Change-o-Meter

Saving and Creating

Boca — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:36:51 GMT

Not that long ago those clues put together on the game show Password would likely bring the response "God". If the game were still around, the most likely response would be "Obama". Word associations are wonderfully evocative and teachable, which is why psychologists still use them.

That said, I don't think COOTUS is or thinks he is the messiah. Rather I think in his head it's one of those borderline things. My point is only that whether COOTUS saves or creates jobs, or God saves or ceates souls are indeterminate claims. More like religious beliefs, acceptable to believers "by faith alone", than public pronouncements.

And as far as faith goes, all we have to go by is that just a couple of months ago the administration's high powered economic advisors told the the Teleprompter to tell COOTUS to tell us the "stimulus" plan would cause unemployment to peak at 8%...it just hit 9.4%.

Keep the faith....but buy gold...yellow or black, it doesn't matter.

Tap, Tap, Tap

TheRanger — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 21:35:33 GMT

The sound of Obama tap dancing.

Where are the concrete accomplishments? All we get is nicely written and read speeches except when the Teleprompter malfunctions and then all we get is stutter.

Reality check:

Caterpillar - promised shovel ready jobs for more employment; reality is they just started more long term layoffs.

Bank credit cards - people were promised more credit; reality is Obama is disappointed.

Car Company bailout - promise of saving the industry; reality Chrysler just declared chapter 11, Obama blames the creditors.

Economy - stimulus bill was needed without reading and without pork removal; reality is that the 1st quarter the economy shrank 6.1% but Obamites spin it by saying it is better (minisculely) than the 4th quarter of 08.

But the list of promises keeps coming:

Social security

medical care

budget reductions

close Gitmo

get out of Iraq and Afghanistan

ease nuclear tensions with North Korea (oops, better bump this one up the reality checks)

Change-o-Meter

david wayne osedach — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 19:16:14 GMT

He clearly shorted Mexico and Canada - two important allies.

pretty much the same old coke in a new bottle!

mikerol — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 15:48:23 GMT

Septimus Severus Obama

More Caramel, more Sugar,

Sweeter smiles, Friendlier embraces

Gentler noises

The same big shtick

The same formula

Just take one tweak

away

Add a new one

And the New Coke Tastes nearly Like The Old

The Sheeples Like it

they’re drinking it up

Yes we will

be happy earning

Chinese slave laborers wages

as

Larry Summers nods out

At the first Cabinet meeting!

Yes we can!
Fill the gas bag with hope!

THE OBAMBI’S FIRST 100 DAYS

a.k.a. the Goldman-Sachs Presidency

9 BROKEN PROMISES

5 KEPT [sort of]

FAR MORE CONTINUITY THAN CHANGE

are those broken promises, too

or not???

GREY=AS YET UNDETERMINED

=============================

1] No change on Nafta=broken promise

2] Limit defendants rights= broken promise

http://news.lp.findlaw.com/ap/a/w/1154/04-24-2009/20090424013507_20.html

3] claim sweeping executive secrecy powers.=broken promise

4] USE OF PRIVATE CONTRACTORS or you could call it:

CONTINUITY = I.E. NO CHANGE. so the same guys that used to work for “agua negra” now XE work for DinCorps, big diff! but not for interrogations?? who needs them anyway if you’ve got the c.i.a. doing it???

5] Closes Gitmo but ctd. Bagram: no change even in hypocricy:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/13/opinion/13mon1.html?ref=opinion

6]Despite Obama's Disarmament Vow, Missile Shield Continues, defense, fewer of one plane, more of another; “defense” budget increases by 70 billion
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/04/06

7] Vermont Single-Payer Advocates Remind President Obama of What He Once Believed!

http://www.commondreams.org/video/2009/03/19-0

broken promise….

