Editorial:
It was one year ago this week on January 20, 2009 that Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States. One year later the Obama Presidency finds itself slipping into a quagmire that has tarnished his first year accomplishments.
President Obama’s troubles were punctuated this week with the election of Republican Scott Brown in Massachusetts, once a Democratic strong hold held by Democrat stalwart Senator Edward Kennedy, and by Obama’s recent drop in approval ratings in the polls. Coupled with this is the drawn out process of coming up with a comprehensive health care reform package and getting it passed.
Of course conservative commentators and political pundits have seized upon recent bad news to pile on the Obama Presidency as a referendum on this administration.
We are not so quick to label this administration as a failure. Yes, there have been disappointments, but to label this administration as a failure is premature.
One year ago when Obama became President, the country was in the worst economic slump since the Great Depression: jobs were lost, homes foreclosed, businesses closed, cities teetered on the verge of bankruptcy. The Obama administration hit the ground running. With swift actions, they helped stop the economic hemorrhaging. Banks that once received bailout money are already paying back the loans. GMC and Chrysler Motors are rebounding and are once again kicking up production and hiring new employees.
Home sales and values are on the uptick. While unemployment numbers have remained high, they have stopped increasing so dramatically. In 2010 unemployment figures will improve as more and more people are re-hired. A Nobel Peace Prize awarded to our president in Obama’s first year of his Presidency does reflect the world view of Obama and the positive outlook that Obama has inspired throughout the world. And Obama has appointed the first Hispanic to the Supreme Court, Sonia Sotomayor.
Yes, there are disappointments, primarily the high unemployment figures. Those who are unemployed can no longer wait for a gradual turnaround in the economy, they need jobs today. The delay in addressing the immigration issue is a disappointment and now without a Democratic super majority, it has become all that harder to accomplish. The procrastinated health care reform is a disappointment. The continued fight in Iraq and the war in Afghanistan are disappointments.
So while there are disappointments, they are outweighed by the positive aspects of President Obama’s first year in office. Obama was elected to a four year term, let us wait and see in two more years how the administration is doing and then make a judgment call. For those who don’t recall, Obama’s approval ratings mirror those of President Ronald Reagan who faced a similar economic recession in his first term. As the economy improved so did Regan’s approval ratings. Reagan has been considered by some as one of the great Presidents.
The first year disappointments and struggles are hardly a referendum on the Obama administration. They are merely the opening salvo.