(I would also be interested in how you rationalise your earlier assertions that Obama’s economic policies are completely wrong with this current adulation re a potentially “great” president. I’m probably being ‘picky’ but it does suggest a lack of perspective regarding the broader political processes that distiguesh between election and post-election policies.)

Of more importance is Obama’s capacity to translate dreams into reality. The two significant decisions made which may give a pointer to the future have been his appointments – Emanual as his chief-of-staff and his black attorney-general with the Clinton background. Both very good decisions.
More broadly, Obama will prove to be centrist-left president – in fact the only people who suggest otherwise are the loonies who occasionally post on Catallaxy.
Whether he will prove to be a great president lies well into the future. Such Presidents are rare but the conditions are right to enable such a future evaluation of Obarma – two wars, a major economic crisis, climate change, the US ‘damaged goods’international image, etc.
I think it was Bill Clinton who observed that you can never be a ‘great’ president unless your election coincides with adverse national circumstances!

I like intelligence in political leaders. I think Obama has it.

But look at this nonsense. It is all over the US.

I know all these things are true because I read them on the Republican web sites during the campaign.