1] SIXTEEN MONTHS WITHDRAWAL DEFERS TO PENTAGON OR ALL THOSE GENERAL AND ADMIRALS IN THE ADMINISTRATION DEFER TO HIM = BUT LET’S GIVE THE GUY A BREAK: PUT IT DOWN TO PROMISE KEPT, sort of with 50 k troops and bases in perpetuity...after all, he expressed pleasure and surprise at the success of “the surge”…without seeming to understand the payoffs involved?? and he’s from Chicago?? all right we’ll give him a promise sort of kept the best that you’re gonna get anyhow…

8]TORTURE: PROMISE BROKEN = JUST SIGNED EXECUTIVE ORDER ALLOWING FURTHER RENDITIONS… AH AND WHAT CESAR WILL RENDER UNTO ME TO BE RENDERED IS EX-VEEP CHENEY, HOW THE FAT WILL DRIP OFF THE SPIT BEFORE I TAKE OUT HIS COLD ELECTRIC HEART!

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/01/31-3

5]FOREIGN POLICY = NO CHANGE [CLINTON] GENERAL CONTINUITY SO HE’LL TALK SOME MORE, BIG DEAL!

6] IRAN POLICY ONLY WORDS SO FAR…

7] PENTAGON = NO CHANGE [GATES] CONTINUITY

8] A'STAn NO CHANGE EXACTLY THE SAME, EVEN WORSE NOT A NEW IDEA TO BE FOUND, EXCEPT EXPANSION INTO PAKISTAN! divide and conquer the Taliban is US 19th century Indian policy on a global scale.

2] ENERGY POLICY - LOOKS LIKE CHANGE SO FAR

3] CIA = CHANGE, AT LEAST AT THE TOP, though Penetta at his confirmation hearing allowed that under certain circumstances he too might allow torture.

4] UN = CHANGE=ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE WALRUS AMOUNTS TO CHANGE THOUGH MS. RICE IS WHAT IS CALLED A HUMANITY HYENA WHO ARE FAR MORE DANGEROUS THAN THE COYOTE PACK NEAR WHERE I LIVE IN SEATTLE…

12] NAT SEC ADVISER = CONTINUITY

13] ECONOMIC POLICY = CONTINUITY

SAME FOLKS WHO GOT U.S. INTO THE FIX WE’RE IN ARE SUPPOSED TO BAIL US OUT WILL BAIL OUT THEIR KIND AT GOLDMAN SACHS.

5] LABOR = SLIGHT CHANGE, BUT DID NOT MENTION THE LAW THAT HE BACKED IN HIS CAMPAIGN TO MAKE ORGANIZING UNIONS EASIER WHEN HE MET WITH LABOR LEADERS.I.E. VERY TEPIC CHANGE AT BEST COMPARED TO WHAT LABOR MIGHT HAVE EXPECTED SINCE THE REALY WENT TO BAT FOR THE GUY DURING THE CAMPAIGN… WHAT IF THEY HAD STAID NEUTRAL???

6] DEPT OF INTERIOR = VERY MODEST CHANGE

16] ENLISTING SUPPORT OF EVENGALICALS AND FAITHBASED INITIAVE = NO CHANGE FROM THAT KIND OF UNCONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT IN RELIGION

17] FBI = NO CHANGE

7] ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY LOOKS LIKE REAL CHANGE

Change in Cuba policy made dependent on “Cuba’s release of political prisoners “[does that include u.s. hired assassins?] sweet noises so far?]

Tax cuts on those earning more than 250 K a year, promise was to revoke, let’s see if it really happens, though the budget is now premised on it.

