Cramer's 'Mad Money' Recap: Nov. 24

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A little optimism was on display during Jim Cramer's "Mad Money" TV show Monday.

Simply put, "things are finally getting better," Cramer told viewers. He credited President-elect Barack Obama for finally taking some of the uncertainty out of the markets.

Cramer said that there's nothing the markets hate more than uncertainty. But with the appointments of Tim Geithner as Treasury secretary and Lawrence Summers as head of the White House Economic Council, Cramer said there is now hope where no hope existed before. "Wall Street likes these guys," he said, "and that means something."

Cramer also credited the government's bailout of Citigroup (C Quote) as a second catalyst for the markets, calling the plan enough to make him recommend the troubled bank as a buy. He called the bailout "a template that works" and one that can be used in other bailouts.

Unlike the bailout of AIG (AIG Quote), which offered little transparency, and the decision to let Lehman Brothers fail completely, Cramer said the Citigroup plan keeps the common stock alive, does not punish the preferred shares and doesn't dump the troubled assets back into a troubled market.

"Friday we thought Citigroup would fail," he said, "but today we learned everything will be OK."

Cramer also credited Obama himself for part of today's rally, commending the president-elect for his quick and pragmatic approach toward fixing the nation's problems.

He said that every day of delay costs the economy more jobs and more foreclosures, and that's why Obama's job stimulus program focusing on rebuilding the country's infrastructure is being so well received.

Cramer's bottom line called for a little hope and a little bit of optimism as the markets digest these changing events.

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