U.S. Midterms: Obama
Weakened When World Needs America Most (Le Monde, France)
"Why
the rejection? The
president of course suffers from the discredit of the entire political class. Americans
are tired of seeing the incessant failure of the democratic system. … However,
it is in regard to the international turmoil that the president appears the
weakest. Obama embodies the dilemma of the United States today, forced to play world
policemen all the while dreaming of not having to. One thing is certain: on our
mangled planet, a weakening of the president of the United States is not good
news. What other world power could send in the cavalry when things go awry? China?
Putin's Russia - which loathes Western values? The United Nations, whose
chronic impotence is well known?"
Let us
recall "Yes, we can!," Barack Obama's devastating smile, his lyrical speeches
extolling the values of America, the global enthusiasm welcoming the inauguration
of the first Black president in the history of the United States, and the
shared feeling that the American dream was still alive. Six years later,
halfway through his second term, Mr. Obama looks worried and sounds tired: it's
no longer a question of The Audacity of Hope.
On November 4, the Democratic Party risks losing the legislative elections - and
Barack Obama will find himself facing a hostile Congress with a Republican
majority. As for his popularity, it has fallen to 43 percent, a level
considered abysmally bad. No, the president can no longer make dreams come
true, and America has the blues.
Why the rejection? The president of course suffers from the
discredit of the entire political class. Americans are tired of seeing the
incessant failure of the democratic system, the sterile debates and the
systematic blocking of decisions in Congress. "Washington is broken,"
the president noted bitterly. Of course, in a system where everything has to be
negotiated - and with the radicalism of the ultra-right Republican and the Tea Parties that reject even the
principle of compromise, that is the principal cause. But the president has not
appeared to be a good strategist. Unlike a Bill Clinton or future candidate
Hillary, who despite all the snubs still exude a passion for the public good, Barack
Obama doesn't much like the political game, the circumstantial alliances and concessions
to the media, all of which are necessary to grease the wheels.
The economy, usually the primary criterion by which voters
make their choice, should plead in his favor: America, where some people
confuse dreams with reality and regularly announce its decline, is doing quite
well. The president has managed to prevent the banks from collapsing, has
regulated the financial sector and has established a system of health insurance
that includes millions of additional people.
Collective anguish
Moreover, GDP growth has returned (1.7 percent in 2014, forecast to be 3 percent
in 2015) and unemployment continues to fall (5.9 percent in September 2014). To
promote economic activity, the Obama administration has implemented moderate dose
of interventionism by the federal government and a softer tax policy with
incentives to investment and relocation.
America leads in the new economy (information-sharing
networks, the Internet
of Things and renewables). Yet Americans remain
worried. Many people work part-time, wages have risen only slightly, income
inequality is widening and the jobs available don't always match the college degrees
so dearly paid for by heavily-indebted students. The weakened status of the
European Union, with its internal dissention and the recession in France, adds
to the collective anguish. And Mr. Obama doesn't have the dynamism of a Franklin Roosevelt, that
enthusiastic sea-captain who restored confidence in the storm.
However, it is in regard to the international turmoil that the
president appears the weakest. He wanted to end hazardous military engagements
on the other side of the planet, but reality has caught up to him. If the
Americans approved of his withdrawals from Iraq and Afghanistan, they realize that the effects were
not well accounted for.
Hesitant, indecisive
Against terrorism, Barack Obama thought he could conduct a war by stealth with drones and
without ground troops, and by remotely eliminating leaders written on the Kill
List submitted to him every Tuesday by the secret services. But the terrorist
horror is winning, the Middle East is bloody and ablaze and part of Africa is subject
to barbarism. Mr. Obama appears hesitant and indecisive.
We remember the red line drawn for Syrian dictator Bashar Al-Assad and his backtracking
when Assad crossed it. From Damascus to Moscow, from Tehran to Pyongyang, one
conclusion was drawn: Mr. Obama is weak; America fights wars only defensively.
Anything - or almost anything, goes. Notwithstanding warnings from his intelligence
services, the president underestimated the determination of the Islamic State,
and he reacted far too late in Iraq and Syria. He, the man of the 2009 Cairo speech
who focused on compromise and the outstretched hand, is now confronted by a
world gone mad, facing enemies driven by hatred and devoid of common sense.
Posted By Worldmeets.US
War-weary Americans nevertheless approved of the
interventions in Iraq, Syria and the fight against terrorism, because they have
no other choice. Obama embodies the dilemma of the United States today, forced
to play world policemen all the while dreaming of not having to. One thing is
certain: on our mangled planet, a weakening of the president of the United
States is not good news. What other world power could send in the cavalry when
things go awry? China? Putin's
Russia - which loathes Western values? The United Nations, whose chronic impotence
is well known? Only Europe could, and should, raise a finger. The urgency is
finally to develop a genuine European diplomacy and a real common defense. France, which in this area at least, courageously
assumes its responsibilities, could take the initiative. The United States
needs solid partners - because nobody wants to see an America alone and
disenchanted, saying "no, we can't."
*Nicole Bacharan and Dominique Simonnet
are the authors of "Secrets de la Maison Blanche"
(Secrets of the White House), published by Perrin, 384 pages, 21 euros.