6] EDUATION? FOR THE WORSE SEE:

http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/175022/andy_kroll_will_public_education_be_militarized_ BUT IT IS A CHANGE

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2008/12/17-4

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/01/11-11

http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/4039/why_cynics_are_wrong/

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/jan2009/obam-j17.shtml

http://www.truthdig.com/report/page3/20081215_rep_dennis_kucinich_on_his_battle_with_the_banks/

Obama pledged to veto any bill rejecting the request, meaning he is beginning his presidency not by “turn[ing] the page on policies that have put the greed and irresponsibility of Wall Street before the hard work and sacrifice of folks on Main Street,” as he once pledged. Instead, he is promising a mushroom cloud unless lawmakers let taxpayer cash continue to flow to the biggest of Big Money interests

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20090115_fool_me_once/

http://www.slate.com/id/2208935/pagenum/2

9]NO CHANGE Signing statements SAID HE WOULD BUT THEN USED IT:

A FAIR # OF SPECIFICS TO COME:

ctd. belligerence toward Russia? during the campaign just like McCain. But it appears there might be real change in the offing, too early to tell whether it is merely cosmetic and for publicity’s sake…

regulate the money people, the bundlers who put him in office????

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20081205_keeping_track_of_change/

http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2008/12/16-16

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2008/12/16-11

Hey, you Liberal Democrats. You may have won the election, but you're getting CREAMED in the transition.

Today, President-elect Barack Obama stuck it to you. He's chosen Arne Duncan as Secretary of Education.

Who? Duncan is most decidedly not an educator. He's a lawyer. But Duncan has this extraordinary qualification: He's Obama's pick-up basketball buddy from Hyde Park.

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2008/12/16-10

US military prepares for Obama’s expansion of Afghan war

US General David McKiernan, told journalists: "I don't like to use the term ‘surge' here, because if we put these additional forces in, it's going to be for the next few years, this three - or four-year period. It's not a temporary increase of combat strength."

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2008/dec2008/afgh-d13.shtml

Final Report Card? Are You Leaving? Just Go.

john adkisson — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 06:38:44 GMT

Can we trust the promise implied in the term "final report card," that you will take this monstrosity of a rating system, leave, and never come back. Slate has featured a few dumb things -- but this is the worst. Change from what? If we mean the Bush administration -- Obama gets 100% per day just for waking up and doing something intelligent. If you have invented your own unstated personal notion of change -- who cares? Who are you?

Now I get it . . .

Superstantial — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 22:43:03 GMT

. . . the Change-o-Meter wasn't stingy, Slate would have happily awarded full points if Obama did something that was virtually impossible during his first 100 days. Seems like a reasonable expectation to me.

My grades

Americafirst — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 00:27:25 GMT

Major legislation in the first 100 days? Congress has never moved that fast. Let's see now, he bowed to the Saudi king, hugged Chavez, played wishy washy with the prisoners at Gitmo, plunged us ddeper in debt than ever before in the history of the world, lied about many things, including tax cuts, but then all politicians except Reagan lie about tax cuts and reducitons in govt. spending. I give hime a -500 for bowing to Faud, a -5,000 for hugging Chavez, a -100 for the debt, a -200 for Gitmo, a +40 for Afghanistan but wil revoke it if he fails to live up to his pledge of more troop support, and a -100 for Pakistan because he hasn't the foggist notion about what to do about it.

We don't need science education

Xando — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 22:07:11 GMT

We need education in mathematics and epistemology.

I could care less if no high school student is ever taught evolution. It just doesn't matter for anyone except people who would learn it anyway as part of their advanced education. Likewise, while it sure is neat that I can define the word 'valence', it isn't going to help me do my job better.

But without mathematics and epistemology, you can't even approach basic problems rationally. I'm constantly stunned at people who don't understand what regression analysis is or never learned how to do basic calculus. I'm amazed at people who can't tell the difference in rigor between mechanics and medicine.

Such education isn't just a matter of memorizing a list of facts you regurgitate on a test and then never use again. It's fundamental to the ability to function as a reasoning adult.

Heinlein perhaps put it best:

"Anyone who cannot cope with mathematics is not fully human. At best he is a tolerable subhuman who has learned to wear shoes, bathe and not make messes in the house."

