Changing America

When Barack Obama assumed office, he carried with him the unusually high hopes of most Americans. Now, 99 days later, he has run a good first lap. Despite some initial mis-steps when it came to cabinet appointments, and despite differences of opinion on whether, in handling the economic and financial crisis, he has touched the right buttons, the fact is that Mr Obama enjoys a public rating that is higher than most American presidents have had after 100 days in office—and with good reason. Mr Obama has shown that he is not afraid to take on the big domestic initiatives (health care reform, environment protection, public transport, reducing dependence on imported oil). He has also struck out in a completely different direction on big international issues: starting afresh with Central and South America, including Cuba; adopting a more cooperative approach when dealing with international issues, without resorting to American exceptionalism; and turning away from torture and secret prisons as tools to be used in the “war on terror”, which he has re-focused. In doing all this, Mr Obama has forced his country to re-think what it is and what it stands for. Even though he declared in his inaugural speech that “we will not apologise for our way of life”, he is signalling as clearly as is possible that America needs to change in fundamental ways.

The striking thing is that he is doing it in a manner that carries the vast majority of his countrymen with him. Perhaps this is because the United States has suddenly become more “liberal” in its attitudes than at any other time in the past four decades; but if it has, a good bit of the swing towards liberalism must be credited to Mr Obama himself. Perhaps he has been helped by the Kennedy-like fascination with a popular “First Family” — with Michelle Obama becoming a symbol for all smart, strong women who make sensible choices; with two photogenic children an advertisement for what well-knit families produce; with a side-saga about a puppy; and the president himself with his clean-cut looks and easy manner while remaining focused on the issues.

None of this means that Mr Obama will have it easy. The economic and financial mess is not about to go away quickly or quietly; there is still a lot of cleaning up to do, and hard choices to be made (as with the car companies). The housing plan has been unveiled, but has to be shown to work. Many of the energy and environmental initiatives will bear fruit only in the medium to long term, so there are no quick fixes on display even as Americans have to learn to live with less. And if the domestic agenda were not enough to fill anyone’s 24 hours, the international situation has become infinitely more complicated as Afghanistan is replaced by Pakistan as the world’s No. 1 headache. It is a plateful designed for an ambitious president, and Mr Obama is nothing if not that. He won election on the strength of his facility with words uttered from a podium, and the voters’ belief in his capacity for bringing about needed change. There were questions in January as to whether he had the ability to deliver. No longer. Now he needs luck and perseverance.