AFP: Obama dominates in first 100 days

[FrenchieCat]

WASHINGTON, (AFP) – In his high-velocity first 100 days, Barack Obama has sketched the outlines of a presidency of astounding ambition, which would remake the United States at home and transform its role abroad.

Yet the new president's agenda still faces tests of fire posed by a punishing economic crisis, the scheming of US allies and foes abroad and a poisoned political environment back home.

"It is clearly the most ambitious agenda at least since the 1960s," said Princeton University historian and political scientist Julian Zelizer.

Inheriting a crisis of a magnitude few recent precessors faced, Obama seems to have steadied America's nerves despite the wrenching financial blight.

He unleashed a huge government intervention in the economy, passed a historic 787-billion-dollar stimulus bill and now has high-stakes environmental and healthcare reforms on the launchpad.

Abroad, Obama swapped George W. Bush's swagger for a cupped ear, giving Russia respect it craves, reaching out to Muslims and vowing to drain decades of enmity with foes Cuba and Iran.

He previewed fundamental policy changes towards China, Mexico and Cuba, apologized to Europeans for past US "arrogance," mandated the closure of Guantanamo Bay, outlawed torture and ordered withdrawal from Iraq.

Obama doubled down in Afghanistan and Pakistan, ditched US denial on climate change and called for a world free of nuclear weapons.

Tom De Luca, professor of political science at Fordham University, said Obama's foreign policy was "breathtaking in its scope."

"I think it clearly illustrates the immense self confidence Obama has in himself and in his administration."

Obama, 47, once panned by rivals as inexperienced, slipped on the mantle of president with ease, in unflappable style.
snip
But talking about change is easy, effecting it is not: Obama admits America is a "big ocean liner -- it's not a speedboat; it doesn't turn around immediately."

more.... http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090426/ts_afp/uspoliticsobama100days_20090426050150

[Hippo_Tron]

1. Obama's diplomacy has been nothing short of brilliant thus far

Our adversaries are doing everything they can to try and paint him as Bush-light. Unfortunately for them, the world isn't buying it.

[Political Heretic]

2. Actually our adversaries are doing everything they can to paint him as a communist/fascist/socialist

...they can't really decide between those.

Interesting to me who you think our "adversaries" are though. :)

[Hippo_Tron]

3. Well, domestically our adversaries are the Republicans

Abroad they are leaders of foreign nations that we currently have less than friendly relations with, which include: Iran, Syria, and for really dumb reasons Cuba and Venezuela. Out of curiosity, do you not consider the leaders of Iran and Syria to be our adversaries? And keep in mind that I use the term adversary and not enemy.

[Political Heretic]

4. You know, I don't know the answer to that.

I'm not sure how I think we should characterize the leaders of Iran and Syria to be honest. however, I do know that I couldn't care less what they think of our president. They don't vote.

[Hippo_Tron]

5. How our President is perceived in the world is extremely important

But again, I will admit that you're talking to a person who thinks foreign policy is, in general, more important than domestic policy especially for a President.

[DFW]

6. As one who represents American interests abroad, and has for decades

From my point of view they are of equal importance. While foreign policy is vital to both our financial and
physical security, it will be hampered and curtailed if a president's domestic policy does not succeed to the
point where he is perceived abroad to have the authority to speak for the country. Nixon's initiatives in
Asia, notably with China and the North Vietnamese, lost their momentum because he was seen (correctly) in
both countries to be losing domestic backing. On the other hand, if you fuck up abroad (Bush Lite, LBJ), your
domestic initiaves fizzle in short order. As high as the Republicans thought Bush Lite was riding in 2004, that's
how low he sank by 2006, when Iraq was seen by more than just Democrats to have been a scandal, and not a
"mission accomplished." Same with LBJ/Vietnam in 1964/1968.

[Political Heretic]

7. To me, there's nothing more important than domestic policy

However, to some degree domestic and foreign policy are linked.

I think our preoccupation with foreign policy, they style of that foreign policy (of both democratic and republican presidents) and our general belief that is our responsibility to "run" the world is a major source of our problems.

The neglect of domestic policy has directly contributed to really shitty foreign policy, but nothing matters to me more than that the government look after the health and well-being of local communities and its own citizens.

[FrenchieCat]

9. In this interdependent Globalized world, foreign and Domestic policy are one....

and it appears that Barack Obama understands this well.

When he was on those trips, don't think that he didn't address the matter of what the United States' financial system has done; fucked up the world economy. Those leaders he met with, I'm sure gave him a piece of their mind on that one!

You see, what we do here affect much of what happens in the World, and in addition, the world can easily influence what happens here at home.

Whether one is talking about Global Warming, the Economy, the Sciences, even Education, or just about anything else, decisions made on those policies affects not just the United States.

To separate Foreign policies from Domestic policies in the 21st Century is naive at best.

Thank goodness, this President is not naive.

[Political Heretic]

14. I agree, however for too long our politics has devauled domestic priorities - that balance has been

missing.

So maybe what I'm really saying is that I care about the restoration of domestic policy to its critical balance place, for the good of everything - international relations, national welfare policies, etc.

[Cha]

16. +1

Thanks, Frenchie.

[Hippo_Tron]

19. The problem is that the President has less control over domestic policy

Every once in a while you get an administration where all of the factors align and you can attribute sweeping domestic reforms largely to a President. In the 20th century the only examples of this are FDR, LBJ, and Reagan. Many of the others have had very important legislation passed under their watches but their domestic agendas were largely attributed to public opinion, interest groups, or powerful members of congress, rather than the president himself.

I guess I should re-state my views so as to say that it's not a question of foreign policy versus domestic policy. It's a question of the President's role as chief executive versus his role as chief legislator. I think we spend far too much time evaluating our presidents as chief legislators rather than chief executives. Legislation is something that is determined by far more actors than the President and thus I think it's a poor way to evaluate them. Executive actions, on the other hand, are usually made unilaterally by the President and not subject to congressional approval and often not even subject to any serious test of public opinion since the media often doesn't care about many of them. I think those actions are a far better way to measure a President.

Foreign policy is the arena where the President most visibly takes executive action. But there are also many crucial domestic policy decisions that he must make as well.

[Clio the Leo]

8. but ...... but ..... but ....... Cuba and Iran want to TALK to us...

... which clearly is a fake out to cover up the fact that they really want to ....... I dunno, steal Mt. Rushmore or something.

[BlooInBloo]

10. It's especially funny because concern trolls were worried about him "hitting the ground running"...

and "on the job training", and bullshit like that.

BWAHAHAAHAHAAA!!!

[FrenchieCat]

11. Remember "Ready on Day one!

Hell, he's been ready for 1,460 days, and then some! LOL!

[BlooInBloo]

12. Since Obama was effectively President on day -30 or so, I guess he had that beat too.

[FrenchieCat]

13. True.

[grantcart]

15. And on the 100th day he will choke out all the news coverage

and set the agenda for the next 200 days.

[Patchuli]

17. I love that line!

Obama admits America is a "big ocean liner -- it's not a speedboat; it doesn't turn around immediately."

I think he has indeed steered us out of the path of the iceberg!

GOBAMA!!!

[Tarheel_Dem]

18. Error: You've already recommended that thread.

:kick: