Obama's Off To A Very Good Start
One year ago, Barack Obama was elected president of the United States. Is his presidency delivering on the promise of his candidacy? Yes. I think he's off to a very good start. But I'm not doing handstands.
I keep Obama's book containing his campaign program, Change We Can Believe In, on my desk. Is Obama doing what he said he would do? Yes, mostly.
It's important to be clear about something. Obama is not a left-wing politician; he's a center/left politician. That's clear when you examine what he ran on last year. He ran on a center/left platform, not a left-wing platform.
President-elect Barack Obama gives his victory speech one year ago in Chicago.
Many on the left and the right, either through misunderstanding or pursuit of their own agendas, get this wrong. Each wing imagines (or pretends to imagine) that Obama is a lefty, and alternately prods and assails him on that false basis.
But let's not clear space on Mount Rushmore just yet. Just as I didn't think he deserved the Nobel Peace Prize -- which looks even more premature now than it did when it was announced last month -- yet, as I wrote here on the Huffington Post. I don't think that Obama's very good start equates to a great presidency.
Though Obama may well turn out to be a great president. Let's keep in mind that little of what he's trying to do is easy. He inherited an enormous, complex mess when he took office. And he's only been in office for nine and a half months.
Let's look at what he's done. Actually, for starters, let's look at what he's doing. It's a very expansive and complex agenda. I run his schedule on my site, NewWestNotes.com, with explanations, every day to frame the day. It's hard enough to keep up with all the things Obama is doing. Imagine how hard it would be to try to do all those things.
Here's a look at the biggest things Obama has been up to.
Bruce Springsteen introduced the Obamas at a rally of 80,000 the weekend before the election in Cleveland.
Obama has established an excellent, and elevated, new tone for America, here and abroad. That counts for a lot, even though his foes on the far right insist on trying to bring him down with the most toxic, demonizing sort of politics.
The economy has definitely improved greatly. When Obama took office, there were widespread fears that the system was on the verge of collapse, that we were headed into a New Great Depression. That hasn't happened, and it won't happen. And the economy has finally started growing again. Employment lags, but it is always a lagging indicator.
The economic stimulus program has helped, as has the massive reinflation of the financial system.
Could both those things have been done better? Sure. I wish the stimulus had more infrastructure spending in it and less pork. But that's what you get when Congress plays a heavy hand in writing the plan and you need 60 votes in the Senate.
The other good thing about the stimulus is that most of the money still hasn't been spent. This backloading, which looked bad early this year, looks better now, as this nascent recovery is going to have to be nursed into a full-fledged recovery with a lot more jobs.
In a speech entitled "A New Beginning," President Barack Obama addressed the Muslim world five months ago at Cairo University in Egypt.
The reinflation of a deflating financial system could go better, too. Frankly, it looks like Obama cut a deal with Wall Street -- which still labors under the misapprehension of its unique brilliance even after nearly tanking the global economy -- to exhibit a lighter hand in re-regulation along with all that money that has been poured into the system.
Of course, it's not at all clear that Obama could get really tough financial re-regulations through Congress.
On national health care, it looks like Obama will get a major bill through Congress. It hasn't been pretty and it hasn't been easy.
If it were easy, national health care reform would have already passed sometime in the more than 100 years since it was raised by Teddy Roosevelt. Obama's efforts have been hindered by the loss of his great ally, Ted Kennedy, who would have made an enormous difference in the Senate. Nancy Pelosi has things covered for Obama in the House.
On the environment and energy, Obama has taken major steps. Among other things, he's allowing California to move forward with its landmark climate change program, which had been blocked by the Bush/Cheney Administration, and which other states will follow. He's sharply increased fuel efficiency standards. He's promoting a big green tech industry with a focus on renewable energy and a smart transmission grid.
Because Congress is again a potential roadblock, and because national health care was deemed the priority this year, we won't play a big role in Copenhagen next month when the United Nations will try again to develop a global program on climate change. But Copenhagen is in trouble for other reasons, including the seeming inability of the European Union to come up with a subsidy plan for developing nations.
Obama says that he is surprised that he won the Nobel Peace Prize.
On human rights, Obama has ended the policy of torture that has given America such a black eye around the world. And he is moving to shut down the infamous prison at Guantanamo Bay. But torture is more popular than some would like to think, so closing Gitmo isn't as easy as imagined. The Senate has been unhelpful in that.
On LGBT issues, he's made some moves. But he hasn't been able to end the don't ask/don't tell policy in the military yet. And gay marriage is no closer to reality now than it was a year ago, when it was defeated in California. Even liberal Maine repealed its gay marriage law in yesterday's public vote.
