A Turn?

Have we reached the point where the course being followed by America has actually turned?  For a long time we have been told that the country is like an enormous ship and the president has only a small rudder with which to change the course.  He can turn the rudder sharply one way or the other, but the ship will continue in pretty much the same direction without much change.  So now, I am wondering if the efforts by president Obama have managed to fundamentally alter the direction of this country.  Sadly, I think that the answer is yes.

First of all, Obama has managed to keep the economy from rebounding quickly from the recession.  We are still in a stagnant economic mess.  There are few bright spots in the economy.  Everyone is feeling the pain.

Second, Obama has managed to impose limitations which he would call environmental restrictions but which an insightful observer would call the destruction of the coal industry and a move towards higher cost energy.

Third, Obama has managed to destroy the respect of other countries for the USA and to substantially weaken our place in the world.  America's pre-eminent position is not as far out front as it used to be.

These are not minor changes.  For Obama they are positives.  For most Americans, however, they are major negatives.  They will not be easy to undo.