Closing Arguments: Sky-High Obama Expectations

Well, I’m not among the adoring crowds. I think they’re obnoxious (and I count my three children among the oamamaniacs).
There is absolutely no way he can live up to expectations. None. The expectations are way too high and, frankly, his skills are way too low. He’s a great campaigner — but he has NO experience in actually running anything, except his next campaign. Look at his cabinet — Clinton people. He’s gone from saying he’ll close GUantonimo immediately to saying “maybe by the end of my first term.” He’s said “no torture,” to now saying, “well, maybe.” His Treasury person can’t pay his own taxes.
He’ll be a disaster.

This is an incredible oportunity for Obama, but please keep in mind no one that takes the office of the president of the united states is ready for all of the high expectations that will flood their plate. Obama needs our support, cooperation, prayers and encouragement. This needs to be an occassion for the american people to “Change” their old mindset concerning the way things were done in the past, with a shift toward rebuilding a better america for whites, blacks, asians, hispanics and many other precious people of various ethnicities and cultures.

If you expected socialism, then you won’t be disappointed. If you expected prosperity, then you will. The two are mutually exclusive.

I don’t think they are too high. I think people are looking for him to live up to his campaign promises. If he overstated them, he only can blame himself and his advisers for setting the bare too high.
I think, he will realize that “A change to Believe in” will be the hardest thing for him to deliver on. Already, the majority in the senate and house are showing that they are not going to take orders from a President Obama.
I wish him luck!

He is only a man who is going to do the very best in his power. All presidents have dreams of making the United States bigger and better and that is as it should be. We all look for someone else to shoulder the blame for what is happening today but we as Americans must first take some of the blame so we can heal. Obama is the leader we thought we wanted so now it is time we gave him a chance to try to make a better place for all of humanity. If he fails it will not be his failing but all Americans.

The only bubbles to burst will belong to those predicting failure. I find it uncomfortable that some Americans won’t support the winner, or even give him a chance to get started before attacking him. We are in a dire times and we need to join together as Americans.

NO drama Obama will be an extraordinary.
What we have to do is give this administration a chance. You go D-Pres
Onethatcares

First I would like to say that I am a black woman, so this is not a racial comment. When I was growing up I remember all the byracial children in my neighborhood being picked on by the black kids. Now everyone is prasing a man that is not 100%black. Yes this is great for our country but praise him because he won not because hes black. Monday all the government offices will close because of the birthday of a famous Black Man….. Lets not forget the fight that all the blacks had to indure in the past. In our times today black men still say the Man owes us,well which is President Elect Obama. Nothing against anyone in his family but the family he knows and was raised by is the Man in so many blacks eyes….So congrates to our new President and I hope he will lead our country into a time we can all remember.

Perhaps some of those expectations are the spin by the media and bloggers rather than the pragmatic plans that are really being made. Better to aim for the stars than stay where we are.

I love President Obama but I also know that he is not God. There are changes he can effect but realistically it will be up to every last one of us to rebuild America. There is no way Barack Obama could or should be expected to turn things around; it’s up to all of us.

My opinion is that we are going to experience an Obama melt down. a melt down from a million dollar hype through out his campaign…to the first day in office..His energy plans, his outlook on enticing war conflicts and human misery…Obama will be carrying out the duties of our past president the next 4 years..many americans who don’t own a home or a new car is going to pay the bail out of the housing and auto industry…unfair to those who makes the decsion not to own a home in america or buy a new car every other year..both have become a bad debt to obtain. Higher education has become a farce..creating high debt on the young and old and putting them deep into debt with no guarantee to obtain a job to pay off the educational debt and grab hold of the american dream.
the laying of taxes today is limited only by the endurance of our citizens.
The future has been mortgaged for generations to come. the industrious are penalized with every increasing taxes-realty-personal-property-sales-luxury-inheritance-automobile-income-with registration taxes on all types and descriptions;and countless others in city, state and federal government. when will it end? It won’t under President Obama. foreign policy and foreign will always favor those who don’t need it. and neglect the american senior citizens. Alot of american people have lived without health care programs all their lives until they reach 65 and go under medicare and that is draining our seniors and taking away from their social security. the rich will protect the rich…and the poor will maintain until they die…I see no change in the next 4 years except more innocent people will die in political wars.

Sooner or later the news media needs to wake up and stop selling out and kissing up. Obama has had a free ride and somewhere along the line he must be held accountable for his lies and pretenses.

Judy, the liar was the babe in designer clothes who is now whining. But if you want to hear a version of “how the country is doing” that suits you, check in with Hannity.

Who would have high expectations for a socialist government?

Get real it is not going to be a socialist government.

