What must happen in order for Obama's presidency to be considered successful?

[begin_within]

[MarjorieG]

1. Hope not left to media to decide, but his key issues, Universal Healthcare, essential. And for 2010

Wish ConservaDems understood that.

[tularetom]

2. He must walk on water - wait that probably won't do it

He must levitate himself and walk on air while farting the star spangled banner.

[givemebackmycountry]

3. He's already successful in my book -

He makes Bush and the Republicans look like the bunch of incompetent tools we always knew they were.

That's a big win in my book.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

4. Involvement in Iraq ended, Guantanamo closed, at a minimum.

[rug]

5. Out of Iraq. Out of Afghanistan.Out of Republicans.

[cliffordu]

7. No shit, rug.. I wish we were fresh out of repubicans....

[NRaleighLiberal]

6. He already is successful.

[begin_within]

15. ok, but I meant when his presidency is evaluated by analysts and historians.

[LiberalFighter]

8. All the Republicans are dead?

[laugle]

9. He must bring us out of this economic

recession; end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; close Gitmo; focus on middle class tax cuts and end Bush's tax cuts to the wealthy; these are all promise's he made during the campaign, and I expect him to keep them.

I believe that all of these major issues, can be acccomplished. The question will be, is he up to the job?

So far he has been kicking the can down the road, so we will just have to wait and see............

[doc03]

10. Well I hear the middle class tax cuts may be taken

back in 2011. What about the tax he is considering on employer health care benefits? Then you have the Cap and Trade. So far it sounds like any middle tax cuts are short lived. If the economy turns around and Congress is successful in preventing him from spending us into bankruptcy it may be considered successful.

[laugle]

11. Those are horrible ideas and I hope they are dumped!

We should all know more by the summer, whether or not the economy is turning around. There are some signs of light,i.e., stock market rallies, housing sales up, but it is getting harder to remain optimistic. I share your concern regarding spending, but I'm not an economist. If Barack is successful in thawing the credit markets, housing sales should pick-up.

As I said, I see a lot of kicking the can down the road, and it is making me wonder about what will be accomplished..........time will tell.............

In the end, results are the only thing that matter, but why do I keep thinking about Jimmy Carter lately.........UGH!

[terisan]

12. 1 Keep economy afloat-doesn't have to be up-to-speed. 2. Don't get bogged down in war 3. Don't have

major scandal tied to him. 4. Marginally improve healthcare. 5. Handle any disasters expeditously and effectively.


I honestly think he will be considered reasonably successful if he is able to accomplish the above.

To be considered highly successful he would have to accomplish much more but I don't think he will be considered a failure by most of the country if he only achieves the above. People understand we are facing serious problems.

[madeline_con]

13. It's happening.

Naysayers like Billo and Flush should STFU. They're just whiny weinerboys.

[Median Democrat]

14. Nothing much, cure cancer, stop global warming, achieve global peace, and balance the budget.

;)

[craigmatic]

16. 2 things

comprehensive universal health care and he has to be followed in office by another democrat. Only then can we mythologize about him and call this the age of Obama and say what a great president he was like the way the repubs like to lie about reagan.

[grillo7]

17. The economy is key

If Obama is able to stabilize and recover the economy, the election is his to lose in 2012. If it continues to slide, he risks becoming Carter-esque in the eyes of the public. To be completely successful, he needs to:

1. Lift the economy
2. End the Iraq and Afghan wars without major complications
3. Overhaul healthcare

Cap and trade, diplomatic victories with Iran, Israel/Palestine, etc., Green energy, Public transportation modernization, and other assorted items are icing on the cake, but hopefully will be implemented as well.

[LWolf]

18. Clarify:

to be considered successful by whom?

By the masses? By the world? By the military-industrial complex? By "business" leaders? By organized religion?

By me: Universal, single-payer, not-for-profit health care
Universal public pre-school through college/trade school
End of NAFTA/CAFTA
End of NCLB
End of privatization efforts, and aggressive progress on DE-privatization
Some new, modern version of a fairness doctrine
100% publicly funded elections
Expanded, stricter, and more strictly enforced anti-trust laws.
The quick end to the bogus "war on terror," and the extinction of war as an instrument of international policy
The end to "faith based" government expenditures
The extinction of poverty in the United States

Edited to add: If he can do any of these things, or make progress on many of them, that would be success.