What Does Obama’s Second Electoral Victory Mean?
The victory of Democratic candidate Barack Obama, the United States’ first black president, in his second election isn’t surprising, after most opinion polls showed that he was leading over his Republican opponent, Mitt Romney, after a frantic race lasting more than a year and a half in which the United States spent around $6 billion on election campaigns. Yesterday, Americans said “Yes” with their ballots to Obama’s second and final term. Doubtless many analyses will be released to explain the reasons for Obama’s second electoral victory and for Mitt Romney’s failure to dislodge him from his seat in the White House, and why Americans, who love innovation and change, held to the saying “better the devil you know than the devil you don’t.” In any case, interpretations of what happened in the election will be rich material for the media, satellite, newspaper and otherwise over the next few days.
But what will be new about Obama’s approach to the Middle East?
Most think that he will continue to follow the same foreign policy as he did in his first term, especially with regards to the role of the Arab Spring in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Yemen and Syria. It’s also expected that he’ll continue to apply diplomatic pressure on Iran, as he did in his first term in the effort to put an end to its nuclear weapons program. While this pressure contributed in one way or another to increasing Iran’s influence over Syria, Iraq, Libya and a number of other Gulf states, it’s likely that he will continue his commitment to Israel’s protection and security, and will pressure Israel not to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities!
But what will be new about Obama’s approach to the Middle East?
Most think that he will continue to follow the same foreign policy as he did in his first term, especially with regards to the role of the Arab Spring in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Yemen and Syria. It’s also expected that he’ll continue to apply diplomatic pressure on Iran, as he did in his first term in the effort to put an end to its nuclear weapons program. While this pressure contributed in one way or another to increasing Iran’s influence over Syria, Iraq, Libya and a number of other Gulf states, it’s likely that he will continue his commitment to Israel’s protection and security, and will pressure Israel not to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities!