Results
Total of 6,429 votes
51.5%
Yes. Obama has failed to lead the nation and the world during the economic downturn, and other nations are starting to notice.
3,314 votes
37.3%
No. Obama has successfully overhauled America's image in the world. Global perceptions of the U.S. have vastly improved since the Bush administration.
2,396 votes
11.2%
I don't know. It's hard to base an answer on just one of Obama's overseas trips.
719 votes
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The party of NO will be making very loud noises to this effect -- because they want so badly for Obama to fail. Read people like James Fallows at the Atlantic -- people who know China very well. The knowledgeable folks think Obama did just right -- even including his bow in Japan. We often forget that the rest of the world are not instant responders, as the US tends to be. They operate on a different timetable and results may not be obvious for a long time.
It will take a long time to improve our tarnished image. We certainly aren't going to do it with the world watching us fight amongst ourselves about something as humane as healthcare. The president is working as hard as any human being can.
Lives exchanged for oil is unacceptable and everyone knows this...especially when we were lied to in the pretense that it was a war to disarm WMD's that admin knew weren't there. We didn't even fight this hard over death. Insane.
Anyone that expects 8 years to turn around in several months is a moron that just wants to play the victim.
What we are not being asked and what the poll fails to ask is whether or not the US has given up its chance over the last 10 years to stay on top. It is over for the US now. We are a debtor nation and we are allowing big coal, oil, and the corporations of this country to dictate policy. Their policy is the old world, technology of the 50's being held over to support the powers that be. The Chinese and the Indians are going to squash us ultimately. One need not have a big army any more. Those days ended on August 6, 1945 when the first bomb was used. Since then the world has been financial and up until sometime in the late 90's we played strategically. Since then the debt has risen from $5 trillion to nearly $11 trillion. We are a joke now because we refuse to take the future seriously, environentally and techologically.
It's obvious that we are losing influence, even the communist Chinese are talking about ditching the dollar for a better international currency. Our apologist in chief was told by the Chinese that he better watch spending and inflation or they will stop buying his debt. Since we already owe them over $50 TRILLION, with about $3 trillion being national debt, they CAN tell him what to do. By the way they told him that this "health care reform" was too expensive, and might destabilize the dollar even more. Even the communist Chinese can run America better than Obama! On the other side of the world, the Arab countries, including our "Friends" the Saudi's are also looking for a different currency. Keep following blindly, you will not see that cliff.
Despite what the "Borrow and Spenders", a.k.a. the Party of NO say, THEY have the most unpatriotic leader of all-time: Rush Limbaugh. Before the President was even inaugurated, Limbo was suggesting that he was not legally our President. These Borrow and Spenders are NOT patriots; they bankrupted our economy, and are ONLY interested in sending American jobs (and troops) overseas to make rich fat cats, richer. Get real....
This president is not the one responsible for all of the factors that are diminishing America's leadership in the global community, he is just making all of those problems a whole lot worse, due to his lack of experience and leadership, as well as the fact that his irresponsible agenda is unfortunately given credence by the ability he has to communicate. That ability I'm afraid is about all this fellow has to offer. He clearly has either no clue or he is a dangerous radical, whose demeanor allows him to slide his nefarious intentions past the cows at the trough, waiting for their free snack. One thing is for sure, this president is not the same man in the White house that we came to admire on the campaign trail, and I would have to say that the American people were not only sold a bill of goods, but, particularly black America has been shortchanged, because this man whose presidency was to represent the last stroke of the eraser across the color line in this nation may, through the epic failure of his policies, tragically have a negative effect on those who looked up to him the most. One can only hope that he either wakes up, or steps down.
We have been losing influence since Bush took office, and it will take decades to fix the mess they made. There are economic conditions that are outside our influence, but the last decade has seen the pace pick up how quickly we are losing our place in the world. I think Obama is on the right track, he has certainly changed the world's opinion of us for the better. It is way too early to predict how it will turn out, but he is a big improvement over Bush's years.
