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Enemies list
===Declining popularity===
===Declining popularity===
[[File:Obama total approval august 7 2009.jpg|right|300px|center]]
In the wake of the [[financial collapse of 2008]], Obama initially enjoyed the goodwill and moderate approval ratings of Americans. The growing perception of Obama's [[socialism|far left]] agenda marked a reversal of trends particularly after the "Gates flap."<ref>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/30/AR2009073004097.html</ref> [[Harvard]] Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. was arrested on [[misdemeanor]] disturbance charges. Prof. Gates told the arresting officer, "Do you know who I am?" Gates was a personal friend of Obama.<ref>http://gretawire.blogs.foxnews.com/2009/07/23/police-and-president-obama/comment-page-2/?action=late-new</ref> When asked about the incident at a press conference, Obama charged the arresting officer with "acting stupidly." Polls shortly after revealed Obama's personal popularity and approval ratings declined significantly across the board, on every major subject and among all demographic groups.<ref>http://people-press.org/report/532/obamas-ratings-slide</ref>
In the wake of the [[financial collapse of 2008]], Obama initially enjoyed the goodwill and moderate approval ratings of Americans. The growing perception of Obama's [[socialism|far left]] agenda marked a reversal of trends particularly after the "Gates flap."<ref>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/30/AR2009073004097.html</ref> [[Harvard]] Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. was arrested on [[misdemeanor]] disturbance charges. Prof. Gates told the arresting officer, "Do you know who I am?" Gates was a personal friend of Obama.<ref>http://gretawire.blogs.foxnews.com/2009/07/23/police-and-president-obama/comment-page-2/?action=late-new</ref> When asked about the incident at a press conference, Obama charged the arresting officer with "acting stupidly." Polls shortly after revealed Obama's personal popularity and approval ratings declined significantly across the board, on every major subject and among all demographic groups.<ref>http://people-press.org/report/532/obamas-ratings-slide</ref>
Obama worked hard to court in 2008. The respected Pew Research Center noted "Some of the larger declines are among members of his own party."
Obama worked hard to court in 2008. The respected Pew Research Center noted "Some of the larger declines are among members of his own party."
==Enemies list==
In July 2009 suspicisions arose over reports the Obama administration was creating a network of informants and was keping an enemies list. In a letter to President Obama, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, expressed serious concern about the White House's new program requesting Americans to forward email chains and other communications opposing the President's [[health care reform]] policies. Sen. Cornyn is seeking assurances that the program is being carried out in a manner consistent with the First Amendment and America's tradition of free speech and public discourse.
Sen. Cornyn's letter also inquires about the collection of names, email addresses, IP addresses, and private speech of U.S. citizens that will be reported, which raises the specter of a data collection program.
{{Cquote|I am not aware of any precedent for a President asking American citizens to report their fellow citizens to the White House for pure political speech that is deemed ‘fishy' or otherwise inimical to the White House's political interests. You should not be surprised that these actions taken by your White House staff raise the specter of a data collection program. As Congress debates health care reform and other critical policy matters, citizen engagement must not be chilled by fear of government monitoring the exercise of [[free speech]] rights.<ref>http://cornyn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ForPress.NewsReleases&ContentRecord_id=ebc2c77d-802a-23ad-4ae4-6ccf4c7a255c</ref>}}
==Published criticism==
==Published criticism==