# Word on the street: How's Obama doing? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 18, 2009, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-on-the-street-hows-obama-doing/496825 "2009-05-18T05:06:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2009, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-on-the-street-hows-obama-doing/496825/41 "2009-05-18T23:29:45Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > I believe **Clothahump** is referring to giving PM Gordon Brown a set of DVDs as a present upon their first meeting, while Brown gave Obama something considerably more refined. What some people (like Clothahump) don’t seem to understand about the gift of DVDs is that they weren’t JUST DVDs. They were chosen specifically by the American Film Institute to highlight the best of the best of American film. He wasn’t giving “DVDs” he was giving a gift of important American culture. Some people act like he was presenting a bunch of cheapo DVDs bought at Blockbuster from the pre-viewed bin, and were titles like Die Hard 3 or Ace Ventura. They weren’t. They were GOOD films, GREAT films, of all genres, reflecting American achievement in film. As a film lover, I thought it was a very thoughtful and unique gift. And while I’m at it, all-region DVD players are ubiquitous in the UK, so it wasn’t a gaffe that they were meant for Region 1. If the Prime Minister couldn’t play them, and we don’t know that for sure, it would have been an odd occurrence. But then, some people will bitch no matter what, but there you have it. [QUOTE=Clothahump] General consensus that I’m hearing… [/QUOTE] We know who you hang out with, so I’m not surprised. General consensus that _I’m_ hearing is that while he’s not pleasing everybody, he’s doing a phenomenal job of attempting to clean up Bush’s mess, that he cares and wants to do the right thing, generally has so far, is willing to change his mind if something’s not working, and is light years ahead of where McCain would be at this point. Also that he always has good reasons for doing what he does, reasons that may not be clear to everyone yet, but that will become clear and almost always turn out to be the right choice, even if it initially caused an uproar even among his own base. [QUOTE=Clothahump] …badmouth America to the four corners of the earth. With 45 months to go… [/QUOTE] He didn’t badmouth America, and you have a typo there. “45” should be “93.” On a more general level, 66% of Americans approve of how President Obama is handling his job, according to the latest [Gallup poll](http://www.gallup.com/poll/118306/Obama-Approval-Picks-Up-May.aspx). ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-on-the-street-hows-obama-doing/496825/42 "2009-05-19T00:01:09Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > And while I’m at it, all-region DVD players are ubiquitous in the UK, so it wasn’t a gaffe that they were meant for Region 1. If the Prime Minister couldn’t play them, and we don’t know that for sure, it would have been an odd occurrence. I’ve mentioned this repeatedly here (although I can’t recall if it was to **Clothahump** specifically). I’ve got a multi-region player and it didn’t cost me much; I’m guessing the PM will have one around the place somewhere too. > [@](#): > > But then, some people will bitch no matter what, but there you have it. Well yes. > [@](#): > > He didn’t badmouth America There seems to be a view amongst a certain subset of the population that anything short of bellowing “USA! USA! USA!” into the faces of foreign people constitutes a form of appeasement. Obama, in contrast, is trying softer forms of diplomacy. So far it seems to be working. The long term, however, is the long term, and history will tell. ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-on-the-street-hows-obama-doing/496825/43 "2009-05-19T01:06:40Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Considering that that’s the only nice thing my dad has said of any Democrat since Carter, I’d say that the word on the street for Obama is pretty good. Your hyperconservative fundie father said nice things about Carter? ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-on-the-street-hows-obama-doing/496825/44 "2009-05-19T02:33:54Z")
There are no gallows at the end of Wall Street. There is as yet no criminal investigation of Bush’s torture program. Health care reform is looking to be half-assed at best. Obama’s about what I expected. He’s a big improvement on rape-and-pillage Republicanism, but he’s no one to write home to mom about. I expect the nation needs a few more years of corporatism before we’ll get a properly left-leaning leader. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-on-the-street-hows-obama-doing/496825.md?page=2)