Is Obama Keeping His Campaign Promises?
Email ABC News’ Rick Klein reports: Behind the promise of President Obama’s tenure in office, there are the promises. One year in to his presidency, with Guantanamo Bay still open and health care talks going on without C-SPAN cameras invited inside, it’s a mixed bag. The folks over at Politifact.com, the Pulitzer Prize-winning fact-checking Web site launched by the St. Petersburg Times, have a new report out judging the president’s first year in office.
Of 502 specific campaign promises they tallied up, Obama has fulfilled only 91. On another 33, he can claim partial success. Most of the rest are somewhere in between — like getting graded an “incomplete.” And Politifact found 15 instances — including the C-SPAN pledge — of “promises broken.” We discussed in on ABC’s “Top Line” today with Bill Adair, Politifact’s editor, and the Washington bureau chief of the St. Pete Times. Watch that discussion HERE. Does Obama pay a price for his specificity as a candidate? The folks at The Daily Show made that case recently. Watch that video HERE. The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c <TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 1px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; font-weight: bold; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; COLOR: #333; PADDING-TOP: 2px; text-decoration: none" colSpan=2 target="_blank" href="http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-january-7-2010/stealth-care-reform" Stealth Care Reform www.thedailyshow.com Daily Show
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“Does Obama pay a price for his specificity as a candidate?”
Absolutely, and hopefully the American public demands that all future candidates make likewise specific promises rather than the empty bumpersticker slogans.
If the public demands all politicians make verifiable pledges, the press/internet can hold them accountable and the ‘incumbency advantage’ would turn into a disadvantage overnight (as the only person without broken promises will be the person not in office).
Posted by: jhw539 | January 18, 2010, 2:36 pm 2:36 pm
This article simply confirms what many Americans already know. Barack Obama is now, and always has been, a politician. He came in at a time that morale in the US was low, the GOP was at it’s low point, and people were grabbing for whatever they thought would make it better. In walks Obama. Hope. Change. A New Direction. No More Politics As Usual. The people bought it hook, line and sinker. Reality set in, and, guess what? It IS politics as usual.
Posted by: Shoe | January 18, 2010, 3:04 pm 3:04 pm
hey jhw, why aren’t you disputing the c-span thing like you have on all the other blogs?
Posted by: whatsgoingonhere? | January 18, 2010, 3:39 pm 3:39 pm
I think Obama is batting a 100 on lies. The C-Span on TV, the “going over the health bill with ANYONE line by line”. He won’t go over it with anyone but a chosen few. People have tried. Transparency? All one sided. Sure has broken that vow! Spending? He has spent and IS SPENDING more than any president in his first year, can you image what we will owe after four years? Pay offs and bribes, he’s king on that one. I knew he would give in to the Unions-they got him elected along with Acorn. After he is voted out in 2012, he should go on TV and have a game show- it could be called “Let’s make a deal” or take over “The Price is right”.
Posted by: TXAR.55 | January 18, 2010, 3:56 pm 3:56 pm
When Comedy Central can encapture the naievete set by Obama’s inexperience… His incompetence becomes more than transparent.
Promising to rein in Wall St. by giving them taxpayer billions, and promsing to give people health care, when the only “change” that results is more “free” health care to illegal immigrants, while taxpayers MUST pay or be audited by the IRS and PUT IN JAIL, if they refuse… Is NOT acceptable “Change”, nor what people who voted for him “believed in…”
Obama doesn’t need any help, he is self destructing… And America is trying in vain to pick up the peices. (Perhaps they should have voted for Hilliary, ya think? She was evil sure, but at least competent compared to THIS!)
Posted by: jafo | January 18, 2010, 4:53 pm 4:53 pm
Yes Obama is keeping his promise to support the Union vote no matter the cost.
GM and Chrysler bailout,Cash for Clunkers,Union back room deal on Health Care Cadillac tax.
I thought buying votes was illegal.Obama and the Democrats don’t have a problem with it.
Posted by: Johnny L | January 19, 2010, 9:33 am 9:33 am
Obama and his liberal cronies based the entire 2008 campaign on lies. Americans need to stop the Obama/Pelosi/Reid trainwreck. This is the most corrupt administration in American History.
Go Scott Brown! Hopefully, this election will not be handled ACORN-style.
The HC Bill a terrible bill and it should be dead. Why were there so many back-room deals? What happened to transparency and posting on C-SPAN?
Maybe now the idiots in Congress can focus on what’s important to everyone in this country: CUTTING SPENDING AND CREATING JOBS.
Posted by: 1CAROLINAUNC | January 19, 2010, 11:09 am 11:09 am
so,….125 out of 502 in one year…if he continues at that pace…all 502 should be complete by the end of his 4 years in office.
Posted by: LaRetta | January 20, 2010, 1:01 pm 1:01 pm
Your view of reality is extremely blurred. Obama is a fraud and a criminal. FOX news is at least unbiased in reporting the news. That’s why people watch FOX and not the other news channels. Get with the program and start telling the truth.
