
I agree with you completly on the abortion issue. I really don't like that he reversed the "Mexico City Policy." However, given the fact that abortion is legal in this country, his position is consistent with our current laws. In fact, it's a bit inconsistent to allow abortion in the US and then refuse to provide funds to foreign NGO's who discuss or provide abortions.
I'd prefer to see abortion outlawed everywhere, and frankly I'm disappointed that the previous administration made so little progress in that area. And because I'm pro-life, I'd like to see the death penalty outlawed, whereas most "pro-life" republican leaders are ravenous proponents of the death penalty. Because I'm pro-life, I'd like to see diplomacy take firm priority over military force when it comes to foreign relations. You can surely guess my position on things like waterboarding or indefinite detentions without charges or trials...
Yeah, I disagree with the new president on some things, just as I disagreed with the previous president on some things. But I really like the direction he's taking in several important areas.
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