Although I'm not impressed at all with how well Obama is handling the Presidency, anybody who rests the image and influence of the entire United States on his shoulders or "those Dems" alone, is an idiot. We've been steadily dismantling our manufacturing sector for almost a decade, paying for wars and McMansions with money we don't have, ignoring trends like global climate change and increased demand/dwindling supply for oil and the massive economic opportunity we could have jumped on in trying to solve that problem. It's no wonder our economy is in the toilet.
You morons who just want to bash Obama for his part in the last 10 months haven't got a clue about global economics, a sustainable manufacturing sector, debt impact of both simultaneous wars, financial deregulation's epic damage to our economy, etc. If your only solution to the problem is the status quo of bitching and whining about whether someone bows to the Japanese figurehead, you have absolutely no business commenting on the U.S.' position in the world.
Let's see a leader who refuses to lead, a leader who parties when his soldiers are dying, a leader who promises but has no intention, or to give him the benefit of doubt, knowledge of how to deliver on those promises, a leader who hightails it out of the country for no justifiable reason and 9 months into his administration refuses to accept responibility for anything.
I think Bush turned out to be one of the worse Presidents but he didn't go around blaming the previous administration for the failures that lead to WTC or the crash of 2000.
To Robert-413014: Of course he did. Where were you? It was always Clinton's fault, or the fault of the Congress, or the Democrats, or the Liberals. Apparently, Bush was not responsible for anything during his tenure. Wait a second...that's right, he wasn't. He was irresponsible for everything!
Its a conspiracy i tell ya. A conspiracy!!!!!!.
Did Russia not fail as a superpower because of long drawn out wars?
have not all great superpowers failed because of long, drawn out failed wars?
We had a bunch of sociopaths lying like hell to us after they stole the Presidency- then they were so arrogant they ignored in your face warnings for a repeat attack on the same place.
The world watched the idiots in the US fall for this"this war is only going to take about 6 months, pay for itself, and cost a coupla billion"- and then idiots in the USA "re-elect" an idiot who "made progress" for 7 years.
Bush and Co absolutely destroyed America- history will not be kind and the world laughed their @$$ES off at what dupes we were for 8 years
Obama is Destroying America and its image He has spent more money than any president in US history, He is nothing but a sell out, bows down to every foreign leader. IMPEACH HIM NOW!!!!!!! before its too late!!!!!
Other nations aren't just "starting to notice" they have been fully aware for at least 10 months. The only people oblivious to it is the U.S. media.
Yea, right, that mean "liberal" media. Try looking at all the Obama slamming on all the media. I think that the right gets MORE attention than it deserves because their screeching about "elite media" has made them all bend over the other way.
We are definitely not gaining influence.
Bush, a war criminal, did not help things much.
But, Obama is not delivering much on his campaign rhetoric.
I think that the US is losing worldwide influence for reasons larger than just Obama and the recession.
I agree with this. We have been losing influence since our manufacturing base has left the country. This was going on well before Obama. The frustration with Obama, however, is that he hasn't really done anything to reverse this trend so the fading influence will continue.
agreed
DITTO! Try going as far back as the Marshall plan Post WWII we nation build our enemies and screw our allies!!
We have lost our global influence ever GOD was removed from our homes & schools. This country was great because it was the beacon of hope for all nations. It was the cornerstone of the free world And GOD was the foundation. Now, the foundation of our country is XBox, Cheetos, and Brittney Spears!
Agreed, the question is just ridiculous - how can you blame one person who hasn't even been in office an entire year for the decline of an entire country? It's absurdly simplistic and just plain wrong - for instance, I seem to recall the financial crisis beginning in September 2008 and it was a LONG time coming. At most you could blame him for not picking up the debris fast enough but to rest it solely on his shoulders - or on Bush for that matter - is pathetically simplistic.
The truth is that the U.S. occupied a vaccum, first in the post-WWII world and then in the post Soviet Union world. It was only a matter of time before other countries and regions rose to fill that void over the course of time.
It is foolish, naive, and arrogant to believe that the U.S. would forever remain the sole superpower around the globe, it was a fleeting status.
It's not so much that the U.S. has lost prestige and power as it is that the rest of the world as gained prestige and power.
It's a case of remaining stagnate while others advance.
