When I turned to the opinions page Monday and saw another poll had been posted I actually laughed. Not just because I had a well-deserved, private “I told you so” moment, but also because the Crimson White posed such a generic and meaningless question. I am referring to “How do you think President Obama has performed in his first two years as president?” Students overwhelmingly admitted that President Obama has, in fact, “not lived up to their expectations.” You think?

Running on the promises of “hope and change” with very few specific goals lets voters’ imaginations run wild. We all remember the sound bite of a woman in tears because she was so happy Obama was going to pay for her groceries and gas.

As my friends know, I am not exactly what one would call an Obama supporter; however, I can’t help feeling that Obama is being unfairly criticized— even if it is his own fault. When he allowed his cult of personality to eclipse the reality of the task set before him, he effectively limited his presidency to one term. There was simply no way he could live up to all of the promises his voters created in their own minds, and it’s a shame that he won based on these fantasies.

It is also a shame that he is not being properly criticized for real issues such as a completely unacceptable deficit and stagnant unemployment rates. Hopefully the right will learn from his mistake and I will not have to vote for Sarah Palin in 2012.

Ross Owens is a junior majoring in anthropology and German.