Home » The Daily Scan

Barack Obama, B Student

October 02, 2012

US President Barack Obama's science report card is in, and it would appear that the chief executive of the US is something less than a straight-A student.

The Scientist recently surveyed experts from both sides of the political spectrum to get their views on how the president has done in five areas — health, environment, energy, science education, and space — since taking office.

The results? A mixed bag — with the administration winning As from the panelists in Science Education and Health; a B and B+ on Energy and the Environment, respectively; and a lowly C- on Space Science; giving him, all told, a 3.2 GPA — respectable, but not exactly Ivy League material.

The president scored particular plaudits for pushing through the Affordable Care Act and pressing for more funding for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics funding.

A roughly 20 percent cut to NASA's robotic planetary science program, on the other hand, dropped his Space grade to nearly failing. That cut, The Scientist says, "compelled the US to drop out of upcoming missions to bring back samples from the surface of Mars, even after the recent successful landing of the Curiosity rover captured the public imagination this summer."


Is there something below F

Submitted by cmnicolet on Tue, 10/02/2012 - 12:24.

Is there something below F for Romney?

Except, those who want jobs

Submitted by fadler on Tue, 10/02/2012 - 12:36.

Except, those who want jobs outside of academia in IVD and devices better hope that Obamacare is overturned so we don't get hit with a 2.3% excise tax on "revenues" not profits seriously hampering an industry that has historically a 5-10% pretax profit. And if a start up has revenue but no profit, Obamacare rips into that company takes money that could be used to grow. Obamacare was ill conceived and poorly executed. Get rid of it. Start over with several small bills not one huge mess.