On geopolitics, Obama has moved dramatically to fix relations with the rest of the world. He is really very popular around the world and that helps America. His Cairo address to the Islamic world five months ago was brilliant. He's balancing better relations with mainstream Islam with going after jihadists who threaten America.
Iraq is a troubled country, but we are on schedule to withdraw combat troops as promised. Obama is diplomatically engaging Iran and Syria, and we'll see how that turns out. Israel and Palestine remain, not surprisingly, seemingly intractable. Pakistan, with more aid from America, largely civilian, has rolled back big Taliban gains there. Which brings us to Afghanistan.
Obama has a fateful decision to make on Afghanistan. Actually, he has several, as the sequence of events plays out.
Obama inherited a president, installed by Bush and Cheney after the successful takedown of the Taliban and disruption of Al Qaeda following the 9/11 attacks, who has certainly not worked out. The recent elections there took place -- which they could not have last year -- but have been a disaster.
Last Thursday, Obama went to Dover Air Force Base for the return of 18 Americans killed last week in Afghanistan.
Now Obama has to decide whether to continue or even expand a nation-building exercise there, or focus on the much more limited and much more reasonable goal of ensuring that Al Qaeda cannot again use Afghanistan as a base of operations. It looks like he will split the difference in Afghanistan, which amounts to continuing on a course which is not promising. What Obama does after he does that may tell the tale of his presidency.
In terms of politics, he's doing fine. Obama has settled into the mid-50s in job approval, which I think is good given the straits that America remains in.
The off-year elections yesterday weren't a referendum on Obama. But we did learn a few good things to know.
* There were no Obama coattails in states where he has good numbers, i.e., Virginia and New Jersey. At least not for weak (Virginia ) or unpopular (New Jersey) candidates.
* It was a bad night for big business moguls with Corzine going down and Bloomberg winning relatively narrowly in New York City after record-setting spending.
* Gay marriage still isn't quite there.
* And the big split in the GOP between far right and moderate Republicans worked badly for the Republicans in upstate New York where Democrats (with a late swooping visit from Vice President Joe Biden) took the longtime GOP seat previously held by Obama's new secretary of the Army.
Since that Republican intra-party battle is not only continuing but spreading, that's great news for Obama.
So, with regard to Obama one year after his election, I think he's doing well. No handstands, though.
It's not nirvana. Just an impressive, imperfect man dealing with the real world.
You can check things during the day on my site, New West Notes ... www.newwestnotes.com.
Aaron Belkin: Obama Is Timid Because Progressives Are Timid
What can we expect from a President who presides over a relatively conservative public, whose party is fractured by a fundamental contradiction, and whose legislative agenda is held hostage by Ben Nelson?
Favorite
Reply
Loading comments…
Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to
Karzai is behaving pretty much the way any other conceivable alternate candidate would, and will, also behave. Our expectations are wildly out of line.
No nation will go from tribal/feudal to a pluralistic democracy just because we want it too. Calling the regional warlords 'cabinet ministers' doesn't make them so, or make the government they run a democracy. There are decades of spadework between where Afghanistan is, politically speaking, and where we're trying to pretend it is.
A wonderful article, Mr. Bradley. I always appreciate video clips you add to your posts. I especially found the last clip...that of President Obama witnessing the return of the Americans killed recently in Afghanistan...touching. I liked knowing our president was there, and also that he appropriately participated in ceremonial fashion...not just as a casual observer. Acknowledgement and respect.
Thank you for your keen observations here, Mr. Bradley; well done.
See William Bradley's Profile
Thanks, I appreciate it. I've used video since 2006. I think it adds a lot, though it takes more time.
This is a wonderful retrospective, hitting all the right notes and with a superb selection of accompanying videos that provide the perfect background ambience by which to read...not that it took me well over an hour to read or anything...but, your pieces are getting decidedly longer and, that’s a good thing!
As for what I think will happen in Afghanistan...
I’m still an apparently incurable cockeyed optimist and so I will throw caution to the wind and go on the record here to say that I think President Obama will announce a new regional strategy that recognizes the limits of American power - hard and soft - and that will not include an increase in the number of troops into Afghanistan nor be dependent on a strong central government in Kabul.
That’s not to say, however, that I won’t be hoping and wishing and praying over the course of the next week that the president does not split the difference as you suggest. Because that, I think, would be the worst possible way forward, any and every way you slice it.
See William Bradley's Profile
That IS optimistic.
