President Obama’s Promises

President Obama's Promises
President Obama's Promises

Well Senator, you did it. Honestly, it was probably inevitable. You were an amazingly charismatic African-American senator who picked the right campaign theme in the right year. You trounced McCain. I’ll admit it. You won, and you won handily. With style. Good for you.

Now, however, I’d like to remind you of a small detail: your campaign promises.

Candidates make lots of promises (read my lips: no taxes) on the stump, yet somehow forget them in the White House. Even you forgot your promise to “run a different kind of campaign” (though honestly, McCain is no better). Now, I’d like to take some time to remind you of just a few of your promises.

Note: This list WILL be updated with promises kept or broken

Foreign Policy
Domestic Policy
  • Universal health care by end of first term – May 2007
  • Ethics reform (restrictions on lobbying) – June 2007 – Kept November 2008
  • Merit pay for teachers – July 2007
  • Sign Freedom of Choice Act – July 2007
  • Net neutrality – October 2007
  • Assault gun ban – October 2007 – Broken April 2009
  • Lobbyists “won’t work in my White House” – December 2007 – Broken January 2009 (thanks to Rusty S!)
  • Health care benefits for vets – December 2007
  • Financial aid to homeowners ($10 billion) – January 2008
  • Credit card bill of rights – January 2008
  • Will create searchable earmarks website – February 2008
  • No public financing – February 2008 – Broken October 2008
  • Small business support – February 2008
  • Dedication to homosexual activity (don’t read this the wrong way ;-D) – March 2008
  • Gay employment bill – April 2008
  • Raise cap on payroll tax for 3% of earners over $102,000 – April 2008
  • Raise $97K cap on payroll tax exempting earnings under $250K – April 2008
  • Roll back Bush tax cuts – April 2008 – In jeopardy November 2008 (thanks to Rusty S!)
  • Regulating oil industry (Enron loop) – June 2008
  • Helping college student loans (a $4,000 tax credit to help pay tuition and fees in exchange for 100 hours of community service. The campaign said the program would cost $10 billion a year) – June 2008
  • $10 billion for early childhood education – June 2008
  • 10% “universal mortgage credit” to homeowners who don’t itemize on their tax return – June 2008
  • $150 billion a year for ten years to reduce dependency on foreign oil – June 2008
  • Give American mayors more spending (“National Infrastructure Reinvestment Bank” at a cost of $60 billion over 10 years) – June 2008
  • Windfall profits tax – July 2008 – Broken December 2008 (thanks to Steve!)
  • No NASA cuts – August 2008
  • 1 Million Plug-in Hybrids by 2015 – August 2008
  • Shuttle after 2010 – August 2008
  • $1000 energy rebates – August 2008
  • Will go line by line to check for unnecessary spending – September 2008 – Broken February 2009 (thanks to Derek!)
  • Tax cuts for 95% of Americans, anyone under $75,000 October 2008
  • Not a single tax increase for Americans making under $250,000 – October 2008 – Broken February 2009 (thanks to Derek!)
  • Raise minimum wage to $9.50 – November 2008
  • 2.5 million jobs by January 2011 – November 2008
  • Appoint Republicans to Cabinet – November 2008 – Kept December 2008 (thanks to Stubie!)
  • No smoking in White House – December 2008
  • All non-emergency legislation will be open for public comment on Whitehouse.gov for 5 days – January 2009 – Broken January 2009
  • Taxes done in less than five minutes – No date
What I want from you

There are many more that I couldn’t find sources for as well. Basically, what I’m trying to show is that you’ve made lots of promises.

I disagree with about 95% of your promises. However, I want to see one thing: if you’re really as honest as all your supporters say you are. Your entire campaign was built around hope, change, and by extension, honesty. Let’s see you do it.

I want you, the reader, to submit as many promises, broken and kept, to me via the contact page, or leave a comment below.

It’s bipartisan. If you’re a conservative, you can prove how dishonest Obama is. If you’re a liberal, you can prove how honest Obama is. Shall we begin?