You just proved my point Rita! You happily believed everything this media sold to you.

You are mistaken Brandon. I do not. I choose to look at the big picture and not one or two things. Plus I listen to the man himself in entirety rather than the media spin.

I believe the seeds of this financial disaster were planted long before George Bush took office. He could not find a miracle cure. Mr. Obama will not either. But this week, it is such fun, and such a respite to enjoy the hype & glitz & potential of a brighter tomorrow, we should all relax and enjoy it. When our soon-to-be president invited his mother-in-law to join the household to care for his children, I thought, here is a man with a good head on his shoulders. My husband does not agree.

I agree that the expectations for Obama are indeed very high, but I don’t believe that they are too high. I think that he will have the ability to bring the nation together, because if we are united and work together we can truly accomplish anything. He has also said that everything is not going to get better overnight. It may be years before the economy rebounds and starts to grow and we can’t just pull out of Iraq on a whim. I believe that the change Obama talked about is coming, even if it takes two terms.

This country is making out President-elect Obama to be THE Saviour of the United States, and the world is looking to see how it pans out. So, of course expectations are too high. Let’s me make one thing clear right now: SINFUL MAN CAN’T SAVE SINFUL MAN! It’s like a fruit saving another fruit from being plucked and eventually eaten. The only way President-elect Obama has any chance of living up to the expectations placed before him THAT HE’S ALLOWED! – by not instantly speaking out against them – are if he turns to God & TRULY confesses Christ as Lord. He says he’s a Christian, like so many others in this country CLAIM of themselves, but look at his words & confessions. The definition of Christian is “Christ-like;” so how can Barack not be against partial-birth abortion and homosexual unions, yet still be a CHRISTian?! He’s only deceiving himself & leading so many others astray, just like all the ministers over churches who, again, CLAIM to be FOR God but support a person who rejects the Lord’s mandates? All of them will be judge and lightly esteemed when they stand before God on their day of final judgment, if they don’t repent of their sins – “sin” equating disobedience, at its core.
Also, so many are trying to compare President-elect Obama to President Abraham Lincoln. Again, this is like trying to compare exact opposites – apples to oranges, if you will. President Lincoln WAS A MAN WITH FAITH ON GOD, but President-elect Obama’s actions and word’s, thus far, are evidence that he is not a follower of God. You can’t be for something God has said is evil, even putrid, in His sight and stillbe be in agreement with Him. Just like Jesus said in Matthew 6:24, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other;” President-elect Obama is clearly serving a master that IS NOT! the Lord God.
Unless he repents – which means “to change one’s mind or purpose” [Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary; p. 525] – and truly asks for the Lord to order his foot steps – not doing what he has purported already in his mind for an agenda – his failure will be hard and destructive.
Nonetheless, I will keep him continually in my prayers and keep a vigilant eye on his presidency: 1 Peter 3:12 -
“For the eyes of the Lord are over the RIGHTEOUS, and His ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is AGAINST them that do evil.”

Two comments to everything that has been said thus far –
1 Timothy 4:1-2, “Now the Spirit [of the one and ONLY TRUE GOD] speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to SEDUCING SPIRITS, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy [hyprocrisy, according to Webster's Dictionary, means: "a feigning/yearning to be what one IS NOT or what one DOES NOT]; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;” & 2 Timothy 4: 1-5, “I [Paul] charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; PREACH the Word; be instant in season, out of season; REPROVE [synonym = reprimand], rebuke, exhort [meaning: to urge, advise, or warn EARNESTLY] with all long suffering and doctrine.
For the time will come [and already now is] when they [the lost/unbelieving] will not endure sound doctrine; BUT AFTER THEIR OWN LUSTS SHALL HEAP TO THEMSELVES TEACHERS, HAVING ITCHING EARS [in other words, only wanting to hear things that make them happy and agree to the way they want to live]
And they shall turn away their ears from the TRUTH, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.”
Only thing I can say is: Selah! [meaning: "Pause...and calmly think about THAT!"] Crazy how Paul wrote this nearly 2,000 years ago.

I am very optimistic Obama is going to change things. Leave alone experience, no one has entered the White House with experience of being a President. What is needed is good judgment, intelligence, having a vision of how to go about problems when they do occur.
The man is very intelligent. Who would thought that anyone could get out with a problem of Rev. Wright?? he used his brains and everybody got over it. I have a feeling, this is the way he is going to govern.

In all seriousness, this “lower the expectations” isn’t about Obama, it’s about the media. The media created this frenzy of love for a person whom America actually knows very little about. Now that he’s about to take office, the media – and Obama as well – are lower expectations to save face. I also think that many in the media are beginning to realize that maybe their unchecked love affair with a politician from Chicago wasn’t such a good idea.
Like teenagers who throw a “small” house party when their parents are away – and it grows into a mess out of their control – that’s the situation the media is finding themselves in.