Obama and torture

dfs — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 03:40:07 GMT

Despite all the adulatory, glowing report cards on Obama's first hundred days, the guy is still a rookie and still capable of making dumb rookie mistakes. There are certain things to be said in favor of approving prosecutions for torture. There are certain things to be said against it. There is nothing at all to be said in favor of trying to have it both ways at once. Recently, in connection with the banking crisis, the President responded to criticisms that he was reacting too slowly by saying, in effect, "I don't want to say anything before I am sure what I think." He needs to take his own advice now.

Change-o-Meter

david wayne osedach — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 19:01:45 GMT

All he has to do is give Chrysler and GM more bailout money and time. That will keep him in the negative mode.

Role Reversal and a Huge Change

Walking Across — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 20:53:20 GMT

What if the Democrats were in charge during the last eight years, were torturing people in U.S. custody, and the NeoCons were fighting to stop it. Their mentality of smash your opponent to justify the ends of your campaign would have never let the previous administration get away with this.

So, while what Obama is doing is a stupid thing by not holding these criminals up to the light of public scrutiny. It is certainly a huge change from the Bush administration's slash and burn style of policy making.

The Change-o-Meter seems stingy

Superstantial — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 18:50:26 GMT

All three of the episodes described are actual change - change may not be coming as fast as your columnists might want, but it is certainly not proceeding at a snail's pace, which is what the meter implies, virtually every day.

Change-o-Meter

david wayne osedach — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 14:33:44 GMT

Looks like the running average is about 25 to 30%. Not much for change we can believe in.

$100 million is "whopping?"

Levon Tostig — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 12:49:26 GMT

Compared to $1 trillion???

Please. The government spends $100 million on stationary.

Change-o-Meter

david wayne osedach — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 16:07:15 GMT

His running average on the Change-o-Meter is just about 35%: i.e. no change at all.

Change ometer

bloomin — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 02:01:35 GMT

"Obama gets 15 points for another victory of personal diplomacy, albeit with a guy who will probably never have the United States' best interests at heart."

Gee whiz, ya think? Chavez should have the best interests of Venezula at heart, just like President Obama has the best interests of US at heart. Any thing less is treason.

emotional response to torture memos

mbfromhb — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 08:21:53 GMT

hey ...i know keith obermann wants the cia guys that actually employed this stuff to be tried....my take is quit 'f'ing around and grab that idiot bush with cheney and all these minions or the 'cabal' that basically approved and order this sh** right by the throat and haul their a** to court. BUSH AND THOSE OTHER IDIOTS ARE TRAITORS!!!!!! i mean how stupid are you people. that idiot bush did all this sh** in the name of the american people. and what they did was PROFIT by it. they made a ton of money. thats what this sh**s all about. the right-wingers will say ohhh 911 ohh geezz look out... we had to do everything we did to look out....thats bullsh**!!! thats like your kid tellin' you a story so he doesnt get in trouble. jesus, youve been hearing this crap and theres a very small minority thats still believes all that bullsh**! those idiot rightwingers still believe that saddam hussein was involved in the planning and the action of 911. they still believe that sh**!!. theyre morons, and will never accept the truth. well, all those involved in the conduct of the last 8yrs and thats 8yrs of lying through their teeth in order to profit and manipulate whats happened needs to be tried for treason and HUNG! and dont puss out and say ohh we cant do that... get convictions and run them right to the oak tree...and while theyre say ohh ohh woow baa baa baa wa wa-wait!! while the noose is being fitted no last words just kick the chair. what this is, is right up these rightwingers "we're americans!" attitude.. its a perfect object lesson that if you do this sh** again...your gonna be hung!!! old west style!!! now that theyll understand!!!

Change-o-Meter

david wayne osedach — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 19:47:57 GMT

Does this thing go negative????

Change-o-Meter

david wayne osedach — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 15:27:58 GMT

According to the Change-o-Meter we still have GW in the White House. God forbid!

