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Barack Obama: disappointment and hope


By Sama Team | November 4, 2009


 

We enjoy discussing about all kind of topics within the Sama Team, even the more controversial ones. And surprisingly, it appears everything connected to Barack Obama is controversial. A year after Barack Obama was elected US President, many people say the US President's performance has dismayed even his biggest admirers, at a time when the country is facing the worst recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s...

 

The subject becomes controversial when we try to define the 'why' it is so hard to change things. Maybe it's because we (many amongst non American people) were expecting too much change too quickly. In October 2008 Max Dana wrote on her blog : Will the World of Obama ever become a reality? and in January 2009: Martin Luther King Jr. and Obama’s election: Free at last?.

 

At this time, some of us thought Max was being pessimistic but when we read her post again several months later, in retrospect, she was right to try to keep things grounded. Here is an extract taken from Martin Luther King Jr. and Obama’s election: Free at last? :

 

Barack Obama being the first black president of the United States is an historical event, although to me, it’s far from being the main point. Like Obama said: ‘The country is facing economic crisis of historic proportions’, so no matter what the color of his skin is, he’s got a lot of work to do. Maybe this is where I take some distance from the ‘President’ because I know it’s going to be hard and like I said in my post about the portrait of Obama: I don’t think a man (or a woman) of good will alone as a president, can change everything; one man cannot implement change all by himself. I’m not being pessimistic here, I just think the higher the expectations, the more prone to disappoint. I’ve heard so many people having such a strong faith in Obama, considering him almost like a Messiah and singing his praises, it’s really begun to baffle me. I understand the expectations, the need to believe in someone capable of changing things but at the same time, I think our support (to anyone we believe in) should remain the most impartial possible because we should be able to carefully observe and criticize if needed so our judgement will not be motivated by our disappointment. Because there will be some disappointments, some bad choices and maybe even some misunderstandings. Of course it will never reach the catastrophic results of the previous administration, but as much as I want things to get better and I hope for a deep-level change, Obama’s goals will be hard to reach, but not impossible...

 

The truth is Barack Obama has not yet turn all of the campaign promises into policy, but many of us are likely to show leniency toward Barack Obama (more than we actually show to the French President Nicolas Sarkozy...). Maybe it is the 'Obama effect' still working on us...

 

But again, looking back, if we had been less enthusiast maybe we wouldn't have expected so much. Maybe it's because we want (or need) to believe in miracles sometimes. The reality of the facts and plights is also hard to accept. Obama or not, it's going to be difficult to put everything back on the right track.



#1


Sama Reader JBKaval

That’s right. When I think of Barack Obama, I think everything is possible. When I think of Sarkozy, it’s obvious he will not do anything.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009 at 1:16 pm

#2


Sama Reader Darun-Wi

We should be patient, nobody can change anything in so short a period of time…
Wednesday, November 4, 2009 at 1:29 pm

#3


Sama Reader Ghosty

I think radical change is impossible in the United States.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009 at 1:58 pm

#4


Sama Reader Ponditi

Obama inherited one hell of a mess, American politics is complicated. Let’s give him some more time!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009 at 2:02 pm

#5


Sama Reader Mark

Yes We Can

But!

Change Is Hard

:twisted:

Wednesday, November 4, 2009 at 4:31 pm

#6


Sama Reader Arnold

I have to admit I agree with the Sama Team. We want to believe and that’s the main problem with Obama.

I remember this post of Max on her blog and I knew she was right but we didn’t want to hear that. Because a black man president of the United States was so huge!

I am not an Obama maniac but I think American should give him a chance and wait for the results. At least they have a president who matures every decisions he makes, in France Sarkozy repeats the exact same speeches over and over again and makes promises at each event. That is very, very deceiving :(

Wednesday, November 4, 2009 at 5:45 pm

#7


Sama Reader J.T. Brown

With two active wars and the worst economy since the great depression, what did you expect? A miracle, that is!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009 at 5:46 pm

#8


Sama Reader Freeman

Freeman

Obama has another three years left of his first term to regain the confidence of the American people.

