HuffPost Readers Judge Obama's Presidency: "Where Is The Temerity We Saw When He Campaigned?"

One year after Obama was elected we asked HuffPost readers to compare Obama the candidate to the Obama the President. Has he lived up to his promises and stayed true to his convictions?

Hundreds of people wrote their responses under their HuffPost handle, with the majority defending Obama's measured governing style that has left others longing for the bold convictions that defined the campaign.

"I am disappointed," writes reader peskine. "I canvassed and campaigned heavily for Obama here in New Mexico and he has let down progressives. Where is the temerity we saw when he campaigned?"

Readers cited the health care reform bill as a let-down - "a windfall for private insurers at the end of the day," writes Abraxas79.

The Obama administration has not struck enough of a break from that of George W. Bush, according to some. Wrender writes, "It isn't just about what's not been accomplished. It's his positions on the issues that are troubling. Too much support of Bush policies."

One reader sums up Obama's mixed report card in his short video blog:

Clbrune writes: "Obama could have pushed for accountability, investigations into lawlessness, and repealed executive orders. The notion that he hasn't had enough time to get to these things would only hold water if he were not already actively embracing these very things."

Some readers abstained from judgment, calling it too soon to tell. "Give a guy time to fail," writes kobewarhol. "The left and the right seem one and the same in their inability to be satisfied with a president who is from the left."

The president is "about the same as he was during the election," writes Foxbat. "A left-centrist pragmatist who operates with a penchant for consensus."

That attitude creates difficulties for Obama, according to KVPossum. "Everything he does is a compromise, designed to keep as many people happy as possible, rather than do what he was elected to do."

"Granted some of the decisions have been more than disappointing," writes Serena1313. "I had expected differently, but that does not mean Obama won't deliver eventually. By the same token it doesn't mean he will either."

The president's restrained approach is ultimately an encouraging trait for the leader of "a nation that prefers passion to reason," writes Jazzcomedian. "Since 1968 we've elected a crook (Nixon), a politically incompetent humanitarian (Carter), an amiable dunce (Reagan), a mediocre patrician (Bush 41), a gifted, good hearted philanderer (Clinton), and the trifecta, a neo-con, amiable, dunce (Bush 43). Now we have President Obama who I view as intelligent, hardworking, and pragmatic with a genuine interest in the working and middle class."

Comments

[yourmonscalling]

11:49 AM on 11/05/2009

This administration has constantly and habitually lied about more things than I can count
I think he has Pseudologia fantastica (look it up)

I don't and wont trust anything this whole administration has to say.
at least not anymore !!!

[sposton]

10:47 AM on 11/05/2009

Of course change is hard but change is impossible when you don't even try! We can't judge Obama by how much he has accomplished if he were trying, but we can judge him on his effort to bring about meaningful changes this country badly needs. If you believe in change why would you surround yourself by people who clearly don't? Obama hasn't failed because he was unable to bring about changes but because he's never tried! And no amount of additional time will change this fact, unless he fires the majority of his closest advisers tomorrow and replace them with people who believe that if we don't change we are doomed. And what are the realistic chances of anything like that? Zero!

[ss193]

09:39 AM on 11/05/2009

There is an old question "what would you do if you knew you could not fail ? " It is supposed to spur us floundering souls to action. I think Pres. Obama has a paralyzing fear of failure, I think that fear of failure kept him slogging through a tortuous campaign. He needs to really digest the fact that he is expected to lead and his supporters are waiting for him to show his "audacity" that appealed to us so much in the first place. If he would drop all fears of not getting a second term, he could accomplish so many goals, that he would be a shoo-in.

[Dupree]

09:31 AM on 11/05/2009

Part TWO

It is incredible how people thought that sixty years of orchestrated opposition to health care reform should have been a cake walk. It is incredible that people thought that complicated decisions should be entered into in a swift and bold measures and totally oblivious to the fact that they themselves do not even function in that steady consistency in their own lives for life is indeed in motion and opposition can be a barrier to progress and not all issues can be resolved by throwing a temper tantrum or flexing one muscles like some cowboy ....for I much rather have a president that is pragmatic and sensible which will translates that there will be times...as in my own life that a compromise or meeting in the middle is the most wise decision to make for it sure beats sixty years of stagnation each and every time.

President Obama is different than candidate Obama in the realm of reality for one was pregnant with promises and the other is going through the labor pains of the reality that it takes an interim period of gestation to bring to birth a healthy baby and upon that baby arrival....it takes diligence and careful "parenting" to bring about a "well adjusted" child. The analogy is appropriate to the climate of our country that must be guided back to health.

