Three Weeks into his Presidency, Obama Ponders Second Term
"I expect to be judged by results," said the president at a town hall meeting here. "I'm not going to make any excuses. If stuff hasn't worked and people don't feel like I've led the country in the right direction, then you'll have a new president."
It shows that thoughts of a second term loom large even three weeks into a president's first term.
Mr. Obama was responding to a question from a member of the audience who asked if the American people have the patience to let the stimulus plan produce results. The questioner never mentioned re-election.
The president agreed that patience is required but he thinks the American people understand "that we didn't get into this fix overnight and we're not going to get out of it overnight."
"I have great faith in the American people and their basic wisdom," said Mr. Obama – confident the reverse is true as well.
He faced questions that transformed him into advisor to the homeless and job counselor.
He heard from a woman who said she was unemployed and lived in her car. She said she'd have to wait two years to get a place in which to live from the local housing authority.
"We need our own kitchen and our own bathroom," she pleaded. "Please help."
"We're going to do everything we can to help you," said the president, "but there are a lot of people like you." Later in the day, a White House spokesman said the woman had been put in touch with the housing authority director.
In another exchange, a young man complained that he's been working at McDonald's for 4½ years and he wanted the president's help in getting better job benefits.
Knowing of no executive action he could take, Mr. Obama took a stab at trying to make the guy feel better about himself.
"The fact that you are working as hard as you're working at a job that I know doesn't always pay as well as some other jobs, I think that's a source of pride for you."
And the president said his stimulus plan may help.
"You will actually benefit from the tax breaks that we're talking about, so you'll be able to keep a little bit extra money, because we're going to offset your payroll tax. That's going to help."
The young man, named Julio, said he's attending college and is studying communications. He wants to be a broadcaster – perhaps a disc jockey.
Complimenting Julio on his communications skills, the president again returned to his stimulus plan.
"We want to make it easier for you to afford going to college by giving you this refundable tax credit for your tuition."
To hear the president tell it, there's not much his stimulus plan can't do.
It was his second Town Hall Meeting in as many days. He does a third one on Thursday in Illinois.
Mark Knoller is a CBS News White House Correspondent.