Wait and see………
Wednesday, November 4, 2009 at 6:20 pm

#9


Sama Reader Meddi

Here in France, we face many political problems and we know it’s not easy or simple to change things. Maybe we are more tolerant with our political leaders than American people are, I don’t know…

-Meddi
Wednesday, November 4, 2009 at 7:13 pm

#10


Sama Reader Gino

Americans complain about Obama because he didn’t do everything he said he would but he has been elected a year only!!! What if their president was Berlusconi with all the mistresses and the affairs!!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009 at 9:32 pm

#11


Sama Reader BettyKohn

Agreed Gino!
Thursday, November 5, 2009 at 12:09 am

#12


Sama Reader Karmitto

Obama must deal with a very bad economy. Bush would have done much worse. It’s hard for everyone but I think Obama is the best for the job among any other actual presidents, maybe excepted for Merkel, she’s very good for Germany too.
Thursday, November 5, 2009 at 7:41 am

#13


Sama Reader Juliette

Yes Mark, change is not easy even if you really want it like Barack Obama said during his campaign. It’s not magical, and I agree with Max when she says a man alone can’t change anything and that’s happening to Obama.

I also think American people have got the best president they could have, we can send them Sarkozy if they want, or Berlusconi like Gino said (and he knows what he’s talking about, he’s italian) and you will realize Obama is not the devil some people think he is!
Thursday, November 5, 2009 at 10:53 am

#14


Sama Reader Yull

Agreed!!! :P

Thursday, November 5, 2009 at 11:07 am

#15


Sama Reader Dittta

So true Juliette, so true………..
Thursday, November 5, 2009 at 12:28 pm

#16


Sama Reader Lissa

There is another problem with Barack Obama: high expectations but also the Nobel Prize he received. It’s a lot of pressure on him and his administration.

If he fails in Irak and Afghanistan, it will be a huge problem for the United States
Thursday, November 5, 2009 at 2:35 pm

#17


Sama Reader Gulove

The Nobel Peace Prize was a poison chalice…………
Thursday, November 5, 2009 at 3:46 pm

#18


Sama Reader Moshuo

As soon as I knew Obama won the nobel prize, I knew it wasn’t a good idea. You can’t win the Nobel Peace Prize and send troops in Irak and in Afghanistan. This is the contrary of peace. I supported Obama even if I’m not american but this Nobel is like he shot himself in the foot…
Thursday, November 5, 2009 at 4:14 pm

#19


Sama Reader JBKaval

I agree with you Moshuo, I still don’t understand why they gave him the nobel. :roll:

Thursday, November 5, 2009 at 7:17 pm

#20


Sama Reader DarkFUY

DarkFUY

Conservative opposition to health-care legislation is growing. Congress is stalling Obama’s health plan and it is never going to happen, I can tell you!
Thursday, November 5, 2009 at 7:59 pm

#21


Sama Reader Fonzy

Fonzy

I read that the Obama campaign estimates his health care reform plan will cost between $50 and $65 billion a year when fully phased in. No way this plan would ever be voted.

NEVER EVER
Thursday, November 5, 2009 at 8:01 pm

#22


Sama Reader Juliette

Same here JBKaval…
Thursday, November 5, 2009 at 11:37 pm

#23


Sama Reader ErickNO

ErickNO

I was a supporter of Barack Obama too and it’s easy to criticize and judge without taking care of the context. I live in Norway and here too the economy is not good and we can’t blame the government for that. Blame the banks!

I don’t think Obama did mistakes that worsened the situation, maybe Sarkozy did bad work when I hear French people, but not Obama. Not yet..
Friday, November 6, 2009 at 6:25 am

#24


Sama Reader Hulksman

Obama is hope, definitely!!
Friday, November 6, 2009 at 9:42 am

#25


Sama Reader LILLYAC

LILLYAC

I’m done talking politics, I want my problems to be solved, by whomever it is……..
Friday, November 6, 2009 at 1:14 pm

#26


Sama Reader Yull

+1 Lillyac :P

Friday, November 6, 2009 at 1:53 pm



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