There are many polls being bandied about which purport to show the most urgent concerns of the American People. Polls, like statistics, can be (and often are) used to either bolster a position, or to tear it down. These “focused” polls ask what are termed “closed-ended” questions: On this particular issue do you prefer choice A, or choice B?

A recent CBS/New York Times poll, asked “open-ended” questions about what Americans feel are the most important issues and problems facing our nation today i.e., “right now.” The results are neither shocking, nor unexpected, and point out that the economy, creating jobs, and the war in Iraq are the top concerns, with everything else polling in single digits (except the undefined “other,” which are the combined, more narrowly focused, issues that accounted for less than 2% each).

http://www.pollingreport.com/prioriti.htm

Those who give President Obama a failing grade, and openly deride him, for not immediately addressing their more narrow personally-defined priorities, appear to be in the same camp (different tent) as those neoconservative Republicans who harbor similar sentiments about President Obama (that he is “off to a bad start”):

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/15/obama.gop.stimulus/index.html

After less than one-month in office, President Obama has moved swiftly to address those issues on which he campaigned, and which most Americans consider to be the top priorities facing our nation:

In his first few days in office, Obama issued executive orders and presidential memoranda reversing President Bush's ban on federal funding to foreign establishments that allow abortions (known as the Mexico City Policy and referred by critics as the "Global Gag Rule"), changed procedures to promote disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, directed the U.S. military to develop plans to withdraw troops from Iraq, and reduced the secrecy given to presidential records. He also issued orders closing Guantanamo Bay detention camp "as soon as practicable and no later than" January 2010.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obama

President Obama, and the new Democratic Congress, also passed a sweeping (but somewhat Republican-diluted) Economic Stimulus Package for the American People after less than one-month in office. His commitment to fulfilling his campaign promises, and his demonstrated leadership skills are thus far extraordinary when compared to past administrations – both Democratic and Republican.

For those of you who disagree with what the majority of Americans, and President Obama, view as the most pressing priorities facing our nation right now, at this particular point-in-time, you may want to consider taking a more supportive role, while continuing the fight for what we all believe in. We still have at least four years, and hopefully eight years, to accomplish our other goals.

We Liberal Democrats, and those who consider themselves Progressives, have never seen eye-to-eye on every issue, but one: the determination to ensure that ALL Americans are represented equally.