Mike-941735
We have lost our global influence ever GOD was removed from our homes & schools.
-------------------------------------------
Well how on Earth does that explain the rise of China?, a communist athesitic country, or India? a predominately Hindu country?
It seems to me this is the wrong question. I don't believe the US is losing influence in general but possibly specific types of influence that have been sustained in the past by militarism, colonialism, economic bullying and the "Big Stick" mentality. On the other hand, the US is still where millions in the developing world want to be.
We are still a "beacon of liberty" to much of the rest of the world, and I believe that certain influences will always emanate from here as long as we hold to our fundamental principles and do not allow our integrity to be bought and sold like a commodity. It may be true that we can no longer intimidate, badger and bully the rest of the world into doing as we say...but we may still be able to set an example that motivates them to do as we do.
That's what America has devolved into, a society of mindless, spineless simpletons driven by instant gratification, with the inability to see past their own noses. Rather than accept collective accountability for what has been a dynamic a generation in the making let's find an excuse for our collective failure, let's scapegoat and blame one man.
I agree Tony. As much as I disliked many of his policies, I saw the "Blame Bush" syndrome taken to absolutely absurd heights - it got to the point that if it rained, it seemed as if someone somewhere was blaming Bush.
Now I'm witnessing a similar "Blame Obama" syndrome arise and I'm sure whoever the next president is, be it in 2016 or 2012, they will be targeted by a similar syndrome.
It seems that in the 21st Century, the central role of the U.S. President is Scapegoat in Chief.
Short,and well put.
I'll take a stab at this....
How about the elevated occurances of hurricanes in 2005 (namely Katrina?)
How about the 9/11 "coverup"?
How about the failure of Fannie and Freddie when Bush tried to warn congress about it?
How about rigging the Florida vote count in the 2000 election?
Oops...that's 4.
Cookie, your responses, which rely solely on conspiracy theories for support, only strengthen my examples. I rest my case.
But Cookie, your assertions aren't backed by supportable fact, and ignore huge swaths of related and contradictory facts. And then you make a statement like: "But i shouldn't expect much more then that from righties who are only capable of 5th grade logic and thus 5th grade insults..." Doesn't that seem a tad hypocritical?
Why do I need to back mine by facts? You supported what I said by AGREEING with me. You just happened to take it a step further and try to make accusations of conspiracy sound legit. Again, I rest my case.
Craig P-1072184 Well said. It has become the American pass time. Blame it all on someone else. No one wants to take responsibility anymore. Right or wrong each person's mistakes are solely the responsibility of that person.
The US is a has-been as a world power. Anything Obama does is just re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.
North Korea is shooting off missiles to practice for their nuclear ones. Iran has totally ignored everything he has said. (But that's not new. Iran has ignored every president since the shah was deposed.) China called him over to account for the loans they made to the US, which I'm given to understand are substantial. He can't make up his mind on Afghanistan or Iraq. When the pres. waffles, that makes the US look weak - especially in the area of leadership - or lack thereof.
I don think Obama is waffling on aynthing. I think it is great to have a President that looks into an issue and looks at all possiblilities. He is just not doing what he is told! Thank God! Washington has all thngs tied up in POLITICS and Payoffs and I think we forget that congress is OLD and set in their ways and No President can change or due much with out Congress. Its the balance of POWER. Even when the POWER is against the people.
I guess I must've been listening to a different station when I heard first about North Korea's nukes and Iran's weapons program during the Bush administration's tenure. Most of what's going on internationally now began before Obama even came onto the scene. For all his sabre-rattling and threats, Bush was no more able to stop it than anyone else has been. To lay the blame on Obama after less than a year in office shows how shortsighted and oblivious the right-wing has become.
One more point: Bushco and their impulsive, rush-to-judgment maneuvers, their gung-ho, America right or wrong, shooting from the hip got us nothing but ridicule in the international arena. Obama is not "waffling." He's doing what Bush, et al never had the will or, apparently, the capacity to do: he's thinking before he acts, weighing the consequences of his actions instead of forging ahead and other countries be damned.
