I figured as an amateur journalist/blogger I would give my perspective on President Obama's first 100 days. This assessment will not be comprehensive. I will attempt to share a few things that have stood out to me the most, focusing on the good, but not disregarding the disappointing. I will ignore the “soap bubbles” of his presidency, such as the hubbub that has gone on over Obama’s dog or the gifts he has given to foreign politicians. This post will focus on transparency, vision, and equity, followed by a few things he may have done better.
Transparency. From Day 1 Obama has not just shed a new light on the government, he has turned the spotlights on it. A few examples: disclosing the torture memos that authorized CIA agents to torture terrorist suspects, closing Guantanamo Bay, freezing salaries of overpaid White House officials, holding an online town hall meeting where anyone could submit and vote on questions for him to answer, and holding 10 major press conferences. There is a genuine integrity that he has brought to the government. This is so very different than the last eight years where politicians had dark meetings in dark corners about which Geneva Convention treaties they could violate, how they could confuse the American public into thinking we were warring terror when we were warring for their agendas, etc. etc. Transparency is key to a strong democracy, and Obama knows that. The man himself is transparent. He is not afraid to say he made a mistake (which he admitted after appointing Tom Daschle), something difficult for any politician to do. He is not afraid to meet with his constituents in town halls, late night talk shows, or online. He’s one of us, and he’s for us.
Vision. I admire the fact that Obama has not refrained from addressing the environment, immigration (I’ve been stewing over that recently, a possible post is on the way), healthcare, and foreign policy in the midst of a major financial crisis. He has addressed these issues (keeping many more promises than he has broken, according to politifact, which is impressive considering the state of the economy. It is clear he means action—as long as he and Congress can agree. He has called for a withdrawal of American troops from Iraq by August 2010. He has addressed the Muslim community tactfully and cordially, telling them that we are not their enemies. He has had a host of other positive encounters with American antagonists (Chavez among them), and encounters where he has rightly apologized on behalf of the country to American allies. He has hosted a healthcare summit, made it easier for people to sue for pay discrimination (his first bill), and launched an effort to rid the world of nuclear weapons. Equity. He is a thoughtful person, as I've said before. I recommend you read “Dreams From My Father”; I read it over the last months and it shows what deep person we have in the oval office. And he wrote it just after law school, way before he thought or knew he would be the president (Disclaimer: it does have some of what I consider inappropriate language from conversations he had in teenage years). He wants to hear the voice of the people (as seen with the online town hall meetings), he reads ten letters a day from constituents, and he has Republicans and former democratic opponents (at least the ones that could handle being on a team of rivals) in his Cabinet.
Disappointments. In other words, I think we’re on the right track. Now, for a few disappointments (inevitable since we don’t have identical political philosophies). I’m disappointed in him providing federal funding for NGOs to perform and provide information on abortions (though the FOCA act that many people are concerned about does not exist). I am also skeptical of his $3.6 trillion budget proposal for 2010, though he understands much better than I about why the government would need that money. I have mixed feelings on his interaction with the auto industry which many think was too meddlesome. I do think something needed to be done to control the mess the auto industry, the bankers, and corporate executives are in and quell their greedy behavior. Finally, I did not agree with Obama signing a spending bill with earmarks, though I recognize the need to get the government through 2009.
He’s through 100 days. Here’s hoping that he keeps bringing the right changes to Washington, the U.S., and the world in the next four years.
I could have packed this post with links, but to be honest, I got a little lazy. If you want them, let me know and I'll stick them in. More Abe footage coming soon, which I know is what everyone really wants to see.
