Congratulations to America's re-elected President Barack Obama

If you read my blog, you already know how I feel. Congrats, President Obama! I am mighty happy and enormously proud that I got to take place in yet another historic victory for you! History has been made once again.

Sensationalism

written by: stacia_doss.

TLC's "Breaking Amish" Cast (via the TLC website)

The definition of sensation (according to good ol' Merriam-Webster) is "arousing or tending to arouse (as by lurid details) a quick, intense, and usually superficial interest, curiosity, or emotional reaction." This is what we, as Americans, love. We love the documentation of "reality TV." Yes, even when that reality is quite pseudo, something about the drama and excitement of it makes us continue to watch. I found myself doing so the other day as I watched "Breaking Amish," TLC network's reality show that documents young adults who seemingly have recently broken free from their Amish (and Mennonite) communities to live life as the "English" (as they call it) in New York City. I started looking up information about the characters and all that appeared was that it was not as real as I had hoped, and TLC admitted it. These people were not-so-new to the world outside of the communities in which they were brought up, but had been away for some time. But did I stop watching the show? No. I continued...I liked the drama of it. I liked the sensationalism that TLC was trying to bring and it piqued my curiosity. 

Look at the presidential debates. People are drawn to the drama of it all and if there is not much action, we typically are not that interested. Things could get boring for many. Yes, the debates are important. I know that. However, the media focus has been the "aggressiveness" and drama of the past two debates. Does it really matter who interrupts the most or who speaks the loudest? Of course not! The issues are what matters, and fortunately for the Americans, the debates give them a chance to hear both. The "winner" according to polls is usually the "most aggressive," rather than who said the most words that were actually meaningful and cohesive together. The concept of a debate is basically an argument, so there you get both. It's more dramatic to watch the demeanor of the candidates on television, but hearing it on the radio can be just as "exciting." Have you ever thought about it that way? People get so anxious and aroused to hear candidates call each other out on issues. A sense of excitement nearly overcomes them. I guarantee you that the highlight and the most remembered moments of last week's vice presidential debate was the laughter and sarcastic smirks of Vice President Joe Biden. I am not saying he was not making some great points, but that was the most sensational aspect of the debate. It brought a hint of drama.

My sister sent me a video today. "You have to watch this," she said. She was in disbelief that I had not seen this viral video, so I checked it out. It was part of what inspired this post. (Before you click, the language in the video burned my ears. It may be better to watch it on mute.) Here is the video. It was ridiculous, right? But it wasn't so much the main point of the video that made me think, it was the fact that there is a video. When we see anything exciting or dramatic unfolding before our eyes, many of us reach for our phones to proceed to take photos and record. It looks as if someone in the video got closer to the drama to film his or her own version.Why?! Is it just a human instinct to be drawn to these types of things? Beware that any type of "fight" or dispute that makes others uncomfortable is likely going to be documented by some onlooker around you. 

I challenge you to think...what is it about us that makes us this way? I am pretty sure it has not always been this way. What do you think? I'd like to know.

Define charisma.

Article by:stacia_doss.

charisma[kuh-riz-muh]

1. Theology. a divinely conferred gift or power.

2. a spiritual power or personal quality that gives an individual influence or authority over large numbers of people.

3. the special virtue of an office, function, position, etc., that confers or is thought to confer on the person holding it an unusual ability for leadership, worthiness of veneration, or the like.

This is the noun commonly used to describe a quality possessed by our current president, Mr. Barack Obama. I’d say that (looking at the definition), it’s a pretty accurate term.

I’m a very open-minded person, so I’m interested in hearing various viewpoints. I may not agree and I may get frustrated at the opinions of others. Nonetheless, I listen to them…

With that being said, I have watched a couple of the Republican debates. Though I’ve missed most of them, I have refreshed myself after just about every one of them with recaps of the events from the night before amongst the GOP. I was not impressed by any of them.

All that I saw was a slew of candidates with some pretty harsh attacks toward one another who couldn’t agree on much of anything except for this clear intent: "Obama" needs to be out of the White House. They represented a divided party, and as potential candidates have dropped out, they haven’t even been unanimously endorsing the same sole candidate. (Huntsman endorses Romney, Perry endorses Gingrich, Cain endorses...uh..."the people")

Bottom line, when I look at the potential Republican nominees, I see nothing but wealthy candidates who seek POWER and a “title” with hardly any concrete plans for the country and little to no ability to relate to the average American at all. They pretty much just stand for “getting Obama out.” Do we know anything else about these candidates? I mean, personally, what do we know about them outside of their record on politics, their religious beliefs and their families. Do we know who they are as real people? Do they even know who they, themselves, are? Artificial is all I see.

President Obama is like no other candidate I’ve seen or witnessed in my lifetime or have read about in my history books. We know him, or at least we feel like we do. That, my friends is a very comforting quality. As a product of multiracial parents, he represents the “Melting Pot” we call America, meaning he can relate to so many of us. He also has experience working with real people…real Americans, not just being someone’s wealthy boss and “firing” people (as one of the GOP mentioned he liked having the ability to do).

Every time he expresses his opinion or shows his humorous/outgoing side… (the real him), he is criticized by “haters” and naysayers who blame him solely for them not having a job and the country’s current economic state. “He’s not funny.” “He should be creating jobs, not telling jokes.” When I read these types of comments, they make me shake my head and they irritate me….which is why I try my very best to not read them under articles and posts. However, like I said, I force myself to hear and read the opinions of everyone anyway.

He’s probably the “realest” candidate this country has ever seen, and he’s human. I guess POLITICS and only things involving POLITICS should be the only words that ever come out of his mouth, huh?

Give the guy a break. (People would even have a negative comment about that sentence)He does his job, he compromises and still stands his ground, all while giving us a piece of who he really is. I can’t say America has ever seen that, and I hope that we will continue to for the next 4 years.

I know this is long, and there are probably things I should have said and didn't but I'll end it here.

Thank you for being a friend.

Funny funny.

Vegas, President Obama, and Silence.

 written by: stacia_doss.

*Cracks knuckles*

Its been a while since I’ve written an entry. I apologize to any followers of this blog who’ve been anticipating a new post, but life has been so busy lately!

I want to talk about…politics.

Remember this ignorant statement made by Rep. Joe Walsh (R-IL) a while back: “Media protect Obama because he is black, liberal?” For nearly a year, if not more, most of the news reports I’ve seen have been negatively reflected upon President Obama. And no, I’m not just talking about Fox News and other conservative news and radio stations or publications. I am referencing ALL of them.

That baloney statement was made by Rep. Walsh in September.  While negative Obama articles, polls, and general reports continued to hit the web, television, radio, and the steps of Americans across the country, no one seemed to refute his statement. Of course, the evidence was right there in front of you through all of those mediums, but earlier this week, I finally saw actual proof of the opposite in this study released by CBS (and the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism). The title: “Study finds harsh media coverage for Obama.” Well, DUH!?

My mind is open to hearing what all the candidates have to say. So I took the time to watch the bickering and arguing on the Western Republican Presidential Debate that aired Tuesday night on CNN, which took place in Las Vegas, Nevada. No one seemed to be able to say anything about the future. Each candidate seemed to only be focusing on themselves and each others’ pasts, (especially Mitt Romney and Rick Perry...and Mitt Romney and____well, basically anyone else who was on stage). Except for Herman Cain, of course, defending his 9-9-9 plan, and Michelle Bachmann who seemed to do nothing but continue to go off a long list of how terrible and evil President Obama is. Buffoonery at its best occurred within the time frame that I watched the debate, and to sum it up, CNN’s David Gergen, among others said “The Obama campaign was the winner of tonight’s debate.”

Back to my original topic: the media. It amazes me how easily people are swayed by the media, but I’m starting to realize that Americans aren’t as gullible as television and various publications make them appear to be. Mostly every report I’ve seen (until a recent one aired on CBS) has shown people shouting out how much they dislike the President, he’s bad for this country, and so on…but what about those who are for him? I know they have to exist. Everyone can’t be anti-Obama, but they seem to be keeping their thoughts to themselves and out of the media’s reach. Various emails and pages run by members of the Obama campaign show supporters do exist and in large numbers, but does the media highlight that? No. Never underestimate the power of a silent voter. 

In the words of Confucius, “Silence is the true friend that never betrays.” 

America: A Hateful Country

article by: stacia_doss.
Over the past few weeks and really, since 2008, I have opened my mind to reading the numerous articles about President Barack Obama. I have read a few positive ones (mainly only on liberal newspaper websites and television network websites), but the majority that I have seen (lately) are negative.

