CNN is touting a new poll which shows that Americans think Barack Obama is performing marginally better than George W Bush as President of the United States:
By 47 to 45 percent, Americans say Obama is a better president than George W. Bush. But that two point margin is down from a 23 point advantage one year ago.”
So in a sense, Obama is just as good/bad as Bush. Again, to put it another way, Bush was as competent as Obama.
Once I got past my initial shock, this poll made a lot of sense. Barack Obama, for many Americans, is a disappointment. Unemployment is still eye watering high without any indication of where the new jobs are coming from, Congress is as divided as ever, a worrying amount of people do not think that their President is eligible to be leading the country and Obama’s democratic base is as fired up as Aqua-Man.
I compare America to my own country, the UK, where I see two parties that are historical enemies, working together to rid the country of record debt and I think maybe the two countries are not that similar after all. If a GOP member was even produce a hint of praise to a Democrat thier party would act like the earth has spun off its axis (the world would come to an end if a Republican praised Barack Obama).
The truth is American is still, relatively speaking, a young country (going by when it was made independent), there are still many issues that divide citizens and it was hoped that Obama could settle those issues and unify the country, but it looks like that is not going to be the case.
What do you think of the poll? Do you think it accurately assesses the job that President Obama is doing? Was Bush not that bad? Was Bush not that bad compared to Obama? Let us know in the TMV District.