Folks…you’re missing the point. He will meet or exceed those expectations because much like the election run up, the media created this guy, have alot invested in his success, and won’t report the truth on what is actually going on. Their in the tank, their “expert, unbiased panels” are in the tank. You think these folks will villianize Obama like they did Bush? Heck no…it will be a double standard and for the next 4-8 years, we’ll hear nothing about scandals (remember how the Blago thing went? Or the sec of treasury pic tax situation went? Or, Clinton’s ties to Saudi money? Or, name it and you’ll see two words “honest mistake” and the media says “Oh, ok”. When the fact of the matter is that Joe W. from Ohio who asked Obama a question the media did not like landed a team of folks in and tore that guys background upside down and found he owed $2K in back taxes…that was headline news for a week, and the Sec of Tres pick was merely a footnote. Double standard? Mmmmm….get used to it, however, with this great nation, I’m sure there will be many underground media sources springing up and groups getting together to get the truth out…sounds much like the former Soviet Union, right comrade?

Yes, I’m one of those optimists that hope and expect Obama to succeed-in the long run. George W. took 8 yrs to drive this train(economy & govt)into the ditch. So don’t expect Obama to “magically” wave his wand and everything will be all better. I agree, we’ve all set the bar very high(because it is), but this is still a govt OF the people and By the people; therefore we all share a stake and responisiblity in repairing the damage TOGETHER. We’ve simply elected a steward to lead the journey. Why is it that some have this penchant for wanting those in leadership to fail? To do so is against our best interests. Cliche as it sounds, be part the solution, NOT part of the problem! If Obama “fails”, it won’t be his fault alone, but a collective blame to be shared by us all.
As far as some predicting some kind of
socialism taking hold; let me remind you that we’ve had socialism since the 1930′s under the New Deal. Things like, Social Security, minimum wage, 8 hr workday, Medicare, Medicaid, Etc. are SOCIAL programs that have become part of American life for the last 75 yrs. Very few of now living can remember a time when these programs were not a part of our lives-indeed we now consider these essential and due us as citizens. It should also be pointed out that during WWII, the govt took over and nationalized most of the industries and economic systems for the war effort!
Did the American public rise up to object-NO- success in the war to defeat tyranny, both in Asia & Europe, was in our collective better interest. Did the govt give back control to industries & the “free market”-Yes. So, before you draw some kind of Soviet gulag, collective farm system in your head(along w/ all the other voices there)Take a DEEP breath and relax–let our system of govt(the rule of law & representation) work like it should. :-)

The people he has picked for his cabinet have been paid off and bought by the same people who brought us the Wall Street meltdown. Those same people are eager to lend the country more money for Obama’s stimulus plan becuse they profit on servicing that debt. Also, they are the same people who belive that the US should bleed itself bankrupt in the Middle East. Newt Guenrich loves Obamas’ cabinet. Does that tell you anything? Is that “change I can believe in?”

We are a Christian Country and we need the power of prayer. Obama needs our prayers. Why would people not give him the same chance they gave Bush?? Our Country is in bad shape. We need to put Prayer back into our schools.Lets get back to what our Country was founded on.Again prayers is what’s needed.

Well, I’m not among the adoring crowds. I think they’re obnoxious (and I count my three children among the oamamaniacs).
There is absolutely no way he can live up to expectations. None. The expectations are way too high and, frankly, his skills are way too low. He’s a great campaigner — but he has NO experience in actually running anything, except his next campaign. Look at his cabinet — Clinton people. He’s gone from saying he’ll close GUantonimo immediately to saying “maybe by the end of my first term.” He’s said “no torture,” to now saying, “well, maybe.” His Treasury person can’t pay his own taxes.
He’ll be a disaster.
Posted by: Liz | Jan 17, 2009 12:07:47 AM
RIGHT ON Liz!!!!!!!!!!

