President Barack Obama: Perhaps he can't fix it. .

[bijou]

Even in the worst economic crisis since the 1930s, New York knows how to throw a party. For most of yesterday hundreds of thousands of people made a sea of green that paraded up Fifth Avenue to mark St Patrick’s Day. Tens of thousands lined the street to watch them. The all-day party, fuelled by imports of Guinness and whiskey, seemed the more intensely engaged upon as an escape from omnipresent financial gloom.

Away from the party, the mood in America’s cultural and business capital is more firmly anchored in stark reality, and quite different from the euphoria that pervaded it when I was last here, on election day. President Obama still enjoys the popularity that comes with not being George Bush, especially in a city top-heavy with Democrats. But his initial response to the global calamity that he found on entering the Oval Office has not inspired popularity’s more sober elder brother, confidence. Large constituencies, notably business, are voicing their scepticism openly. The President’s much-vaunted $787 billion stimulus package is being widely interpreted, even by some of those (such as Warren Buffett, America’s second-richest man) who openly supported Mr Obama for the presidency, as a serious failure. And we are only just past the first 50 days.
 

Mr Obama is lucky that his Republican opponents in Congress are disorganised, incoherent and without ideas of their own. The White House branded Rush Limbaugh, the populist talk radio host, leader of the opposition, following an assault Limbaugh had made on the President’s neo-socialist policies. This remark was designed not just to humiliate elected Republicans for their impotence, but also to attempt to terrify the American public at the thought of a man widely seen as a demagogue and an extremist leading a main political movement. It should worry Mr Obama that while the former part of the strategy has hit home, the latter hasn’t. ... 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/simonheffer/5007962/President-Barack-Obama-Perhaps-he-cant-fix-it.-.-..html

I'm not a great fan of Simon Heffer who wrote the article, but he does provide and interesting view and round up of recent events

[Chris_]

Actually, I think that the article is well thought out.  I can't find too much fault with his position, though the parallels drawn to UK politics are a bit confusing.

I find it interesting that the comparison is drawn to Tony Blair.......although I have no frame of reference to determine the direction or effect of Mr. Blair's UK politics (other than he was a Liberal)........trust me, the messiah is no Tony Blair.......Mr. Blair always left me with the impression (perhaps incorrectly) that national security was very high on his priority list, and he recognised the value of preserving and supporting the goodwill of his long-term allies.......Obama has NONE of these traits.......The several speeches that I listened to of his, here in the US, were focused on definite solutions to specific problems, not empty, flowery rhetoric.....and he was one hell of a speaker.....

Also it is very interesting to read the comments after the article at the link........perhaps our brethren in the UK are not that different politically than we here on the west side of the pond......

doc