Obama’s First Year as President

One year ago, Barack Obama was sworn in as the first Afro-American president.  Campaigning with promise of change, Obama’s ascendancy into the highest political office of the land was characterized by very high expectations not only by the Americans but also by the world.

His first year in the office drew mixed reviews from both his supporters and critics.  But, if his approval ratings were taken as indicator, Obama is still regarded highly by most people in America.  Polls that were made on the occasion of his first year anniversary as president revealed that more or less nine out of ten Americans (still) like him, and about three out of every four Republicans personally like him too.  However, the election result in Massachusetts – where a Republican soundly defeated a Democrat candidate – is very telling, too.

His first year will be remembered by history as the year that was about health care debate, wars, and bailouts.  Just a week in the office, Obama jammed part two of the bank bailout  – in the amount of $350 billion — down the throat of his own party.  In his third week he signed the stimulus bill involving $787 billion to revive ailing companies that were vital to the national economy.  In April and June 2009, he forced Chrysler and GM into bankruptcy.  Also in June, he unveiled the “Cash for Clunkers” program – essentially a socialist giveaway that reanimated the corpse of American car industry.  This is said to have led to the billion-dollar profit Ford announced very recently.

Two days, too, after he was sworn in, the black president ordered the closure of Guantanamo prison and imposed the banning of the use of harsh interrogation.  Then, he formally announced America’s withdrawal from Iraq.  Equally important, let us note that he is now nearing his accomplishment of instituting health care reform – a feat that was not done by the mighty presidents such as Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Lyndon Johnson and Bill Clinton.

Indisputably a charming man and an eloquent speaker, Obama was successful too in his string of diplomatic efforts.  For instance, with just a single speech, he was able to reset the tone of American relations with the entire Arab world.  Even Hugo Chavez initially thought of sending an official representative in America again to connect with Obama administration after he pulled his former envoy from America during Bush’s term.  Asians were also mesmerized by him, with the Philippine President losing her sleep as she pondered the prospect of meeting with Obama after the US president snubbed her in previous occasions.

As he moves on to his second year in office, it is interesting to note at least a couple of challenges that Obama is expected to face in Asia.   First, Obama needs to adopt a better stance viz. Afghanistan and Pakistan.  Observers are saying that the war in Afghanistan which is being shared by the Americans is possible to become another Vietnam for the US.  There is also the need for a more effective diplomatic efforts directed to Iran and the North Korea on the issue of nukes.  China is similarly embarking on strengthening further its military might.  The Chinese armed forces are already the world’s biggest.  They are also making themselves the best armed. 

Second, Obama is also faced with the concern over trading activities in Asia and trading relationship with Asian countries.  Asia had shown the world that it was the least affected among the other nations in the world by the recent global economic recession.  In several occasions, Obama acknowledged the indispensability of the Asian countries in the foregoing economic progress of the world.  China is the biggest trading partner of America; and the two countries’ interdependence has grown deeper and deeper – i.e., the excess savings of China have so far financed the excessive consumption of the US.  To date, it is interesting to note whether Obama’s demand for China’s stance over the country’s dispute with Google would go far.