It's about time we had a thoughtful man in the White House, one who actually takes the rest of the world into consideration before he starts shooting. If Bush had been President during October of 1962, we'd all be dead now.
Um, hate to break it to you but we were almost dead with Kennedy. G.W. Bush wouldn't have made a difference. Same result. Nuclear bombs were in the air. Lots of them. Just on manned bombers, not irretrievable missles. Lots of missle silos were under top alert. It was more tense than most of the written history of the immediate years following reported. Luckily, the Soviets blinked. They didn't have a religious front to hide behind and they weren't that fanatical about their system. FYI - The sound of a fully loaded, nuclear armed B-52 taking off is a lot louder than an empty one.
When are the people of this country going to remember that it is CONGRESS, not the president, that gets us in the messes we are in. Quit blaming Bush! Congress approved everyone of the actions. Congress is the entity that cannot balance the budget. They are the deficit spenders.
How in the world can you expect our economy to turn around in one year, when so many jobs have been outsourced overseas. The key to solve this problem is bring the jobs back home. We are making other countries like we were at one time and our standard of living is going into a third world country. We will be a 3rd world country ourselves if we do not bring jobs back to the USA and rebuild our middle class.
Totally agree with you Bud! When ever I can, I buy products made in the USA but they are hard to find anymore. I'll even pay more money for the item too!
The jobs will not come the manufacturing has been killed by the excessive demands of the unions, and the ability for other countries to manufacture the same goods for a cheaper price. If anybody tells you that they manufacturing jobs will come back they are lying unless they make it more attractive for the manufactures.
I don't see the economy turning around any time soon. First we need to get government spending under control, then get the manufacturing jobs back. Everyone needs to make an effort to buy American. That means when that Toyota salesman says this car is made in America, you need to check the domestic content label. Assembled in America is not "made in America". You are not helping the American economy if only the final assembly is done in America. Most importantly, stop buying cheap Chinese junk! Most of it is just crap, but, a lt of it is dangerous. If everyone tried to buy American, the jobs would come back and the quality would go up.
I have to agree with this one the Unions are taking to much I know they get better pay for their members, but at what cost. One Ford plant went on strike I know of and now those jobs are in Mexico. If you can get it done for a third of the cost by going to another country does it make sense to give the employees a big raise. The big corporation's are being taken care of by the Republicans big unions are being given big help from the Democrats . Who is taking care of the average working person, noone . We are all going to have to step up and start doing more starting with the election comingup soon. Or we can all do what I did start your own business. We all need to do more to take care of ourselves and our neighbors. Take care of our country too
Mars; Viet-Nam makes a great bunk bed.
Is it really that Unions ask too much, or is it that Wall Street insists that American business cut out Americans; either by outsourcing all the good jobs to other countries, or by importing cheap foriegn labor to displace Americans who simply want to make enough to provide for their families? Blaming unions is just an easy excuse. The real problem is Wall Street greed.
I am not defending any corperation their greed is what got the unions started and for good reason. We needed some one to stand up for the rights of the worker but they have just gone to far. Why should we pay a guy $15 an hour to sit and wait for some thing that falls in his title to come up. I say 15 an hour but with health insurance and paid vacation and holiday plus bonuses and retirement plans it is more like $45 an hour. Why is he there to off load a truck in this bay not the one next to it and heaven forbid if he should sweep the floor there while he is waiting for the next truck. They get .25 cents an hour in china.
What does that toy cost China made .99 American made $50 same toy
It was a very small group of socialist elitists (many of whom came from silver spoon backgrounds) who launched the labor movement, under the guise of improving labor conditions, but forcing labor to play by their rules (because they always knew better), and to pay their membership dues. It was a huge power and money play by a few individuals and they reaped the rewards. Don't kid yourself or buy into their 100+ year-old propaganda. There was nothing altruistic about it. And as to the macroeconomic consequences of their actions, they ultimately shot themselves in the foot because they could care less if the costs they added to the manufacturing process increased the prices of those goods to the average consumer. Consumers turned to products manufactured in China because they are less costly. Are you going to blame every consumer in this country for making such buying decisions if it helps them keep food on the table for their families?
