1460 Days. That is what the remainder of Barack H. Obama’s political legacy entails.
As Mr. Obama is inaugurated for the second time, he confronts the boon and curse of being re-elected…and the reality that the clock is ticking.
And the 1460 days supposedly remaining? The political truth is that his window is even narrower. The reality is by this time next year, or at the latest the summer of 2014, much of the country will be focused on the midterm elections. Once the midterm elections are over, then everyone is looking at the Presidential caucuses, and the 2016 election. And unless Obama is able to work up a miracle and take over the House of Representatives in 2014, there is little change coming to Washington, D.C. after 2015 arrives.
Furthermore, Obama knows that 2nd terms are ticking time bombs. There isn’t really a good example of a successful 2nd term. Every second term in the modern era has been a pale comparison to the first term, and usually scandal plagued. Obama does have the advantage of a press corps doing everything it can to hide scandals, but even they cannot ignore the stories forever.
So you are going to see a rush of policy initiatives by the Obama Administration in the next 6 months. That is their window of opportunity. How much they can accomplish will largely depend on Obama’s skills in convincing Republicans his policy is good for the country. And the success of those policies will largely label the Obama Presidency as a success of failure.
Yeah, I am pretty pessimistic also.
Oh, sure, there are sycophants on the left that think Obama’s greatness is already baked it. That is a drug induced hysterical belief if I ever saw one. Presidents are made great by a combination of economic growth at home and successes abroad. As of right now, Obama has neither, and his signature achievement, Obamacare, may be more of an albatross than a jewel in his crown.
So, congratulations to Mr. Obama and Mr. Biden on their inauguration for a second term. I do, with every ounce of my being, really do hope that they have a better 2nd term than their 1st. But history is against them…and the clock is ticking.
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