Fair enough, Bradley's wide-ranging assessment of Obama approaching a year in office. Here's a slightly different angle though while remaining more or less in the same ballpark:
Obama has demonstrated he is able to handle the daily chores off the White House, known as the small stuff such as working with the press and changing certain practices such as stem cell research within the president's prerogative. Regarding the two major situations facing the country--Afghanistan and the recession--Obama has shown himself to be a reliable and apparently willing Bush lieutenant. With respect to setting a horizon for the country in the 21st century, this so far has been a blank slate.
Summing up, Obama evidences he is an able routine politician. With respect to the reasons his supporters worked to get him elected, he's so far an empty suit.
Right. Obama equals Bush.
Because Bush was all about national health care, a billion dollar economic stimulus, getting out of Iraq, talking to Iran, etc., etc., etc.
God save us from the empty-headed zealots.
See William Bradley's Profile
Not only is it not in the same ballpark, it's not in the same zip code.
>Fair enough, Bradley's wide-ranging assessment of Obama approaching a year in office. Here's a slightly different angle though while remaining more or less in the same ballpark:
The gist of your article is that Obama is a mediocrity. I agree. This puts us in the same ballpark.
I think many others are starting to agree. He was a new face with a way with words, a common sort of huckster Americans are particularly susceptible to.
Another HuffPost blogger a few days ago more or less praised or credited (however you want to look at it) Obama for returning the country to"normalcy." This is another way of recognizing him as a mediocrity. I'm seeing such an assessment combining a sense of resignation and forbearance in many of the assessments of Obama after nearly a year in office.
Finally! A terrific analysis from an adult perspective, unlike the continuing whiny-child, hissy fits of the liberals/progressives. Obama is doing exactly what he set out to do in his campaign. I was listening, Mr. Bradley was listening but the "I want my candy NOW" crowd turned a deaf ear and heard what they wanted to hear. They still refuse to grow up.
See William Bradley's Profile
Thanks. I appreciate it.
Good post. I agree.
Boy, talk about being delusional, that my friend, you truly are. I want even go into the reasons why, but suffice it to say, you are definitely livin with the conservatives in wonderland.
Barack is a right-winger!
I don't know why!
Wow-wee!
Kwazy Wabbit...rotfl
See William Bradley's Profile
AH. The president is a conservative. I'm a conservative.
I see. And the reason why real world conservatives are bitterly attacking hmi is ... what?
I'm glad to see Barack saluting the dead from Afghanistan last week in that video.
Bush never had the gumption to do that as long as he was President, with all the dead.
I'm afraid that Barack is going to escalate in Afghanistan. That is a big mistake.
I hope you're wrong about the escalation because nothing good can come of that. I can't imagine that President Obama and Vice President Biden don't also undertand that.
Too bad he doesn't display the same respect for those still in harm's way.
And, by that you mean, what...exactly?
Barack does look pretty shocked in that vid over winning the Nobel.
That was wild.
See William Bradley's Profile
As well he should have been ...
You said it yourself, Mr. Bradley. President Obama significantly changed the tone and demeanor of the United States and it's relationships with the rest of the world. If that doesn't deserve a Nobel Peace Prize after the 8 long years of diplomatic winter we suffered through than I don't know what "Peace" prize means...do you?
I watched the first part of Barack's big Cairo speech. Great speech! No wonder it did good in the Arab world.
I love that video with Springsteen in Cleveland. What a great song, and a great intro!
I'd like to know what "great" President ever governed from the center. Gerald Ford? All the greats took chances, chose a side and compromised very little.
See William Bradley's Profile
Obama is not a centrist. And Dennis Kucinich was never president.
We have never had a far left president.
That was one great speech a year ago tonight?
Too bad governing isn't as fun as running.
Oh, I think Obama and Biden et al.are having lots of fun.
I must agree with you on that, LizM. Fascinating to watch those two.
I agree, Obama is an impressive, imperfect man dealing with the real world.
Nice post.
See William Bradley's Profile
Thanks.
Barack is doing really well.
The carping is from folks who don't get it or don't want to get it.
How's the weather in the "Land of Delusion"?
How many times do we have to read "He's doing great but yeah I wish he had...". Everyone agrees he's doign things wrong, everyone agrees he's being cowardly.
How many times do I have to hear "yeah but"...no more buts.
He either has a spine and can lead, or he doesn't in which case I'm done with him as I try to find someone who does.
And that is all that matters.
Who's this "everyone?" The people who supported Barack last year support him now. Check the polls.
>>>> How many times do we have to read "He's doing great but yeah I wish he had...". Everyone agrees he's doign things wrong, everyone agrees he's being cowardly.
See William Bradley's Profile
That's not at all what I wrote.
You must be logged in to comment. Log in or connect with
