I’ve decided to start putting together a regularly updated list of the criteria by which I will judge Obama’s first term in office (and, to a similar extent the Democratic majorities in Congress).

The following is my first attempt at it but I’d love it if people could add some other items for the scorecard in the comments. Have at it!

Measures to Gauge Success by 2012:

• Withdraw From Iraq – as in no combat troops in the country and no combat operations.
• Withdraw from Afghanistan – I know, it’s complex, but, still, being in Afghanistan after 10+ years is, nearly by definition, failure.
• Health Care Reform – My first choice would be a robust public option. If that doesn’t happen, we need to pass legislation that doesn’t make the situation worse (e.g., the “The Insurance Industry Profit Protection and Enhancement Act” that came out of the Senate Finance Committee), abolishes pre-existing conditions, prohibits rescission, requires insurance companies that receive government subsidies to spend the vast majority of it on actual health care (e.g. 85-90%) and achieves real cost control.
• Curb Carbon Emissions - We need strong and immediate action on climate change. The EPA is taking the right first steps but we need some kind of cap-and-trade system in place, and soon.
• Repeal DOMA - he campaigned on it and I’m going to hold his feet to the fire.
• Repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell - see above.
• Economy Stabilized and Growing - I want to see us into positive growth territory with reasonable inflation and strong job growth.
• Restore Our Tax Base - Obama needs to push to at least let the wildly irresponsible Bush tax cuts on those making over $250k expire.
• Close Guantanamo - Every detainee needs to be either released or transferred to incarceration in a U.S. prison (or elsewhere) and trials need to begin forthwith. In addition, Obama needs to close any sneaky quasi-Gitmos around the world (e.g. Bagram)
• Investigate Bush Torture – Whether by the DOJ or a Truth Commission, the perpetrators of one of the worst stains on our country’s honor need to be held to account, whether by shame or by trial.

Update: Here are some suggestions I received:

• Finally Install a Full Slate of Obama-Appointed U.S. Attorneys – I don’t understand why Obama has kept on a lot of Bush’s U.S. Attorneys. As is this case in nearly every administration for the past several decades, new Presidents routinely wipe the slate clean and start fresh. I agree that this would be a good move.