# Achievement-wise, how does Obama compare with earlier Presidents **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 20, 2009, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/achievement-wise-how-does-obama-compare-with-earlier-presidents/514515 "2009-10-20T18:42:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/achievement-wise-how-does-obama-compare-with-earlier-presidents/514515/1 "2009-10-20T18:42:43Z")
So, there are all the claims of Obama’s lack of ability; so what did other Presidents accomplish in their first 9 months? How does he compare? Ordinarily, I’d put this in GQ, but since it’s about Obama, GD is probably better. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/achievement-wise-how-does-obama-compare-with-earlier-presidents/514515/2 "2009-10-20T19:05:29Z")
Little early don’t you think? His biggest moves are in Congress and the Senate. After they get enacted we can decide. Then if he gets out of Gitmo and Iraq ,I will be pleased. Next escape Afghanistan. Much to do, so little time. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/achievement-wise-how-does-obama-compare-with-earlier-presidents/514515/3 "2009-10-20T19:56:24Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > Little early don’t you think? Isn’t that the point of the OP? In this early time-frame, where various parties are crying “incompetent! Ineffective!” and the like, how does he compare to the first nine months of other administrations? I, for one, would like to know how Chester Arthur stacks up. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/achievement-wise-how-does-obama-compare-with-earlier-presidents/514515/4 "2009-10-20T20:03:58Z")
I don’t have an indicator for past presidents, but a list of what he’s done (insofar as kept campaign promises) can be found here: > **[Obameter: Campaign Promises that are Promise Kept | PolitiFact](https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/obameter/rulings/promise-kept/)** > > PolitiFact is a fact-checking website that rates the accuracy of claims by elected officials and others on its Truth-O-Meter. I would also include compromises, since that’s what politics are about: > **[Obameter: Campaign Promises that are Compromise | PolitiFact](https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/obameter/rulings/compromise/)** > > PolitiFact is a fact-checking website that rates the accuracy of claims by elected officials and others on its Truth-O-Meter. But aside from that he got the stimulus through and is looking like he’ll get health care reform. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/achievement-wise-how-does-obama-compare-with-earlier-presidents/514515/5 "2009-10-20T20:16:50Z")
Obama has fallen behind Bush II in the race to get federal judges confirmed in the first nine months of their respective administrations: > [@](#): > > In his first nine months in office, Obama has won confirmation in the Democratic-controlled Senate for just three of his 23 nominations for federal judgeships, largely because Republicans used anonymous holds and filibuster threats to bring the pace of the proceedings to a crawl. > … > Some Republicans contend that the White House has hurt itself by its slow pace in sending over nominations for Senate consideration. Bush sent 95 names to the Senate in the same period that Obama has forwarded 23 nominees. [Judicial nominations moving at slow pace](http://www.philly.com/inquirer/world_us/20091018_Judicial_nominations_moving_at_slow_pace.html) ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/achievement-wise-how-does-obama-compare-with-earlier-presidents/514515/6 "2009-10-20T20:32:00Z")
He has had a lot of problems to deal with. He had an economic crisis to deal with and 2 wars to get his hands wrapped around. I can see why he has not had an opportunity to deal with the judges yet. He still has to grapple with regulating the financial thieves. The generals ,(surprise) want more troops in Afghanistan. He has big burner problems. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/achievement-wise-how-does-obama-compare-with-earlier-presidents/514515/7 "2009-10-20T20:40:50Z")
He deftly managed the DTV switch in his first weeks in office, so there’s that too. ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/achievement-wise-how-does-obama-compare-with-earlier-presidents/514515/8 "2009-10-20T21:42:15Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > Obama has fallen behind Bush II in the race to get federal judges confirmed in the first nine months of their respective administrations: > [Judicial nominations moving at slow pace](http://www.philly.com/inquirer/world_us/20091018_Judicial_nominations_moving_at_slow_pace.html) He is also seriously behind on vacations and brush clearing. ETA: He has also failed to make Dan Quail seem smart, Nixon seem honest, nor Reagan seem competent. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/achievement-wise-how-does-obama-compare-with-earlier-presidents/514515/9 "2009-10-20T21:44:54Z")
Well, he’s doing a hell of a lot better than William Henry Harrison, that’s for sure. ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Pedant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@Chief\_Pedant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Pedant)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/achievement-wise-how-does-obama-compare-with-earlier-presidents/514515/10 "2009-10-20T22:00:17Z")
I understand he was awarded the Nobel Prize (!) while I was out hiking around Ladakh. If “achievement-wise” includes being a passive recipient of a back-patting, that makes him the champion pattee, as far as I can remember. Now if by “achievement-wise” you mean accomplishments that make a lasting positive difference in the world, well wouldn’t we need to wait a while to get to the “lasting” part (and for that matter, get some sort of perspective on the “positive” part)? Congratulating him at this point for anything is a disease of sycophantic back-slappers and fawning Nobel-type committees, neither of which is Mr Obama’s fault. However the world seems full of folks who seem to confuse plaques with achievements. Certainly my own corporate world is a testament to that. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2009, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/achievement-wise-how-does-obama-compare-with-earlier-presidents/514515/11 "2009-10-22T17:28:08Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > Isn’t that the point of the OP? Give that man a Nobel Peace Prize! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2009, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/achievement-wise-how-does-obama-compare-with-earlier-presidents/514515/12 "2009-10-22T21:42:46Z")
You can’t really do a comparison like this. For one, it isn’t really all that important what a President has done at X point in his Presidency, it’s more about the totality of his impact. That isn’t something that I feel can be properly analyzed until years after the fact. There’s an inevitable lens of politics in looking at recent history.