To be completely honest, I did not completely desire for him to win the election in 2008, simply because of fear for his safety in the event that he was victorious. Now in 2011, a man with the world practically on his shoulders has been ridiculed and degraded by so many Americans who aren't in his position. It is a miracle that he hasn't broken down, and though internally, he may be emotionally, externally he still exhibits good composure.

With re-election right around the corner, predictions are about 50/50 as to whether or not the American people think President Obama will serve another four years as our country's leader. The Republicans still lack a strong candidate. Flaws and judgements made upon each one of them, (largely by their own voters), whether that be voting for or against a significant bill in the past or a "questionable" religious preference, still makes them considerably weak candidates against him.

However, with the debt ceiling being raised under a plan devised by a Republican, the blame is largely on the president. HE compromised where the other party did not, and fingers are once again being pointed in every direction. But at least five of them are directed at him. Look at these headlines:
"Where Obama went wrong"
"Would Hillary Clinton have been a better president than Obama?"
"GOP candidates slam Obama on US credit downgrade‎"

Just to name a few... Take a minute to read some articles. I won't provide any links. Just look them up for yourself. The comments underneath most articles reveal that most Americans (at least who get their news online) are against the president. But are people underestimating the power of a "silent voter?" One term or two term, no one deserves to be hated and disrespected as much as President Obama has and if getting away from that means proving himself within another four years or letting the chips fall in another's hands, I will be fine with either. 

Five Ways President Obama changed HER life..

I thought this video was interesting, so I'm sharing it. Nice to hear something positive about the leader of our country. I was able to catch last night's Presidential Address by President Obama announcing the "sooner than some expected" date for the withdrawal of troops. I am a little curious to see how this is going to work and the ultimate result it will have on the economy/families across the country. Hopefully it's just as positive as this woman's life has become.

What a waste of the President's time.

The state of Americans on the State of the Union

Courtesy of: zimbio.com

 article by:stacia_doss.
Aside from listening to the Republican Response and hearing from political analysts, I find that the best way for me to see what America thought of President Obama's State of the Union speech is through comments.

Many people like me now get their news "non-traditionally",meaning not from a newspaper at my front door or by cutting on the television. We look online. We read articles and comment.

From what I have seen from this Yahoo! article is a good variety of comments both for and against President Obama. However, those who didn't compose their own comments seemed to have said the most and showed the most disgust. What I'm saying is that there were several thumbs up on negative comments, and more thumbs down on the positive ones.

How about CNN? What Americans had to say about this article were generally in support of Obama's speech. But then again, CNN is often accused of having liberal bias.

So...what do I think?

I think it was a great State of the Union address, overall. There were a few things analysts mentioned prior to the speech that they said were "musts" for him to discuss, such as gun control and global warming. However, I feel he touched on very important issues...the issues that the majority of Americans feel are most vital at this time.

It was pretty predictable,(and I knew this before he even said a word), that many reactions would be negative. It doesn't matter what he or anyone else says that is positive, if things aren't happening as he speaks about them, some people are just not going to be convinced. Consequently, the false hope and promises the Republicans are making ( to completely oppose Obama) aren't any better than those the Democrats have promised and have yet made true. They just sound better to the American people right now because Republicans haven't had the chance to show us that most of their agenda can also not be done in the blink of an eye.

What I read from the comments were a lot of people saying that he was speaking on promises he can't keep..they almost read as if the speech should have never been made. Well, the point of the State of the Union address is to speak the truth with motivation and hope for a prosperous future. I feel he did that eloquently. Anyone in the position would have done the same..not a hopeless speech full of negative and hostile rhetoric. That wouldn't be very motivating, would it?

I'd like to know what you think.

A bunch of nothing...

written by:stacia_doss
So much has been going on politically and entertainment-wise, but I just haven't felt the need to comment on it. However, I must address a few things.

1) Repeal
2) American Idol
3) NFL

The House voted Wednesday to repeal President Obama's health care overhaul. But many say it is a waste of time. It is unlikely that it will pass in the Senate, and the president has vowed to veto it if it lands on his desk. So now I ask, what is the point? There are more than a dozen issues that should be addressed right now. It took forever for health care reform to pass in the first place. So why not try to change it? Republicans might be more successful with that strategy, but they don't seem to even want to consider that...

