The
poisoned chalice: Will President Obama lose in 2012 - not
because he has failed to perform - but because the presidency
of his predecessor was so catastrophic?
La Jornada, Mexico
Bush Errors
Threaten Obama's Reelection
"In
the case of the country to our north, three years of Barack Obama’s Democratic
government have been unable to overcome the saga of errors committed in the
eight years of Bush’s Republican government: Growing inequality, environmental
degradation, and as a result of the Iraq War, unprecedented disrepute for the
United States, not only among Arab countries but the world at large."
Presidents George W. Bush and Vicente Fox of Mexico: The face that presidential elections in the two country's coincide hasn't always worked out well. What will 2012 hold?
Among the events of 2012
arousing considerable expectation are presidential elections in the United
States and Mexico. Just by happenstance, the electoral calendars for both
elections coincide this year, and unless there are any unexpected changes, they
will do so again twelve years from now. That's what happened when George W.
Bush was elected in the U.S. and Vicente Fox was voted-in in Mexico. The
consequences of the 12 years that followed are now history, but their effects -
or perhaps better said, their calamities - will prevail for years to come.
In the case of the country to
our north, three years of Barack Obama’s Democratic government have been unable
to overcome the saga of errors committed in the eight years of Bush’s
Republican government: Growing inequality, environmental degradation, and as a
result of the Iraq War, unprecedented disrepute for the United States, not only
among Arab countries but the world at large. And of course there is the
terrible economic crisis, which, although not only attributable to Bush, he did
nothing to avoid it, instead contributing to making it worse.
So it fell to the Obama government
to try to save the country and save the system from total collapse. His only
sin was to try and impose necessary corrective action. Consciously or
unconsciously, his opponents torpedoed nearly all of his initiatives, beginning
with his proposal to reform the healthcare system. Republicans doubled-down on
this strategy when they won a majority in the House of Representatives. From
that moment on they put Obama on the defensive, forcing him to govern despite
the ravages of the most conservative elements of that chamber.
Posted
by WORLDMEETS.US
The year ended with the chasm
between conservatives and Obama's liberal government
- not a very left-wing one - which is so deep, it has rarely been seen before. One
example was the argument over raising the debt ceiling and more recently over
extending unemployment insurance. Obama had to back down time and again to
avoid a major schism among the nation's leaders. Obama's supporters, whose expectations
were high, complained that he had broken his promises.
He has certainly made
mistakes. But just taking health care and financial reform, although lukewarm, were
major accomplishments in such an adverse political climate. As New York Times Editor
Bill Keller concluded, “Obama could have done better, but he could have been
worse.” Obama has now launched an offense, leaving behind the weakness he has
been accused of, and exposing the intentions of Republicans to destroy the
social safety net built up during the last century. His reelection depends the strength of his condemnations.
Fortunately there is no such
thing as reelection in Mexico, but nothing can prevent the restoration of the
vices and the despotism of yesteryear. With all the risk that they entail, we
have no choice than to bet on the next round of voting in our country, and the
re-election on the other side of the border.
