Has Obama failed at 'change'?

by Jay McDonough

Andrew Sullivan posted this right track/wrong track poll from Pollster.com today:

Sullivan then observed:

Americans are losing confidence in Obama's ability to bring change. Because he hasn't

That may be a bit overstated, but the comment does raise a series of questions about the long term prospects for President Obama's effectiveness and resulting legacy.

There were an awful lot of folks who voted for Barack Obama that truly believed, come inauguration day, everything would be somehow different and wonderful.  This was probably due in part to the previous eight years, where an incompetent, unaccountable, and unlawful bunch of cretins ran the show and nearly anything, by contrast, would seem better.  But, let's face it, there was some serious delusional thinking about an Obama presidency, which many believed would include more sunny days, better sex, and way better odds at winning the lottery.

Now, in Obama's defense (and I'll only do a little of that), the president has brought some change.  Not all of it tangible, but apparent nonetheless.  Look at the chart for starters.  There may be a disconcerting change in direction of late, but the difference between the right track/wrong track numbers is significantly better than it was a year ago.  While it's true there may be movement in the numbers, Americans are more optimistic and have confidence in Barack Obama and his administration.

Certainly, Obama foreign policy is radically changed from that practiced by the Bush Administration.  America's stature in the world has now improved and Mr. Obama has made some significant effort to repair relationships with U.S. allies and the Muslim world and initiated a more pragmatic, tougher position with Israel. 

But - and here's the part where I bitch about Barack Obama - Americans have a notoriously short attention span and, while all that foreign affair stuff seems exotic and interesting, the homeland is floundering.  The country is ass deep in a horrible recession with staggering unemployment and Barack Obama has not convinced Americans he knows how to fix it.  And President Obama's choice to rely on folks like Larry Summers and Tim Geithner only reinforces the notion that the president is more about status quo than he is about change.

The president also has a nasty habit of trusting others to act like adults.  Given the public perception and track record of Congress, it's either really naive or really dumb for Barack Obama to hand over his domestic policy agenda to Congress to work out the details.  In both the stimulus package and now health care reform, Americans supported the efforts until Congress began to muck up the works with their toxic combination of petty politics, cluelessness about their constituents lives, and loyalties to special interests and lobbyists.

I've written a bunch about my disappointment or, more correctly, disgust over the Obama Administrations choice to continue many of the detention and interrogation policies enacted by the Bush Administration.  Those policies are contrary to the positions Mr. Obama took as a presidential candidate, the positions folks ostensibly voted for, and illegal whether carried out by the Bush or the Obama Administration.

Lastly, the notion of change for change's sake is wrong.  I can make a strong case that George Bush implemented LOTS of change; from tax cuts that bankrupted the country, to foreign wars without justification or a plan, to disrespect for the Constitution and rule of law, and to a complete abandonment of public interest in favor of slavishly sucking at the corporate teat.

Screw "change".  How about just some fair and competent government?