I boycotted against watching American Idol, which premiered this Wednesday night. With 2 new judges, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler, I wonder how the show has changed. (If you want to know my story with the show, read this.)

I have vowed not to watch NFL for a while. And if I do, I won't be cheering for anyone. During this season, I have placed myself in the position of so many other crazy fans across the world...emotionally upset over losses and terrible calls. Is it worth all that? I can honestly say, I've never felt as passionate about watching sports as I have this year. This is how I have grown to consume my time? I need to return to my old hobbies. Ha!

Oh yeah, I thought this kind of interesting...check it out: "What if John McCain had won the White House?"

Finger pointing in Arizona shooting

article by:stacia_doss.

                Pictured: Congresswoman Gabrielle
Giffords (D-Arizona)

If by some chance, you are uninformed about any sort of important news, you've yet to hear about the Tucson, Arizona shootings. Six were killed and 12 others were wounded Saturday when a gunman opened fire outside a grocery store in Tucson, where congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was holding a constituent meeting, police said.

Among casualties were the deaths of a nine-year old girl, and U.S. District Judge John Roll. The young girl was invited by Giffords to get a glimpse of the political process. Judge Roll had served for nearly 40 years and had been a chief judge for the District of Arizona since 2006, according to cnn.com.

Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head, but is said to be making good progress in her struggle towards recovery.

As the picture begins to come clear as to who the gunman was, 22-year old Jared L. Loughner of Tucson, many are pointing the finger at the Tea Party's use of volatile rhetoric to rowel up Americans like Loughner.

Both Judge Roll and Congresswoman Giffords, a democrat, had been threatened in the past for their support of issues revolving around support of civil-rights for illegal immigrants and "Obamacare", President Obama's health-care plan.

According to Caitie Parker, a young lady who claims to have been a former friend of Loughner's described him as a "left wing, quite liberal and oddly obsessed with the 2012 prophecy" . However, Giffords, the primary target, was a democrat.

No confirmed sources have proved what political affiliation Loughner was, yet the blame is being placed on both parties.

It is factual that Loughner appeared to be acting alone. Several reports have indicated his mental instability.

Honestly, it is an individual's own fault if he or she chooses to react irately to words, rulings, and otherwise. Regardless of Loughner's political affiliation, no one but him can be blamed for the brutal acts he committed on Saturday.

If he was in someway influenced by the recent hostile rhetoric between one party to the other, I only fear the emergence of copycats.

Christmas, taxes, and punt returns

written by:stacia_doss.
I think that Desean Jackson's (Philadephia Eagles WR)punt return against the New York Giants on Sunday was one of the most phenomonal plays I've seen in a while. If you haven't seen it..here it is.

After having the lead for most of the game, the Giants faltered to the Eagles with the help of their talented quarterback, Michael Vick. Desean Jackson simply put the icing on the cake with his 77 yard punt return.

But don't worry,(if you were wondering),Giants' punter Matt Dodge is still employed. He can't be totally blamed for the team's loss.

In other news, The Tennessee Titans were somehow able to snap a six game losing streak on Sunday in their second meeting against the Houston Texans. Tennessee closed the game out with a 31-17 victory. Good for them.

Good news pertaining me, and several other Americans is that President Obama signed a 'holiday-season tax bill extending cuts for all Americans' on Friday.

This sounds like a bill that will pretty much help all Americans and I'm glad he and the GOP could finally come to a compromise. I look forward to economic progress in the future.

If, by some chance, I don't get an opportunity to post between now and Christmas, have a Merry one, or a Happy "Whatever it is you choose to celebrate" Day! :)

Where's gridlock politics leave us? In the wind.

written by: stacia_doss.
Since the "shellacking" that President Barack Obama took a few short weeks ago--the switch of power in the House of Representatives from Democratic to Republican--the American people have seen no mercy and help for the suffering economy.

As the two go back and forth, failing to pass things that could help us, we are the ones suffering.

I just read an article...check out the headline..something about it seems wrong to me...

Democrats fail to pass jobless benefits extension

But as I read a little further, I realized that it was the House (which has Republican control) that failed to pass the extension, so why does the headline read like it was the fault of the Democrats? They don't even have enough power in the House of Representatives to really even make a difference anymore. I guess it is supposed to mean that "Democratic efforts fail to pass" but the headline is very misleading to me.

