President Barack Obama : One year after inauguration, many believe our President to be a fraud.

The economy, according to the latest statistics , is in full rebound everywhere except for jobs, where gains aren't likely to happen EVER.

We have regained international respect, and mended fences with allies who had began to oppose the U.S. stance of , " we're the biggest kid on the block and we do what we please ".

I think too many expected miracles of one man , and as that one man does attempt to make change , he is thwarted by a movement that doesn't want change.

Like you I believe positive economic change will come, I just do not believe it will come from this current administration. I will admit, I have bias towards our current president, not because he is a hard leftest but because of the actions he has taken over the past year.

It seem like he has used ever economic crisis as an excuse to create new social bills, increases spending, increase government regulation which has done nothing but weaken the US dollar. Playing on the fears of Americans is downright low for any politician in my opinion.

I am no longer open to hearing any talk about given Obama anymore time to adapt and make changes. He has failed to be transparent and a agent of change that he promised during his campaigning.

I think Americans should view this as a wake up call that they cannot expect government to solve all of their problems. If Obama actions had any positive affect on the economy I would still be a bitter conservative but I would acknowledge his achievements.

I know I will probably be insulted and called names by Liberals, but these our just my feelings on the matter and I know many other in my community and family that feel the same way.

Well said, articulate, and thank you, a joy to read.

I think your premise that you will be insulted by liberals is a bit discriminatory. Not everyone disagrees with a person based upon their politices. You have a right to your views as does the next person. Personally , I see most of the intimidation coming from the " right " , with the either you're with us or you're against us , mantra , or " You can't be a Christian because you're not a Conservative ". It seems somewhat that you're looking to pick a fight with the comment " I know I will probably be called names by liberals " or trying to make a political statement with that , but the truth is most people just want intelligent debate and instead receive threats and slander.

The generalizations abound as does the negativity. Deny it if you'd like , but I recall when Bush left office , Ford Motor Company had become a penny stock (2.05) as had all of the Big Three , Ford has quadrupled in price in just a years time.

Don't give the President the credit, that's ok too. When 2012 comes and people are asked if they are better off, as the economy is in full rebound, that will be the issue , not the slander and denigration of a man.

Over Promise=Under Perform.

"many believe our President to be a fraud."
Yes indeed. "many".

I for one dont expect the govt to turn around the economy for me or anyone else. Now that we have gotten that one over with, lets talk about the President, Obama. Of course I dont except anything from a President vis turning around an economy. He doesnt have the power in the first place. That being said I dont think he is a fraud, but rather an empty suit. He spent the last 15 years planing to be President. Thats as far as his game plan was written, winning the Presidency. I believe that once that goal was acheived the script was gone, there was nothing left. At this point I dont think he has a clue. Fortunately for us as a country all of this doesnt matter since its Congress that writes the laws. Nothing against the President or his policies, whatever people think they might be. I dont think he has any policies other than winning elections.

I agree with the author about the instant communication thing 24/7. I challenge you to turn off you cell phone for two full days.

The main thing I know is that I do not want to return to where Geo W. Bush and the Republicans took us. In his eight years, he with a Republican majority in Congress spend like drunken sailors. They waged wars of which one was a costly mistake in lives and money. I do not like the fact the the United States of America tortured people and spied on its own citizens. At the same time a $trillion dollar tax cut was given that was skewed to the wealthy. That tax cut is still in effect for the 2009 tax year. The meltdown happened and the tax cuts did nothing for jobs. The lower class and lower middle class have been scratching to get by for many years now. You cannot have a growing economy when so many are being ignored.

IMO the economy has been hurting since before Bush took office. The top 1% of Americans since 1979 has seen their incomes go up.
While the bottom 80 % (eighty percent) saw their incomes go down. Four out of every five persons in the USA since 1979 has slipped backwards. A disparity of wealth played a part in the Great Depression as did risky banking and stock market manipulation.
http://sociology.ucsc.edu/whorulesamerica/power/wealth.html - see figure 5 well down the page.
Many interesting articles here. Go to home page then under social change go to -"Leftist, Rightists, and Social Change" to read why left is left and right is right. Is the left really always "out in left field"?

The attacks on President Obama are not justified many are downright un-patriotic. The meltdown and loss of jobs caused much panic and anxiety. The peoples attitude is understandable but irrational. Any president faces powerful forces in DC. I am very glad that President Obama is removing lobbyists from Federal Advisory Committees as he announced on Oct 5th, 2009. Corporations are the ones with power in Washington. We do not have true free enterprise now, it is corporate enterprise. If we do not get financial regulation reform our economy will have be headed toward worse recessions or a depression. "Credit Default Swaps" are still being traded on a the dark OTC derivatives market.
www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/warning/ -

Abraham Lincoln said:
"The money powers prey upon the nation in times of peace and conspire against it in time of adversity. The banking powers are more despotic than a monarchy, more insolent than autocracy, more selfish than bureaucracy. They denounce as public enemies all who question their methods or throw light upon their crimes.
I have two great enemies, the Southern Army in front of me and the bankers in the rear. Of the two, the one at my rear is my greatest foe".

Benjamin Franklin:
"Any people that would give up liberty for a little temporary safety deserves neither liberty nor safety".

Raymond - My America is doing okay not great. I'm in the DFW metroplex area where the recession has not been too bad and housing prices are holding up okay. Of course we never had the big run up in housing prices.

Check out an article by bete noire about the far left carping. You might like it.

My late prophetic mother always said-" patience is a virtue, but too much can hurt you". She was right, as always. The wisdom of the age! Obama is the repairer of the breach, not a miracle worker. Look around you, is not the whole world in trouble?

I think our President is doing just fine and I will continue to support him.

Raymond,

As you know, everything is a matter of perspective.

I am a Christian-Conservative, that's who I am. Can a liberal and a person like me find common ground on some issues, half the issues, all issues - you get the picture. Our belief systems are fundamentally different, so one opposes the other.

I regards to the President, the majority of the promises that he has kept only appeases the liberal minded, which consequently saddens conservatives. I do fault him for not doing enough to correct the American economy. I won't get into an argument about protectionism, though I believe this is what America needs to rebuild a proper tax-base.

Enough has been done to spur economic growth, the Tarp, the 700 billon stimulus and healthcare reform, but if the Republicans will have no incentives to agree to a compromise, then Democrats will otherwise pass legislation without them and everyone will be a loser.

Our economy is not broken, economic growth comes in slow process with the test of time. Its the consumer
confidence that will take steps to spur the growth and with the helped of the government.

"There is nothing instantaneous, inherent in our Democratic political system. It is a balance of compromised give and take; a tumultuous process, time consuming, arduous."

The current day political reality is that the unbalanced Repudiated Republican Party of No is defrauding the people of America by refusing to offer any compromise on any domestic bill even one that reflects in part what they say are their principal economic policies and fundamental political beliefs thus making the legislative process a seemingly never-ending of process of ineffective non-action resulting in nothing getting done for the benefit of America as a whole.

The sooner it is realized by the President and the Democratic Party that the pursuit of bipartisanship in our current political environment is a one way street leading no where, the sooner they can both take the necessary political steps to put this country economically back on track