It's been one year since Aretha Franklin belted out "My Country 'tis of Thee" and America's first Black President raised his hand to swear an oath to faithfully execute the duties of our highest public office. Barack Obama ran on the promises of change, hope, and progress. As the reviews of his first twelve months pour in, there seems to be a consensus of opinion:
Yes, he can ... in some ways, on some issues, some of the time.
Commentators all across the political spectrum are conflicted over the President's first term so far, and the reviews are consistently mixed. While Obama's charisma and family-man persona continue to warm America's hearts, his policies and tactics have everyone questioning whether or not the (formerly) nearly-Messianic figure has the dexterity to really change anything. As political analyst Charles Krauthammer reflected, "A year ago, Obama was the most charismatic politician on earth. Today the thrill is gone, the doubts growing--even among erstwhile believers."
Even some of Obama's most devoted supporters are beginning to lose that loving feeling. Progressives think that during the last year the President became too detached and wasn't tough enough. Liberal commentator Arianna Huffington recently asked, "How did the candidate who told a stadium of supporters in Denver that 'the greatest risk we can take is to try the same old politics with the same old players and expect a different result' become the president who has surrounded himself with the same old players trying the same old politics, expecting a different result?"
Huffington and much of the political left feel like Obama has reverted back to the Washington ways he swore off during the campaign, failing to fulfill many of his aggressive promises. According to an analysis by the non-partisan web site Politifact.com, Obama fulfilled only 91 of his 502 campaign promises. They rate 14 promises as "broken" and another 87 as "stalled."
Conservatives, on the other hand, point their eager fingers at Obama's policies rather than his approach. They say Obama's downfall has been his substance, not his style.
To adequately assess Obama's presidency, his agenda must be broken down into parts. Taking public opinion and political analysis into consideration, here's how things have shaped up so far:
Economy: Obama's economic policies include massive bailouts and government interventions. The President accomplished far less in saving jobs that he'd hoped and the unemployment rate is abysmal. 54 percent of Americans disapprove of his economic policy, an opinion probably influenced by the 62 percent disapproval rating on our skyrocketing budget deficit. On the flip side, many experts say the economy is stabilizing. Here's to hoping. Grade: D
Foreign Policy: Obama's highest public opinion marks come in his handling of foreign policy, partly due to the competence of Obama's State Department. According to a CNN poll, 51 percents of Americans approve of his foreign policy and 53 percent approve of his handling of the Iraq War. His decision to order a troop surge in Afghanistan was unpopular among Democrats, but most Americans believe it was the right thing to do. Obama's ability to pressure North Korea has surprised many, and only a few countries--such as Russia, China, and Israel--have been able to resist the charm of Obama and his foreign policy team. Here the President has only received significant criticism his trade strategy and his decision not to meet with the Dalai Lama in August. Grade: A -
Healthcare: Healthcare has been ground zero for Obama's domestic team in 2009. Few people doubt that our healthcare system needs reforming, but most Americans agree that current proposals are not the way to go. In our current economic situation, Americans are looking for solid reform that will provide greater coverage for poor Americans but won't bankrupt our grandchildren. Unfortunately, no amount of slick speeches (29 and counting) can convince them otherwise. 59 percent of Americans currently disapprove of so-called "Obamacare." Grade: D -
Environment: With little notice, the President has spent his first year reversing often-criticized Bush environmental policies. He's increased gas mileage standards, established 2.1 million new acres of protected wilderness, and announced new smog standards. His more public efforts have been less successful. The folks in Copenhagen weren't persuaded by Obama's appearance, and the only domestic effort to cut carbon emissions considered by Congress was cap-and-trade. This perceived intrusion into American businesses doesn't poll well with Americans. The bill was approved by the U.S. House, but will likely never see the light of day in the Senate. Grade: C
Terrorism: The big question looming over post-9/11 Presidents is, "Are we safer under the current administration than the last?" A recent poll by the San Francisco Chronicle shows 62% of Americans say "no." We've had two notable terror attempts on American soil in the last year: one successful attempt by an American soldier and one not-so-successful attempt by a Muslim with explosives stuffed down his pants. At the same time, Obama fulfilled his promise to take steps to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay and put an end to torture practices such as waterboarding. Some experts believe these steps will make us safer in the long run. Grade: C +
Social Issues: The President's been reluctant to wage war over social issues thus far. Thus, he's being judged based more on what he hasn't done as much as what he has. On the one hand, he has failed to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, which pleases social conservatives. On the other, Obama promised to pursue a common ground agenda to reduce abortions through supporting adoptions, increasing funding for unwed mothers and promoting comprehensive sexual education with an abstinence emphasis. He's failed to do any of those things. He did, however, repeal the Mexico City Policy, a decision that will undoubtedly result in more abortions not less. The one blip on the social radar was the recent hate-crimes bill, but beyond that, there's little to write home about. Grade: C -
There is both good and bad news for the Administration at this stage of the game. The bad news is that Obama has a long way to go to win the hearts of those he governs. A January 2010 CNN poll shows that nearly half of Americans say Obama's presidency has been a failure so far. A recent Gallup poll indicates that Americans are less sure that Obama will be able to accomplish his goals in almost every area. According to the study, "Two-thirds of Americans now say the country is more deeply divided on major issues facing the country than it has been in the past several years."
The good news is that he still has three years to go, and luckily, Presidents are judged on terms not months. As David Greenberg argues in this month's The Atlantic, it is a myth that great presidents always leave their mark in the first year. John F. Kennedy's first year was considered a failure, and Abraham Lincoln ended his first year with unbelievable debt having achieved little. Even though FDR has become a model president for first-year progress, not all of his goals were accomplished immediately. It took a couple of years to pass Social Security and the Wagner Act, and it was not until the war that FDR was able to help end the Depression.
Obama needs to rethink his policies and his strategy, there is little doubt about that. But our Founders knew what they were doing when they gave Presidents four-year terms. If Obama came to Washington to change America for the better, he's got three more years to prove it. Right now, we're unconvinced.
Jonathan Merritt is author of Green Like God: Unlocking the Divine Plan for Our Planet (2010). He blogs regularly at www.jonathanmerritt.com.