I go back aways. Roosevelt was my hero! The young people today live in a “Fantasy World”. During Word War II we didn’t have credit cards-we had ration stamps for food and gas. We were lucky if we had a house to call our own or a car. The young men were drafted and proud of it. I am happy for the Black People in America but they too will have to understand. Obama maybe a Preacher but he is not “GOD”

Hear ye, hear ye all “Obama believers”; smitten by his political science – Consider a more reasonable object of faith in the reality of God; who can run circles around our human understanding of any science, since science is His brainchild, as evidenced in the handy work of His creation. There is no mystery beyond His omniscience. He is the spiritual light of the world (which revolves around the ordinance of His creative purpose). The ultimate sovereign authority of The Ancient of Days is not subject to science, on the contrary; science is subject to the almighty creator of heaven and earth. The question is, are you open to submitting yourself to the worship of an absolute moral authority that supersedes your finite understanding of the universe. The overall omnipotence of God trumps any human leader! No man, however mighty, can ever measure up to the goodness of God, yet the humble can find mercy in His grace. Pride comes before a fall, and any aim of a human utopia that attempts to unify by blurring the moral boundaries of true justice can only create a temporary pseudo peace. Such change is external, and its potential will eventually go the way of Sodom and Gomorrah. No matter how green and politically correct the pasture appears, a blindness will overcome vain aspirations cooked up by concealed corruption. It is unreasonable to merge the world into a common ideology envisioned by anyone. And, attempting to do so is nothing new; it’s the same old thing Nimrod tried to do. Such “babel” will fail and fall after all. Don’t be burned by old Babylonian false hopes placed in the personage of cardinals or capitol leaders. Remember the gravity of God regarding mercy and justice, and let it temper your reasoning. The political science of heavenly peace is revealed to those who submit to the authority of the author of authentic peace. Please ponder the trumpet call of the coronation of Christ in your heart, and read His prophetic address in the Bible. Will you be there to celebrate, or will worldly allegiance bind you to the pull of gravity? Just a note beckoning consideration of the Good News; i.e. gospel of peace according to the Prince of Peace, who is none other than Christ of the Bible. Biblical ideology of faith and dependence on God’s all sufficient power, is unlike human declarations of independence that serve a new world government of change in hopes of human peace offered by Obama’s revolutionary fierce urgency with disclaimers. His rhetoric of messiah like claims to rebuild and complete the work of his chosen forerunner Lincoln has already failed to communicate a faith consistent with honest Abe. Neither does he acknowledge the moral absolutes of Adams; who believed “that which is morally wrong can never be politically correct”. Interestingly, John Adams was the only U.S. president in a time of slavery not to hold captive slaves. A minority of one percent of the U.S. population was the captive audience present at the inauguration of Obama. And, those who are vicariously held captive by his power to charm a crowd, should seriously consider the ramifications of how he may lord his authority. Rather than a postmodern renascence of secular reasoning, I would be more apt to trust the first century chief treasurer from the office of the Queen’s court in Ethiopia who was converted to Christianity on his way to Gaza by studying the prophecy of Isaiah. Personally, I believe President Obama should be petitioned to consider in his global perspective the plight of Christians being persecuted by Muslims in his land of heritage; namely Kenya. But, instead he repeatedly talks about unification on a global scale including world religions. Israel and Islam were separated by God in the womb of Isaac’s wife. They have been at war ever since, and will be until the final battle of Armageddon; where the pride of the new Babylonian world order will be defeated by the remnant of Israel who believe in the Biblical promise of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; to be the ultimate true hope of permanent peace according to the accounts of His faithfulness to preserve the small unlikely state of Israel against all human odds. Her mighty enemies (including the ancient Babylonian empire) have fallen through the centuries. But, those who bless Israel will be blessed according to the divine covenant promise of the trustworthy God of the Bible. Pray that our new president will recognize and honor this long standing truth. God will Bless America as long as she supports Israel.

The inauguration speech was so anti-Bush. He could have been more gracious. There was no acknowledgement of the fact that we’ve been safe since September 11. It just seems that Obama wants to take credit for the war by bringing back the troops during his first term in office. And how is the phrase about re-making America different from the phrase God damn America? If we were attacked again, I have no idea what Pres. Obama’s reaction would be so I’m not sure there are any expectations given the vague nature of his campaign.

You know how you see or hear something and gaze around your environment in wonderment, your lips slightly apart, stupified? Well, I’m perplexed, to say the least. The President has been on the job less than two weeks now and the throng is already at his heels. For pete’s sake, give him a chance! His intentions have always been clear…he has always touted transparency and honesty in government (an oxymoronic thought at best). He attempted to surround himself with the county’s best – even across party lines – and succeeded. However, the three human beings on his cabinet with these supposedly inadventent tax issues were strongly entrenched in government (and well respected) long before Obama took office. They were the best of the bunch…but, no matter how you try in life, the possibility of a little leftover baggage, from as much as 30 years’ public service, should be expected, examined and put in perspective. We need them desperately to help us all out of this economic nightmare. The majority of us put the President in the Oval office. All he needs to help him succeed now is our full support…all of us. Let’s put aside our rediculous search for another “aha” moment and throw our full support behind him. Tearing him down at this point only hastens the country into far darker days.