Looking Back After Five Years: Obama’s First 100 Days
Sometimes it’s a good idea to step back, examine highlights, get the big picture, and see patterns. Barack Hussein Obama was inaugurated Jan. 20, 2009. What can we learn from a review of his first 100 days? It was a blizzard of big initiatives. It would appear a small man bit off much more than he could chew.
The chart below lists dates, the issue the President addressed, background information and his suspected motivation, and what he did about the matter:
1.22 Close Gitmo executive order – Apologizing to Islam – Nothing, still open
1.22 Torture – Calls waterboarding torture – Prohibited waterboarding
1.23 Abortion funding overseas – Time we end the politicization of this issue – Restored abortion funding
1.23 War on terror – Security is a priority – Ordered 2 drone strikes
1.26 Relations with Muslims – Vows to listen to Muslims, first formal interview – Al Arabiya interview, Saudi run
2.3 Cabinet appointments – He takes responsibility for all the confusion – Gave 5 TV interviews
2.4 Energy, independence – Says we must end dependency – Canceled 77 oil/gas leases
2.4 Economy – Promotes stimulus – Talked stimulus in all interviews
2.5 Economy – Talks stimulus – First trip, VA, talks stimulus
2.6 Labor – Creates economic advisory board – Preferred unions, fed contracts
2.10 Energy, drilling – Claimed Bush adm. was too pro industry – Halts offshore drilling
2.17 Economy, stimulus – This puts us on the road to recovery – Signed $787 B stimulus spending; Moves to bailout big banks
2.17 Afghanistan – 17,000 troops additional will do the job – Sent 17,000, Generals asked for 30,000; Pushed for withdrawal from Iraq
2.25 Energy, oil shale – Interior Sec. should take action – Salazar cancels all shale oil leases
3.2 Foreign Affairs – Hillary Clinton does a great job – Clinton promises $900M to Gaza
3.2 Domestic health services –Sebelius will be great, pro-abortion –Obama nominates Sebelius to head up HHS; Groundwork for healthcare reform
3.5 Appointments – Cabinet appointments still in disarray – Keeps nominating, people keep dropping, tax problems
3.9 Medical research – Argues for expanded use of embryonic stem cells – Increased funding
3.13 War on terror – Suspects to be detailed under international law – Dropped term “enemy combatant”
3.19 Communication – Appears on Tonight Show –Said his bowling was like Special Olympics, said he ran to make big changes
3.27 War – Afghanistan strategy must change – Announces new strategy tba; Takes nine months; Comes in December
3.30 General Motors – Involves Chrysler, too – Ordered restructuring ultimatums, Dealerships shutdown, Creditors left holding the bag
4.2 Foreign Affairs – G-20, lots of meetings with World Leaders – In March/April lots of travel
4.13 Cuba – Signaled new “diplomacy” rewarding bad behavior – Lifted travel and financial restrictions
4.16 Intelligence – Reasons unclear, motives mixed – Releases memos of former Justice Firestorm of criticism; Department officials’ justification for authorizing use of waterboarding
4.27 Environment – Big initiative against greenhouses gasses – Vows 80% reductions by 2050
4.28 Cabinet – Sebelius appointed after confirmation
4.29 End of first 100 days
CONCLUSIONS: It should have come as no surprise Obama was and is aggressively anti-capitalist, anti-free market, strongly socialistic in his leanings, and anything but pro-military. In the first 100 days he clearly demonstrated all these orientations, along with being soft on Jihad, pro-Islam, strongly pro-abortion (government funded), anti-energy development, unwise regarding economic development, anti-intelligence community, very pro-Saudi, willing to fund Jihad (Gaza), a media manipulator and a man fascinated with the use of drones. He hit the “pause” button on Afghanistan, leaving our troops in the lurch for nine months while enemies escalated, got in fights with his generals, and today we see the result. His Cabinet nominations belied his racialism and inexperience. His tax and spend policies reveal the depths of irresponsibility behind wild extravagance.
The media and majorities of people around the world displayed enthusiastic support for this glittering, media-genic messiah in 2009.
Today, at least half of the media expresses serious doubt, even outright opposition, calls for impeachment abound, many are talking charges for treason, credible charges of fraud have been lodged, and even more are organizing to demand resignation.
Yes, how the mighty have fallen.
Yet in the end the American voters are to blame, not only for failing to support a good man prior to 2009, but for electing a very bad individual without even taking the time to truly research his political philosophy, his past, his positions, and his performance. America is paying a dear price for her ignorance and sloth, for electing an unqualified and unknown candidate, one proven un-American by his words, and especially his deeds. Indeed, the world is paying a price.
Winston Churchill was right about us when he said: “You can always count on Americans to do the right thing – after they’ve tried everything else.”
The question is: do we have enough time to get this right?
Image: Courtesy of: http://npaphistory.wikispaces.com/Obama+Primer