[Chernynkaya]

10:45 AM on 11/05/2009

No. I disagree that those of us disappointed with Obama's handling of health care reform stem for our naivete in thinking it would be easy. We knew it would be very hard-- and THAT'S why we are upset by his performance-- precisely because it IS hard. And he seems to have taken a pretty laid-back approach. yes, he did some Town Halls-- but what galls many of us was his non-committal statements about a strong PO.

Of course is is hard, and that's why we wanted more involvement. That's why we wanted less conciliation. Even the House members are saying that.

[Dupree]

09:31 AM on 11/05/2009

Part ONE

I can not believe the naivety of my fellow Americans. Do we actually believed that a candidate Obama and a President Obama would behave exactly the same? The difference is that one is running for office and the other is actually governing which is much more complicated and complex. It is the equivalent of one expecting a woman pregnant with the notion of motherhood and the woman that actually gave birth and the two scenarios are many times totally different and unexpected. I have heard women who did not gave birth and experience the pangs of natural labor without any painkillers and the subsequent responsibility of actually taking care of that baby give "advice" as to how to parent UNTIL they actually go through the process of birthing and bringing home that "cute little bundle" to realized through a rude awakening that their "bright ideas" of parenting were a whole lot harder to implement once "junior" came home. The unexpected challenges that were not filtered through the events of life in motion. It is incredible how people assumed that Obama should have implemented every promise he ever made within the first month of his administration for the whining began BEFORE he took office.

[maab76]

02:45 PM on 11/05/2009

Given our last 8 years of governance, many of us find it difficult to believe that our POTUS will listen to the opinions and values of our citizenry. He will rephrase what they say to bring more into agreement or compromise. He will seek and work to build consensus. He is not, has not been, and will never be a despotic dictator. Change takes time. HE HAS NOT BEEN IN OFFICE FOR EVEN A YEAR!!!! How much have you accomplished that you stated that you wanted and planned to do in the same amount of time? How many did you need to bring into agreement with you before you accomplished these tasks? How many other messes have you cleaned up while building this team of helpers?
Democracy is a messy process. Join the process and put your shoulder to the wheel of change!

[JMBrodie]

07:46 AM on 11/05/2009

There is an old axiom in football that no one is more popular than the backup QB. The starter is always the most hated becasue that person is the one taking the snaps, making the decisions.

Hillary Clinton has become the political version of the backup.

[Whinger]

04:19 AM on 11/05/2009

It's easy painting an audacious picture of change, but the picture changes when exposed to the cold hard light of reality and the obstructionist tactics of Republicans.

There is no plain sailing here, the audacity of hope is a dream that we all must fight for, and fight we must against those vested interests who seek to maintain the status quo!
All the blame is heaped on the Presidents shoulders, lets not forget where it really belongs, on the shoulders of those who proactively work for big business to prevent change.

[sherbug]

08:57 AM on 11/05/2009

There have been occasions where President Obama could have stepped into the fight, but for the most part he has just checked out.

For 8 years during the Bush Administration, I felt like nobody in D.C. was listening. Nobody. When Obama got elected, I was so sure that at least we would be heard. But Obama is getting deafer and deafer with each passing day.

He loses 2 governors and he says he's watching basketball. He hears people calling him out daily, but he completely ignores them. He said he would always tell us the truth, but he won't tell us anything.

[rememberthepoor]

12:57 AM on 11/05/2009

Actually there is an answer to the confusion people have between Pres. Obama the campaigner and Pres. Obama as president. Anyone who followed politics closely during the campaign would have noted that there was a turning point in Pres. Obama's demeanor. Watch old campaign clips as a reminder. When there were many candidates he was always quiet and deferential, especially to Ms. Clinton. He was always a peacemaker. Due to an overwhelming desire for him to win it was suggested that he dig a little deeper to find that passion that would prove a winner after the years of burn-out from Bush. My guess now is that marketing and speech-makers found the passion he then developed, but it wasn't truly in his nature. The passion is what America needed, but saying the words can't change the person inside. Our president has a more unique gift than the marketing passion even. He is truly a peacemaker, which few of us can comprehend.

[ncmom54]

01:11 AM on 11/05/2009

you're right, I do remember that now...
I'm glad he is our President

[sherbug]

09:00 AM on 11/05/2009

For everything there is a season. There is a time for peace and there is a time to make war. Our President lacks the ability to know when the seasons are changing.

[freedom4allau]

12:02 AM on 11/05/2009

should've elected hilary - - -

[ThirdSection]

11:52 PM on 11/04/2009

Great, just great! It hasn't even been a year yet, and already we're writing the full history of the Obama administration. Progress takes time, people, we must be at least a little bit patient!

