Earl Hutchinson
The Huffington Post
President Obama will get the ritual grade for his first 100 days in office on April 29. His first days will be compared to FDR's first 100 days. And to a lesser extent JFK's first 100 days. But comparing him to these two presidents is not a fair comparison. FDR faced the worst economic crisis in American history. JFK faced no immediate foreign or domestic crisis. President Obama falls somewhere in between the two.
The better comparison is with his predecessor President Bush. He is the president whose towering White House failures helped pave the way for Obama's win. And there's some eerie similarities in the way Bush handled his first 100 days and the way Obama is handling his.
Bush got the same intense look in his first 100 days as President Obama will get in his; and for good reason. Bush's win was deeply tainted but also historic. Millions thought then and now that he bagged the White House through fraud, deceit, manipulation, and a huge helping hand from a politically compliant High Court. Obama's win was historic and tinged with racial and ideological fears.
Though the Bush legacy is truly dreadful, it wasn't that way at the start. He got the same first 100 days pass from voters that Obama and every other president has gotten. His April 2001 poll numbers topped sixty percent. This matches Obama's April numbers. A Washington Post/ABC Poll even gave Bush high marks on his handling of the economy.
Bush did what every other new president did during his first hundred days. He used the early public goodwill to make politically favorable appointments, ink executive orders and shove through Congress programs that likely would draw fire later on, clamp a vise like grip on executive power, and cast an eye on cementing his historic legacy. Obama has done the same.
| Michael "C" Lorton, Virginia |
April 23rd, 2009 3:02 pm ET Presidents all start off basically the same--and time will either be Obama's best friend--or his worse enemy-we know that it will be his worst "thief." |
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| tayjah. |
April 23rd, 2009 3:06 pm ET let him be a president. stop comparing him to everyone and stop criticiizng him. he needs to do his job and ppl need to stop taking his picture and digging up dirt. at the end of a term, then comapre him. |
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| Sharon daVanport |
April 23rd, 2009 3:07 pm ET Let's just hope Obama's next 100 days will be distinguishable from Bush's .....I'm betting they will be. Obama inherited a more than messy D.C./America ~ let's wait it out and watch Obama do it right! |
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| Sandra |
April 23rd, 2009 3:45 pm ET Obama is no different than every other politician, except he can outspend them all. Amazing that people are always so optimistic when a new president is elected. Change......is nothing new, it amounts to the same old tired Democrat/Republican battles. Real change would be electing a president with no party affiliation. |
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| Isabel |
April 23rd, 2009 3:58 pm ET Many say that the first 100 days of government were decisive for the behavior of the markets. But problems still are bursting here and there. What was expected. A lot has been done. Right things and wrong things. After all, 100 days are not enough to do the impossible. As always preached President Obama: the crisis is long. |
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| Brian Tourville |
April 23rd, 2009 4:15 pm ET I find Eerie similarities between Bush's and Clinton's first 100 Days – but greater similarities between Bush's reasonings and Clinton's rationale for the up_coming speaking TOUR together. What I believe lacking in their Tour Plans is a third persona to bridge the divide between the two former Leaders Legacies : One being a War Crimes candidate – the other a Job Killing yes man for Corporate interests with almost impeached impeccability and musical interests . I see the American anti-hero Charlie Manson fitting firmly between the two. Charlie sings & plays some Guitar – Bill can honk the sax while G.W. soft shoe steps gleaned during his visit to Africa. When it comes to discussions – they'll all be coming from the same place defending what they've done . |
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| Joanne Pacicca, Solvay, NY |
April 23rd, 2009 4:37 pm ET I agree, the first 100 days is not a complete measure, but it's all we've got. |
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| Alex |
April 24th, 2009 2:54 am ET looks like Obama is on the way of beating Bush's deficit spending. it took 8 years for Bush to spend = $ 5 trillion dollars It took 5 months for Obama to spend = $2 trillion dollars We haven't even finished a year. We are in trouble. If CNN wants to deny it and say Obama is doing fine, Their nuts. |
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| Mary Ann Klem |
April 24th, 2009 8:00 am ET I would like AL GORE to be VICE PRESIDENT. He's a GOOD MAN and extremely intelligent and my advocate for the PROTECTOR OF THE EARTH.. |
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