By Reach For The Sky
According to Gallup, President Barack Obama's approval ratings are dropping to record lows. with 44% disapproval, the situation looks pretty grim for Obama as well as the democratic party in general. Some attribute this to his stance on health care reforms, while others think it is because of his apparent inability to get said reforms passed. It might be of note to consider that during this phase of his presidency, George W. Bush's approval ratings were well above 60%. So why is it that America is so unhappy with the president as of late? I believe I have a possible answer.
As Bush's presidency was coming to an end, many Americans were angry. Angry about wars they didn't support, bail-outs they didn't condone, and a declining economic situation to top it all off. As is common in America when situations are particularly bad or good, people blamed the president, sometimes unconsciously. It is the nature of a population to seek out blame when things are going poorly, and often people don't even realize it. One might attribute something the president has nothing to do with towards a failed presidency. He might not be able to make a payment on his car, to afford insurance, or to pay for his daughter's tuition, but how could he with this president. He might not have directly blamed the government for those things, but they were still in the back of his mind when he went to the voting booth. I mean, does he really want 4 more years of this administration? The amassed American population wanted a new party in charge. When things are bad, the masses tend to, sometimes irrationally, demand radical changes be made, possibly without realizing exactly how much power the executive branch has over the problem in question. It didn't help that Obama's campaign seemed to be designed to exploit this trend.
And so Obama was promptly elected. The majority of American citizens, as well as a good portion of the globe, were thrilled. But then something odd happened: Nothing. The poor schmuck from the last paragraph still can't afford his car. Insurance is still unaffordable for some Americans. Gold bars aren't raining from the sky while chocolate roses spring from the fields*, but what did we expect? It isn't like the president can stride into Congress and come out with a few radical economic changes. Obama's campaign promised results the political system simply can not provide. People look at the Executive branch and they see the big boss of the average corporation. Many don't understand how little power it actually has.
I'm not saying that Obama is completely innocent, but he is suffering from what Bush suffered from at the end of his presidency; getting grief for problems he has no control over. If you really want change you can believe in, follow the actions of your senators and representatives instead of the presidential beauty pageant. A competent president is important, but it isn't as beneficial as a well oiled Congress.
*Well what did you expect from his presidency?
As Bush's presidency was coming to an end, many Americans were angry. Angry about wars they didn't support, bail-outs they didn't condone, and a declining economic situation to top it all off. As is common in America when situations are particularly bad or good, people blamed the president, sometimes unconsciously. It is the nature of a population to seek out blame when things are going poorly, and often people don't even realize it. One might attribute something the president has nothing to do with towards a failed presidency. He might not be able to make a payment on his car, to afford insurance, or to pay for his daughter's tuition, but how could he with this president. He might not have directly blamed the government for those things, but they were still in the back of his mind when he went to the voting booth. I mean, does he really want 4 more years of this administration? The amassed American population wanted a new party in charge. When things are bad, the masses tend to, sometimes irrationally, demand radical changes be made, possibly without realizing exactly how much power the executive branch has over the problem in question. It didn't help that Obama's campaign seemed to be designed to exploit this trend.
And so Obama was promptly elected. The majority of American citizens, as well as a good portion of the globe, were thrilled. But then something odd happened: Nothing. The poor schmuck from the last paragraph still can't afford his car. Insurance is still unaffordable for some Americans. Gold bars aren't raining from the sky while chocolate roses spring from the fields*, but what did we expect? It isn't like the president can stride into Congress and come out with a few radical economic changes. Obama's campaign promised results the political system simply can not provide. People look at the Executive branch and they see the big boss of the average corporation. Many don't understand how little power it actually has.
I'm not saying that Obama is completely innocent, but he is suffering from what Bush suffered from at the end of his presidency; getting grief for problems he has no control over. If you really want change you can believe in, follow the actions of your senators and representatives instead of the presidential beauty pageant. A competent president is important, but it isn't as beneficial as a well oiled Congress.
*Well what did you expect from his presidency?
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