Calvin Tang: good post. The way in which the choices were worded were poor. I believe the US is losing economic influence due to the looting and pillaging of our economy by the Oligarchs - but that Obama's stated policies have raised our political standing (regarding moral issues) in most other countries.
Peace...
Obama wants to lead the US into the same abyss that Lenin led Russia. In this difficult times we need a strong and patriotic leader, not a narcissist who believes that America did a lot of wrongs and that a Muslim world wants a genuine peace.
I can see how people can be duped or believe in socialist fantasies, but when last 100 years of history proved it wrong, then we are just dumb (and not idealistic).
Alex613, you have it absolutely correct!
Obama is learning that the rest of the world won't bend to his wishes the way lemmings in the U.S. do. What a mistake we made with him!
You got it!
He's done a wonderful job!
We have all kinds of new entitlement programs headed our way.
We have a lot more money now because the Fed printed soo much more.
We own Auto manufacturing companies, banks, and more.
The country has never been more united that it is now.
The job market will soon return. Once China forecloses on us, all goods will be made here for $0.29 and a cup of rice a day.
The future looks bright. This is the change that I can believe in!
steven
Obviously you have been looking for someone to blame your troubles on and have found it in Obama.
The economic collapse happend BEFORE Obama, the bailouts began BEFORE Obama...remember TARP? This country has NEVER been united, we all believe in a good argument. Our debt to China began decades ago.
You can continue to blame everything from unemployment (from economic collapse in 2008 brought on by unregulated banking and mortgage industries), to the value of the dollar since it was taken off the gold standard years ago, to...oh lets see...your dog biting you? Your child talking back? That zit in the middle of your forehead?...on Obama...if it makes you feel better.
Or, I have a WILD IDEA....you could try SUPPORTING THE PRESIDENT, and YOUR COUNTRY and try to HELP make things BETTER...
Sheesh.
Well,,, Colodomom,
Obama makes it Sooo easy.
The man has done nothing but jet set around the world (not even in his own country).
And like the article suggests, the star power is gone and the luster has faded.
It might help if he knew how to lead, but it's a little to late for on-the-job-training.
Actually the Bushies began the dash to China. Bush senior had manufacturing interests in China all the way back in the 90's. Remember his trip to China? W helped push America into the toilet with his policies of protecting Big Business from taxes and reprimand while they off-shored everything. Now we pay the same price for a shoddy piece of garbage manufactured in the a 3rd world country while big business makes massive profits at the expense of both China and the US. It's a scandal. Big Business is running the world and we're all the worse for it.
Corsair:
I realize that Americans who don't live overseas find this hard to understand, but there ARE other countries on this planet. And you see, in order to be successful as a country, we have to work and PLAY well with some of those countries, especially when it comes to trading goods. THAT takes diplomacy, something BUSH and CHENEY couldn't even pronounce...
A true leader understands that the swaggering peacock attitude doesn't play well anywhere BUT America. Welcome to reality.
But Colodomom, that is exactly what the Obama "plays" and that is all he is good at.
He is the best performing peacock I have seen in a while.
The only problem is, leaders of other countries think he is a joke because
his feathers are so transparent.
And by the way I have travelled (and still do, extensively) but right now
your boy Obama needs to stay behind his desk and do a whole lot of "homework".
Corsair, the fact that you call him boy is telling. Actually, no, he plays it calm and thoughtful. How refreshing after the bully brothers...Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld.
I currently live in Europe. No, he is not thought of as a joke here. You are flat wrong.
But, it's ok, I'm not asking you to agree with me. We're Americans...we can't agree ON ANYTHING anymore.
I call him a boy, simply because he is a wet behind the ears puppy.
I also call Tim Geithner "Little Big Headed Timmy" because he is the same.
So don't drive towards racial overtones, it goes nowhere.