Change-o-Meter

david wayne osedach — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 18:11:41 GMT

Obama deserves more than a 13 for foiling the pirates.

0bama the zero

Levon Tostig — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 14:46:43 GMT

Now, you tell me - how does Obama go from being blasted by the Snoop to being one of his... um... buds in the span of one year?

Blast: http://www.marijuana.com/democratic-candidates/96816-snoop-dogg-blasts-obama.html

Buds:http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/showbiz/2009/04/11/sbt.stars.behaving.badly.cnn?iref=videosearch

http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0904/10/sbt.01.html

Yeeeeaahhh, boyyeeeee! O's heading down to Mexic-O to sco'! Fo' shizzel, "Obama smoke too!"

As a progressive change goes, I Give Obama 100% grade.

Island Muffin — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 21:34:25 GMT

On a positive change scale, Obama gets 0%.

Unfortunately, the U.S. already has too much socialism and Big Government oppression. We are saying “Enough!” Let’s turn this economy around and return to enjoying to the economic freedoms and constitutional liberties that our founding fathers intended.

Obama is taking us the exact wrong direction, away from absolute liberty and towards socialist slavery – so that we can be more equal. Further, he is destroying our economy for his Marxist needs.

Socialism and fascism are interrelated ideologies where the State controls the citizens. Obama is another Statist oppressor suppressing liberty and appropriating property and wealth, for progressive redistribution for another Aryan, Islamic or Multicultural utopia. While you may feel Obama’s progressive utopia is superior to the Islamic fascist utopia, both oppress their peoples.

In capitalist system, free people keep the majority of their earned wealth. Of course, Obama is advocating an European style socialist system where Government collects and the reallocates approximately 50% of a nation’s GDP. You are merely ignorantly indoctrinated into feeling that our socialism is good because Obama’s Big Government socialism is nice. But pigs are pigs. Socialism is immoral here, there and everywhere, Sam I am.

The US system is qualitatively better than the European welfare state. We reject the European Nanny State model as oppressive and inferior to our freer market system. No! We do not want to become Germany, France, Canada, Zimbabwe or Venezuela. We want to retain our liberty and economic freedom because American liberal democracy coupled with free market capitalism is superior to the welfare State. America is already the most prosperous freest, most powerful nation in world history. Obama would destroy America for a more egalitarian society.

Obama is a contemporary leftist, more similar to fellow socialists Chavez and Mugabe, than he is to Reagan. His ideology resembles Marx more than Adam Smith. Obama is far left of center, the most progressive president, America has ever known. What someone earns does not belong to you, Obama, the Government or the collective, but to the individual who earns that wealth.

We reject socialism slavery!

STOP OBAMA!

change-o-meter

rtstuff — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 15:36:52 GMT

Why is this 'change o meter' being done by an author (Chris Wilson) who is really a Radical Republican? What are your credentials? Are you a student of history? What was your GPA in college?

Much more credit should be given for Obamas unmatched leadership in handling of the financial crisis, open forums contantly keeping in touch with the public weekly via the internet and press. It took Obama less than 2 months to do a press conference, and Bush 9 mths. Unlike Bush, he sent fighters to where the real terrorism resides predominantly inside Pakistan, and Afghanistan. Obama went overseas to give the world a message of what we are now about. He worked on our image that was battered by misinterpretation, and years of misguided wars. He opened up research into stem cells, let off on criminalizaton of marijuana to spend money on more important things like REAL crime. If the Somalian ordeal had gone wrong he would of been blamed harshly according to all the right wing media last week.

He is well on his way in his first 100 days to doing more than Bush could dream of. The Change-O-Meter should be pegged at nothing less than 100. Unless you are a coward.

change o meter

democrat10 — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 02:47:02 GMT

I still think he should have higher.

change o meter

democrat10 — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 02:44:57 GMT

Really, I think he should get 100, don't you agree?