It's different after taking office for Obama
Candidate Obama - the day I take office I will immediately stop funding the war in Iraq and begin troop withdrawal.
President Obama - we must support our troops and we cannot remove them because the different factions there would be in a civil war within days. A force of at least 50,000 will be required to maintain peace (for a very, very long time).
Candidate Obama - the day I take office I will shut Guantanamo prison and release all the innocent men held there.
President Obama - we can't close Gitmo because the people there are so dangerous that even their own countries don't want them. We can't release them here because they would kill every American they saw.
Candidate Obama - there will be no eavesdropping of phone calls of American citizens when I take office.
President Obama - we must "monitor" some calls for the security of our country (in other words just like Bush and Cheney).
Media's assessment - a terrible president has been replaced by a great president.
A more realistic view - a very naive but well-meaning candidate has had to grow up in a hurry to understand the awesome responsibility a president has. He is doing the very same things that he so vigorously criticized George Bush for doing.
Bob Lowth
Arlington Heights