Also, it doesn't hurt to keep up the pressure on him though...

[lpcon]

11:46 PM on 11/04/2009

He does not have the experience, the toughness, or the political experience of Hillary. She knows all the players and is tough as nails. She's no longer worried about being liked and would make the hard decisions necesary. She was robbed because people bought "hope and change". Please President Obama, stop playing with that puppy and create some jobs for Americans. How about 1 million AmeriCorps jobs for the 48% of our unemployed 18 to 26 year olds? For God's sake DO Something!

[5ccccs]

11:12 PM on 11/04/2009

Amazing how uninformed some are. Obama is not any better or worse than those he imitates. His greatest failure has been his total lack of honesty. The middle class is once again the favorite target for solving all of the governments problems. Obama promised he was not going to raise the taxes of the middle class. Who do you think is going to pay for health insurance reform. and every other item on the Obama wish list? The rich, ever heard of tax shelters, the poor, ain't got no scratch to start with.
Give him more time they say, for what we know now who Obama is going to tap to pay for all of this spending. And please somebody tell the admins talking heads to stop the BS about the economy. Government spending is the only thing happening now. Perhaps the greatest sin of all is this nonsense called a Jobless Recovery. Please don't insult our intelligence.

[realtalk77]

10:55 PM on 11/04/2009

cont...

This isn't the "change" we hoped for. This is the change we feared, which is more of the same. To your compliment you reached out to Republicans with a genuine effort. That effort was summarily met with disdain. You said you didn't want to draw a line in the sand. I would suggest to you that a line has already been drawn in the sand, and the Republicans have drawn it. They have sent you a message. It reads "screw you, and your agenda". Mr. President, you stand for something, or you will fall for anything. It is time for you to stand for the people who elected you, and for what they elected you to do. We are still with you Mr. President. We need to know you are still with us. You need to remember why you ran for president , and who you ran to represent. Why passing a healthcare bill, for the sake of saying you passed a healthcare bill is a hollow victory. Why to do so is a slap in the face to those who voted for you. You said in January, that if in 4 yrs. people didn't like the job that you were doing they simply had to vote you out of office. Like the other things you said during the campaign that touched me, and at times moved me to action, I took those words to heart. I hope you did as well Mr. President.

[freedom4allau]

12:05 AM on 11/05/2009

Fanned big time - - and that's something I rarely do! Well done realtalk!!!!

[Chernynkaya]

01:22 PM on 11/05/2009

Fanned.

[realtalk77]

10:54 PM on 11/04/2009

If I could, this is what I would say to President Obama...

Mr. President it is time for some tough love. Republicans, and conservatives did not vote for you, and they won't be voting for you in 2012. In fact I assure you they will turn out in record numbers to insure that you are not re-elected. That creaking sound you heard in yesterday's election... was the collective disappointment of all the young people that voted for you settling in. That rolling sound... was the collective eyes of African-Americans that voted for you. That whoosh you heard...that was the collective sigh of gays that helped elect you. What happened to changing NAFTA to make it fairer to the American worker? What happened to closing Gitmo...the end of "don't ask, don't tell"...the "need" for a public option in healthcare reform? Whomever is advising you, is doing a terrible job, and a great disservice to you. Are they telling you promises don't matter? That no one expects you to govern by what was said on the campaign trail? That the faithful will return, to vote for you in 2012? Maybe they're telling you what you want to know. I'm going to tell you what you need to hear. Democrats didn't stay home last night because it's an "off" year. They stayed home because they're disappointed. They're disappointed in you, and your administration.

[JISantiago]

10:43 PM on 11/04/2009

On the foreign front, I would give Obama an excellent score. He has, to a large extent, succeeded in regaining the respect and friendship for America from those who were alienated by the previous Bush Administration policies. Still a long way to go but the President has made a good start.

On the domestic front, Obama scores very poorly.

He had made many promises during the campaign which he is finding hard to fulfil. For instance, he promised to change the way things are done in Washington. Instead, he has totally embraced the way things are done there. Instead of changing Washington as he promised during the campaign, he has allowed Washington to change him!

Lobbyists are still around and still powerful as ever!

Politics is so polarised that bipartisanship is now a distant dream!

Criminals of the previous administration are still not brought to book as promised. Congress still finds it hard to bring Karl Rove before them. Halliburton is still in business. Dick Cheney, the mastermind of the torture industry is still going about defending the "legality" of his criminal deeds!

Gays and lesbians are still waiting for the repeal of the "Don't ask, Don't tell" policy!

The list goes on.