Coolaid mom, this guy is just steering the ship from one iceberg to the next. Just because he didn't cause the problems that he inherited does not absolve him of the responsibility of fixing them. Nobody forced this man to be the president. That was his choice. It's almost like he has this job because he feels entitled. After all of those months of service. His employment record, if you look at it really is the real problem of America. Some guy who hangs around in the city with major radicals and criminals, lies to get a job, has to be the boss after a yerr and a half on the job though he has no idea what he is doing. I would call this guy "Guitar hero president" Like, all one has to do is assume the look and press a button, and it's like: "Wow, I really doing it I'm good at this" Trust me, I've played a real guitar for 37 years, there's no instant ability, no buttons, you have to learn a million things. 1/4 of a senate term, think about that. No one is entitled to be the president. And it isn't a job for a nice looking guy with a great voice. Bu maybe he could get a gig in Vegas.
Robin...I stopped reading your comment with the "coolaid mom" comment. If you went on to try to make any serious point to me....sorry you wasted your time.
Corsair:
I didn't, you did. I said the fact that you called him boy was telling because you don't think he's grown up enough to deserve your respect.
So, WHO went to the racial crap...you or me?
Like it or not, he IS your President, and even if you don't like the man, the OFFICE deserves respect. You can make fun of him after he leaves office.
I am retired from the military, and I did not vote for him.
And while I agree the office of the President of the United States is to be
respected, how did it get to be so disrespected by the "election" of an
unqualified individual?
What, because he hasn't started any wars yet? Because he believes in meeting people, not bombing them?
Where the hell were you when Bush was reading "My Pet Goat"? Writing articles about his LITERACY?
not sure the question is worded very fairly, but as it stands, i think Obama is still a massive step up from the way the world looked at us during the Bush administration, but he still has alot of stuff on his plate that he needs to deal with. time will show obama as the person i believe he is, someone who cares greatly for this nation and this world to become a better place than it has been.
The disastrous Bush/Cheney era had a lot to do with America's credibility in the world, but there are many forces at work, over many years since WWII, that lead to less relative U.S. power. Such historical events and trends as the rise of the European Union, China, India and Brazil; the fall of the Soviet Union; the flight of manufacturing from the U.S., the power of international corporations, the shortsighted greed of many enterprises, the lack of intelligent regulation of financial interests, the deterioration of American infrastructure relative to the rest of the world, etc., etc., etc. all play a part.
Nobody before the Bush administration tried to fight two wars and put the entire expense on the National credit card. The bleeding from those two wars continues, even as the Obama administration struggles to right an economy destroyed by 8 years of regulatory neglegence. Until we have an economy robust enough to pay for the wars from current taxes, or we end the wars, the United States will continue to lose prestige as it rapidly sinks deeper into debt.
This president is doing many of the right things, but it took 8 years to dig this hole, and it will probably take a quarter-century of good leadership to get us out of it.
Gee, what about the eight years that Bush inherited including the ability to attack this country as no country has dared to do before and how about the economic mess that Bush inherited; but of course, with a selective memory and a blind obedience to the annointed, one you really can't see beyond the donkey's rear end.
So Bush inherited the economy as bad a s Obama inherited from Bush. I know one thing you people cal lie and lie. 9/11 happened under Byushy and Dickey Cheney. Of course that is the truth and you do not beleive in truth like any other right wingers.
The 9-11 attacks happened on Bush's watch, after Condi refused to allow outgoing Clinton administration officials to brief the Bush cabinet on the threat; 9-11 happened because Bush refused to believe anything a Democrat said. The Bush administration believed they created their own reality and didn't have to pay attention to the real reality.
Bush inherited a country at peace and with a budget surplus. He and the Republicans immediately passed a big tax cut for the rich and plunged us back into deficits. I remember thinking, just before 9-11, "Now that he's spent all the money, what's Bush going to do for the next 3 years?".
The answer, unfortunately, was to run up more debt than all the presidents before him combined (even Reagan).
You're absolutely right. Almost everything Bush-Cheney did, including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, benefitted the wealthy, especially their friends. Bush had his oil companies including Spectrum 7, Harken, and Arbusto (all of which had financial problems), Cheney has Halliburton, and Condi was also on the board of an energy company. There's definitely a conflict of interest there. And any of the cons who complained about Obama's bowing to the emperor of Japan should have another look at Bush Jr. holding hands his the Saudi oil pals.