Check out this quote, from a Democrat:

"I don't see how Republicans can go home for Thanksgiving knowing that, because they blocked this bill, hundreds of thousands of people may not have a turkey on their table," said Democratic Representative Sander Levin, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.

I don't understand. The morning after the election, I wrote a piece stating that if these two parties could learn to work together for our sake (the American people) instead of going against everything, the country would be a lot better in several aspects. However, it seems like the Republican agenda is that of which I thought:To do absolutely nothing for the overall benefit of the country. Rather, the itinerary is nothing less than the slogan of "stop everything" but "do nothing". Sad day for us.

Presidential Stuff..I really like this.

President Barack Obama embraces First Lady Michelle Obama as they wait to speak at a rally on the campus of Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, Oct 17, 2010.

(Courtesy of jackandjillpolitics.com and White House photographer Pete Souza)

What were people doing yesterday that was better than voting?

article by:stacia_doss.
Tuesday night’s Midterm elections resulted in the Democrats losing control of the House, but retaining control of the Senate.

With Republican control of the House and Democratic control of the Senate, a long battle is foreseen for President Barack Obama, leading into the election of 2012.

But some think this change in House power could be just what President Obama needs to regain his positive rank.

According to an article on cnn.com, Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico (Dem.) said the following about the election before the voting results:

“The divided government result, if it happens, is good for the president, because he now has some potential enemies but he also has some potential partners to get things done where he didn't have them before."

On the other hand, with declining popularity, skepticism about his economic plans, and an “eroding base of support”, signs for 2012 re-election look ominous for President Obama, according to CBS.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My Take?

I see myself as much less of a skeptic, and more of a believer. I’m hoping and foreseeing that this (Republican power in the House) will have a reverse effect on the President.

I can’t be certain that the Democrats are on the right track for sure, but I can say with certainty that the Republican Party is forgetting that what is passed for the people in the Senate and House is for the benefit of the American people.

It’s not for the benefit of a specific party. I feel as if this midterm election resulted in a sense of satisfaction to have the opportunity to cease what has been done under the current leadership.

The agenda of both parties should be moving forward with the agenda of helping the American party, not battling against and reversing everything President Obama has done thus far. It’s silly and selfish to go in to 2011 thinking the latter, and I hope (for everyone’s sake) it is not their mindset.

Aside from the obvious issues in voters voting anti-Democratic this midterm, CBS found that the numbers that were huge in 2008, were diminished in this election. I think it was simply because of ignorance and voters not understanding the importance of yesterday’s midterm.

I was unable to vote, because I unfortunately missed the cut-off for absentee voting. I even tried to register in my new home state, but it was too late.

Those that I knew who didn’t vote that were registered and in their district were ignorant about what was going on. “What is it for?,” someone asked me. “What’s it about?”. All I could do was attempt to explain the importance of the election to them.

According to that same article mentioned earlier that CBS posted online:

-Young people between the ages of 18 and 29 comprised 18 percent of the electorate in 2008, but only 11 percent of the electorate in 2010.

-Union voters comprised 23 percent of the electorate in 2008, but only 17 percent in 2010.

-African Americans made up 13 percent of the electorate in 2008, but only 10 percent of the electorate in 2010.

Where was everyone yesterday who voted in 2008? If you had no setbacks, and stayed at home, why didn’t you vote?

Obama Administration: Was firing Shirley Sherrod wrong?

written by:stacia_doss.

This week, Shirley Sherrod, former Georgia Director for Rural Development for the U.S. Department of Agriculture,was fired by Thomas J. Vilsak, the Secretary of Agriculture, for former comments made to the NAACP.

The Background: Conservative Blogger, Andrew Breitbart , published an edited video on Monday, showing Sherrod speaking during an NAACP function. The clip showed her saying that when a white farmer had once asked her for help in saving his farm,she did not “give him the full force of what I could do” to help him, because of his race."

With the recent revealing of honest and blantant racism within the Tea Party, USDA(United States Department of Agriculture) fired Sherrod, with a non-tolerance attitude and justification for eliminating any speculation of reverse racism within the administration.

What the tape did not show was the rest of the speech, where Sherrod says that she did indeed help the white farmer and his wife in saving their farm.

