So how is Obama doing after 8 months on the job, professionally that is?

The title of a recently released Yahoo! article aiming to answer this question is "He's the only we've got; Obama at eight months". This statement has an air of exasperation as if to say 'If he's doing well, then great, but if we made the wrong choice back on November 4, 2008, that's too bad for us because we can't change presidents FOR THE NEXT 4 YEARS'. This is not exactly a statement of confidence.

The most important sentence, to start off at least, is: "Eight months into his presidency, he is not the hero who will fix all the problems NOR IS HE THE VILLAIN THAT CAUSED THEM". The same can be said for a lot of people.

A far more contentious sentence is "In his short tenure, he has had his share of victories - Sonia Sotomayor's SMOOTH (?) Supreme Court confirmation and QUICK PASSAGE (?) of the economic stimulus measure, for example". These are two VERY BAD/LOUSY examples. Only 3 Republicans supported the oft-revised US$787 billion economic stimulus package and that only came about after much partisan bickering and cutting out "pet projects",so it was not "quick". Also, Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation was anything but "smooth" (Jeff Sessions, the Ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, had some pretty strong criticism).

The first comment came from Derek Duffee, as he sipped a cup of coffee: "No one is satisfied with the state of the country". PERHAPS this guy really doesn't support Obama or PERHAPS it was too early in the morning when he was summoned for the interview. After all, he was drinking coffee and people USUALLY drink coffee to give themselves a shot of energy/adrenaline, early in the morning. "I DON'T KNOW if what he's doing will work, BUT HE'S TRYING". OK if the last part of Duffee's statement is anything to go by, we can safely say that although he's skeptical, he's TRYING TO GIVE Obama some credit for what the president has accomplished in his brief tenure.

According to Dan Moschetta, a 22-year-old recent college graduate, "He stepped into a time when there were probably the most problematic things going on. IF HE COULD GET TO ALL THE ISSUES, I'D SAY HE WAS SUPERMAN". The key sentence is "He stepped into a time when there were probably the most problematic things going on". No one is perfect. So Moschetta gives Obama a lot of credit.

According to 19-year-old college sophomore Mary Lesniewski, as she read a book at Franciscan University, "I'm scared". OK, she may have been thinking more about her upcoming class or exam than the question she was being asked. Does she think the economic crisis will be over bhy the time she graduates? " WITH THE HELP OF GOD, maybe". Experts are saying that the economy may recover this year (i.e. 2009), but Lesniewski clearly seems to be doubtful. Here's a young woman who apparently doesn't have much faith in Obama.

So young peoples' opinions of Obama are now mixed, a drastic change from the patterns seen on election day, when the president won a large majority of the youth vote. They still seem be holding out hope however, that the future may be brighter. Now, what are elderly folks saying? According to Phil Axworthy, a 58-year-old software developer taking a coffee break in Pittsburgh's Market Square, "This is really a whole new chapter in the state of America AND THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN DO except keep doing what we've been doing AND HOPE IT GETS BETTER". This man obviously doesn't have a lot of faith in Obama. However we must note this guy's age. He's 58 so maybe Obama is still more appealing to young people.

According to 53-year-old Bill Marroulis, a recently laid off security guard, "Dude didn't create a lot of this mess". Translation: this is not all Obama's fault. However, having said that, "IT MAY BE THE NEXT PRESIDENT'S TIME". Forget "may" which seems tentative. "It may be the next president's time" is much more significant because with this statement, Marroulis is suggesting that Obama will not last more than one term.

According to 54-year-old Donna Schwinghammer, the owner of a home decor shop, "I'm just afraid it's a band-aid". Translation: Obama's proposals/initiatives are only temporary. "IF the things he did to spark the economy do that and hold, I'll be the first one to say (that) he was right in what he did", but that's a very big "If". So Schwinghammer is not confident about Obama's performance/ability to lead.

According to 57-year-old Peter Marx, owner of a used bookstore, "THE SOCIALIST APPROACH of government solving all the problems AND CONTROLLING INDUSTRY AND CONTROLLING FINANCE, THAT'S NOT THE WAY TO CONTINUED GREATNESS". This is such a negative/bleak/dour remark. "He won", but the competition is unfair: Obama CAN'T LOSE.

According to 51-year-old golfer Mark Wheitendorf, "I HAVEN'T SEEN MUCH CHANGE".  This is the most damning criticism of Obama in this entire report: Obama was elected for change and Wheitendorf is saying that not much has changed since Mr. Obama took office. However, after eating breakfast, Wheitendorf added that "I hope he does well. He is the president". This statement should be a signal for Obama that people are watching and following his every move as "the president".

So what's the bottom line on Obama. The last sentence in this report is fitting/perfect: "In an eight month presidency (out of four years), IT'S TOO SOON to say which way it will go". Or for those who prefer a more casual way of talking 'It's for President Obama to know and for the rest of us to find out'.