Fascinating article posted on Yahoo! today regarding a new movement by news outlets like the St. Petersburg (FL) Times and the National Journal to keep track of President Obama’s progress on the fulfillment certain promises. This mechanism of sorts, called the “Obameter”, is essentially a checklist of the over 500 promises Obama made over his campaign, many of which are realized as non-pragmatic even in his own camp. The article also offers a theory as to why politicians go back on their promises: to paraphrase, smart politicians will realize the folly and long term future detriments of certain promises that got them in office and do not follow them. It is my hope that Obama realizes this about some of his own policies (see massive government healthcare program, stimulus package consisting largely of funds spent towards unknown causes, etc). Article.
2 thoughts on “Ladies and Gentlemen, the Obameter”
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As far as I can see – I don’t have a problem with Obama rescinding on some of his promises. So far his cabinet appointments have not been as far left as sometimes expected, and his speech regarding pursuance of terrorists in Afghanistan sounded very similar to Bush’s warning to terrorists seven years ago.
Also, I have heard others brushing over the possibility that maybe Obama is more manipulative than we think (speaking of advertising himself as liberal but not actually acting on many promises), and that he is more central then most assume. It is quite possible that Obama is only immediately satisfying his far-left support base and that more moderate policies will take affect once he has kept some of his advertised promises to the democratic party.
Oh I have no problem with Obama rescinding some of his promises either; in fact, there are some I hope he does rescind. In fact, he has already openly rescinded some of his policies like taxing oil companies, and hints that he will not follow through on others like and expanded government health care system. The Obameter is still a good thing however in that it serves as a constant reminder of how preposterous some of his campaign promises are. I actually slightly agree with the last point you raised, with the one difference being that necessity and the reality of the presidential position force him to move to the center as opposed to prior “manipulation”. I also agree that Obama will institute far more moderate foreign policy than initially promise. The economic side of the problem remains to be seen, as he has sent very mixed signals since his election.