My Take: The termination of Sherrod was hasty and unnecessary. I believe she should be re-instated. Her words were taken in part, not in full spectrum, and blown out of proportion. Had the administration seen the WHOLE video , it would have seen the entire story. No one should be fired off of an incomplete statement. It's simply not right or fair.

As I was watching the news last night, I saw the Georgia farmer and his wife that asked Sherrod for help all those years ago. They were thankful for what she had done, and stated that racism towards them was completely absent. She did everything in her power to help them.(Watch from this post) So why do the critics refuse to believe the opposite? Ignorance. It was just an attack to counteract the overwhelming recent discussion of the racist Tea party and diverge attention away from it.

Unnecessary questioning of Citizenship?

written by:stacia_doss.
I came across a link to this video on a political blog I visit often. You will find it interesting how many politicians cannot seem to make a clear, coherent statement as to a yes or no question. Check out THIS article.

My take: The first half of what the last Senator said, excluding the negative remarks are basically where I stand. A process of background checking was done-several months ago-on establishing the citizenship of all Presidential candidates and I trust that it was done and completed correctly. This kind of controversy has never been questioned post that background check of any Presidents before him, so why now? We may all know the unspoken answer, but it shall remain just that-unspoken.

Senate to make history with Sotomayor

article by: stacia_doss.
The Senate judiciary committee confirmed Judge Sonia Sotomayor this morning in a 13-6 vote. Of the 19, only one Republican, Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, voted in favor of confirmation.

The question on many minds lie at the root of the strong Republican opposition. The outcome of today's vote could soon make Sotomayor the first Hispanic Supreme Court justice. Is this historical, racial barrier-breaking event at all tied to race?

Several reports last week quoted Democratic Senator, Patrick Leahy, in saying "Stop the racial politics." The statement was intended towards the Republican party regarding its opposition in voting for Sotomayor.

"I'm deciding to vote for a woman I would not have chosen..America has changed for the better with her selection," said Senator Graham, justifying his vote. Opposing Republicans made comments stating that their opposition was a result of Sotomayor's lack of defense for justifying some of her previous statements, not race.

"There's not one example — let alone a pattern — of her ruling based on bias or prejudice or sympathy," said Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., the Judiciary Committee chairman. "She has administered justice without favoring one group of persons over another,"he stated, in opposition to a Republican consensus.

The entire Senate will soon vote on what is predicted to be confirmation for Sotomayor.

Additional Sources: The Daily News and Associated Press

American Pastimes:Baseball and Criticism

written by:stacia_doss.
Last night President Obama visited the city known for its Gateway Arch, Saint Louis. Just hours after he threw the first pitch in the baseball Allstar game, Americans were already criticizing him. He was a little short, and many said he doesn't have nearly as good of an arm as George W. Bush, but who cares? Honestly, how fair is it to link how someone throws a baseball to how they run the country?I'll let you decide.
On a nicer note, several articles shed light on Willie Mays, a
baseball legend who walked off the plane with Obama upon his Saint Louis arrival. He reportedly cried the night our current president was elected...tears of joy. It is touching to read how proud he was of Mr.Obama, along with his admiration for Mays, in return. "As you get older, it is harder to have heroes, but it is sort of necessary."-Earnest Hemingway

Will employment drops yield eventual employment?

article by:stacia_doss.

Less than a week after the close of June, several reports reguarding unemployment had already surfaced. The country's rate is now at 9.5 percent, the highest in 26 years.

While the worry of several Americans has been expressed to news stations across the country, President Obama has expressed reassurance and optimism."I'm absolutely confident that we can, at this period of difficulty, prove, once again, what this nation can achieve when challenged," Obama said.

Since the president took office over five months ago, the economy has seen the same, steady increase in joblessness. As unemployment continues to hit homes across the nation, however, some Americans are remaining optimistic."I think that people will eventually be employed again, but in different areas of employment," said a higher education employee and Saint Louis resident, Valerie Johnson. "They should take this time to prepare for other fields."

After being elected, Obama stressed that short term losses would lead to long term gains in this economic downfall. He reiterated that promise in his meeting in the Rose Garden early last week. While optimism seems less than rare in households across the country, others, like Johnson, are confident in the words of the President. To sum up the goals of President Obama, Johnson continued, "The economy is slowly reshaping itself."