What kind of options are these? Why does NO mean Obamas fault. Our country has been losing credibility for years.
This poll is ridiculous, it focuses entirely on Obama.
Just to remind everyone he has been president less than a year.
It's true that America's empire is fading, which is actually a good thing, maybe we can focus on fixing the problems in this country now.
The fault though is unequivocally Bush's. He found this country in great shape and left it in the worse shape in decades.
Massively in debt, 2 failed wars, no intn'l good will, failing economy, major trade deficit. Bush was a catastrophe that will take YEARS to fix.
OH YES another "it's Bush's fault " makes an older generation want to PUKE!!! BET you drive your car looking out the back window too !
looks like you have a short memory pops.
It is Bush's fault. None of us will live to see the damage he did corrected. His destruction of the economy makes it impossible to correct the deficits he created. Bush's arrogance destoyed our relationship to the world. Bush approved torture, which was never in our national character before him. That corruption of our integrity has damaged our reputation.
Obama is doing his level best to correct our economy and restore our reputation; and the Asia trip was a big success.
Well "{jiminmo}" I am an older generation and it has been nice traveling the world this last year. 2000-2008 was a nightmare with all the hatred against Americans. The bush/cheney policies invoked more hatred towards America than any other point in time.
Just remember the President doesn't send us to War. CONGRESS does. Saying were in 2 failed wars shows us how blind you really can be. IRAQ is pretty much done, with the force draw downs how can you sit here and say we failed?
I love the scapegoating of President Bush. It's always easier to blame someone else and not the corp America that sold the bad Debts.
because we are leaving Iraq does not mean that it was a success.
Also, the USA has spent trillions on that worthless adventure.
Corporate did screw us, too bad Bush didn't care to enforce the law against them.
Bush found the country in great shape? Did you forget the WTC disaster and the economic mess created by the internet bubble. These were problems he inherited from that other Democratic idol, but instead of fixating on blaming the previous administration, he went about resolving the problems.
Too bad Obama, the second coming of Neville Chamberlain, never studied history, or economics for that matter, at Harvard and instead focused on the blame game.
Yes, congress decared war; but it was because most of them could not believe Bush would tell such astounding lies. McClatchy saw thru him. The British knew he was "fixing the facts".
Congress believed they were giving Bush a bargaining chip to be used to get the UN to act; but Bush never went back to the UN, he just invaded Iraq.
What is sad the Democrats wanted George W to fail so bad and now the Republicans want Obama to fail and the average American gets screwed in their political war games. Hey Democrats don't cry foul when the Republicans are doing what you did in the last Presidency. When any Administration fails we all pay the price.
These dumb party lackeys don't get it, both parties are to blame. What we are experiencing is the result of several Presidents failure to look after the average American's interest. It is time for a new third centrist party in this country. That would give the Republicans and Democrats a new attitude.
I didn't want Dubya to fail. That means the Country fails. What I wanted was for him to grow up and grow a pair.
No, Republicans destroyed this country under Bush, and now Republicans refuse to have any part in rebuilding it. They won't even act as honest opposition. Honest opposition points out the weaknesses in proposed legislation and helps to fix them; Republican oposition is all BS about "death panels" and "socialism" and somehow trying to make a connection between getting health care for everybody and Nazi concentration camps. Republicans want Obama to fail, and they are quite comfortable with the fact that it will destroy the country.
Bush set the country on a course of self destruction, and now Republicans vote "NO" on any attempt to correct that course.
What I wanted was for GWB to stop failing.
Except for the last 2 years all the dems could do was stand by and watch the repubs destroy the country,
I thought MSNBC was liberal? It looks like Cheney wrote the choices.
The United States appears weak and confused to the rest of the world.
I agree with JTM-890765. The way the poll answers were stated it was hard to find the answer to how I really feel. Just an example that poll results are questionable at best!!!!
The decline started way before Obama. You can't put the blame on him. Historically, all superpowers eventually lose their influence and begin the slow decline. It's a fact. The Greek empire, Egyptian empire, Roman empire, England, Soviet Union....it's inevitable. Can't stay on top forever.