Two amazing Obama bits this morning. I've got the issue of TIME magazine coming out tomorrow and it features cover story on Obama's first 100 days, with Joe Klein calling it the most impressive start for any president since FDR (though challenges ahead).
Also, a new AP just out which reveals that for the first time "in years" more Americans than not feel the U.S. is on "the right track."
A closer look at the story finds that the "in years" turns out to be more than five years dating back to January 2004.
Kind of amazing when you consider that, if anything, we are still heading deeper into a recession--and with two wars still going on. Maybe more people than most think are truly appalled by the torture revelations and the sense of relief that Bushies are gone.
The link is here.
The polls does find some reasons for concern for the future, of course, but here's a good excerpt:
Intensely worried about their personal finances and medical expenses, Americans nonetheless appear realistic about the time Obama might need to turn things around, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll. It shows most Americans consider their new president to be a strong, ethical and empathetic leader who is working to change Washington.
Nobody knows how long the honeymoon will last, but Obama has clearly transformed the yes-we-can spirit of his candidacy into a tool of governance. His ability to inspire confidence — Obama's second book is titled "The Audacity of Hope" — has thus far buffered the president against the harsh political realities of two wars, a global economic meltdown and countless domestic challenges.
"He presents a very positive outlook," said Cheryl Wetherington, 35, an independent voter who runs a chocolate shop in Gardner, Kan. "He's very well-spoken and very vocal about what direction should be taken."
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Greg Mitchell's new book is "Why Obama Won." He is editor of Editor & Publisher.