Posted by: Shelia | January 21, 2010, 4:06 pm 4:06 pm
In my opinion the past year has had its’ ups, (there has got to be some) and its’ downs, but unfortunately mostly downs. There was the promise of more jobs, which didn’t materialize for the unemployed, but did for those already holding jobs. It is my understanding that the employees got the raises and other bonuses in an attemp to not to rock the boat. Then there was the war. It was promised that our troops would be taken out of Iraque, but we weren’t told that they would not be coming home but to another war. Tricky ha? Then there is this health-care dilema. The government is giving illegal aliens free health-care while we, as taxpayers, suffer that burden. The economical position that we are in is a joke but we are not laughing. The richer you are, the more you profit, just take a look at Chase Bank. I realize that a politician will promise anything that will get them into office and it seems that President Obama is the one and only President that has become accountable for the discrepencies and mistakes that were made before him. I agree that it is not even close to being easy and maybe one day there will come a time when we can take a candidate at his word. I think that the promises were made in true faith but wasn’t expected to have all this other chaos, and more support from his Congress, Senators and other public officials. Can we all band together. We seem to be suffering the consequences, but these are not 1-man dilema, but a country as a whole.
Posted by: Dianne | January 22, 2010, 1:30 am 1:30 am
well…he certainly didnt make things worse so, give him another year
Posted by: johnQ | January 22, 2010, 12:04 pm 12:04 pm
It seems to me that enumerating the idea of promises can certainly look like a proper measurement for politics, but it truly takes away from the more serious issue of the importance of each promise. Obama promised to have healthcare reform, as well as complete transparency for his administration. What did we get? A bill for national healthcare that hardly anyone wants, and relatively few people know much about what it actually contains. The fact that Congress is trying to force this bill through before the repricussions of the Massachusets election effect the party’s standing says volumes about the state and intent of the Administration and the Democratic Party. The president should be called to the carpet about his tactics, as well as his false promises
Posted by: mattword | January 22, 2010, 7:56 pm 7:56 pm
go watch the Obama deception at google video’s. it will put it into perspective. 91 actual fulfilled promises is UNSAT. What happened to the Patriot act, oh that’s right it’s still around.
Posted by: joe owens | January 22, 2010, 9:52 pm 9:52 pm
“FOX news is at least unbiased in reporting the news.”
Wow. What a joke. YOU need to get with the program.
Posted by: Kris | January 23, 2010, 11:58 pm 11:58 pm
Why are we all so negative? Obama came into office with a mess he did not create. And we expect him to fix years of problems in less than a year with Republicans refusing to budge because of their political issues. And we blame one person. How narrow minded. He is trying harder than anyone I’ve ever seen to do the right thing. Lets stand behind our leader and demand changes needed to move our country in the right direction.
Posted by: julie | January 24, 2010, 7:49 am 7:49 am
I’m an American born, not illegal. I been trying to find health care for more than a year, but never been able to.
I been working two jobs my entire adult life. My two employers have always managed to keep me partime, no benfeit to worry.
Do not tell me I need to go to college; I got my BS degree in Computer Science. Been looking for jobs more than a year to pay my heavy student loan.
You can argue that Obama did not deliver on all his promises in 12 months in office; but you can’t deny he’s fighting for the average people.
We always think that we can twist the facts any way we want it for political gain. But one day you will find yourself in the shoes you fear the most. Living in the fear of being sick.
Obama please do not backup; we do need universal health. We do not care if it will include illegal immigrants or not.
A minority of interest has been hijacking our lives for too long.
Posted by: John | January 24, 2010, 9:12 pm 9:12 pm
I just think everyone needs to give him a chance. He’s trying really hard. Also, just look how different he looks from the beginning of his office. He’s stressed out even more because of you people. Just have patience everyone.
Posted by: Biran | January 25, 2010, 12:21 pm 12:21 pm
My husband and I are both self employed and make good money. Our health care monthly expenses is more then a 1/3 of income. This does not include vision or dental. Which up until 4months ago it did. Blue Cross as also decided that my 1 year son does not need shots so we lost our baby well care visits any more so we have to pay additional $500 dollars for shots for our son. If you think that you are not paying for illegal aliens health care now well you are wrong. If you think that you are not paying for the uninsured now you are wrong. When I gave birth to my son 2 people with out insurance walk in gave birth one other person just wanted to get a free ultra sound all three were not getting regular prenatal care giving birth to premature babies. They were not illegal aliens. So guess who pays the bill? You and I. What would you do if your company stops paying for your health care? Many of us can not afford to pay the high cost of health care and you should have to live in fear of getting sick. And if you think that your company will always pay for your health care think again because it will be cut.
Posted by: liz | January 26, 2010, 1:27 pm 1:27 pm
There are more promises than this that have been broken! I can think of one.
1. Transparency
I can’t stand apologist for GWB or for BHO! It’s disgusting. Everyone can argue they found the world in worst shape before they were in charge…..it’s crap to say that. It’s like boo hooing and making excuses for your own failures! These men go on national tv and stick the chest out and claim they are the sollution and then they get to Washington D.C. they come up with every excuse they can as to why they cannot get things done that they promised. Transparency was a huge, huge, huge deal for changing the politics in D.C. IMO.
Posted by: Joshua | January 26, 2010, 2:45 pm 2:45 pm
Honestly people, do you really think hes trying? Everytime I watch the news it shows him and his lovely wife traveling and going on dinner dates. The US is now a joke!!!
Posted by: Diana | January 27, 2010, 1:43 pm 1:43 pm