Poll Position - Geithner Stays... For Now.

Obama's pick for Treasury Secretary, Timothy Geithner, isn't exactly off to the best of starts. Given his monumental buildup ("we gotta get this guy, he's the only one qualified to save us!"), you could argue that Tiny Tim could C-Walk on water and still have his share of haters. Many are leery of his power-grabbing aspirations, and underwhelmed by the plans he's announced to turn around the financial markets. But things went into overdrive last week when the AIG scandal broke[1], and it was divulged that Geithner was the guy behind those bonuses. People were calling for his head.

But what did AverageNation™ think? Should Geithner stay or kick rocks?

While the final margin (62/37%) was solidly in Geithner's favor, I should note that earlier in the week, things were much closer, and at one point the "kick rock" contingent was ahead. I suspect that as the market upswing continued and the AIG story began to fade, folks were more forgiving. Whether this says less about us than it says more about Geithner is TBD.

But since we're talking about the economy, how funny is it listening to all those pundits who were calling Obama The Pariah of Capitalism just 2 weeks ago, eating their words as the Dow continues to rise, and as housing sales continue to go up? It's really interesting to me how the same folks who blamed him incessantly as things toppled, will likewise give him no credit now that things (albeit temporarily) are on the upswing.

Haters. Predictable, but still haters.

Question: Do you think Obama deserves any of the blame/credit for the market fluctuations thus far this year, or is it too soon to tell? Should Geithner stay, or go? Why?

[1] Man, feels like ancient history already, no?