The Fall

Published in Liberation
(France) on 3 November 2014
by François Sergent (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Rebecca Jay. Edited by Nicholas Eckart.
Tuesday’s elections for the Senate and the House of Representatives will contradict that overused refrain of American politics: “The economy, stupid.” Obama isn’t on any of the ballots, comments Charles Blow, a columnist for The New York Times, but “he will most certainly be on them in spirit.” And the voters do not like their president much at the end of his second term; his popularity ratings, at 40 percent, are at a level that Francois Hollande could only dream of; yet, they are still more than mediocre compared to other American heads of state. His citizens have shown him little gratitude for his work on the recovery in economic growth, drop in unemployment, and even less so for "Obamacare," the first universal health plan. The young president of 2008 has disappointed, and the country condemns what is perceived to be a lack of leadership, notably on the international stage. His Republican opposition, more spiteful and hateful than ever, has made him into the scorned symbol of Washington and the federal state — an easy means of driving off a divided and uncertain America. Black, liberal, urban, he represents all that a segment of the population detests. Obama has also lost many from his traditionally black, Hispanic, working-class base, who are still waiting for the desired change. In the electoral history of the country, Obama will not be the first president to be punished in this way — Reagan and even Clinton, in 1994, lost heavily. It didn’t hinder their party’s victory in the following presidential elections.


Les élections, mardi, au Sénat et à la Chambre des représentants vont faire mentir l’antienne la plus éculée de la politique américaine : «l’économie, idiot». Obama n’est sur aucun bulletin de vote, comme l’écrit Charles Blow, éditorialiste au New York Times, mais «c’est bien le Président qui sera dans l’esprit des électeurs». Et les électeurs n’aiment pas beaucoup leur président en fin de second mandat. A 40%, sa popularité ferait rêver François Hollande mais elle est plus que médiocre à l’aune des chefs d’Etat américains. Ses concitoyens ne lui savent pas gré de la reprise de la croissance, de la chute du chômage et encore moins de l’Obamacare, le premier plan de santé universel du pays. Le jeune président de 2008 a déçu et le pays condamne ce qui est perçu comme un défaut de leadership, notamment à l’international. Ses adversaires républicains, plus teigneux et haineux que jamais, en ont fait le symbole honni de Washington et de l’Etat fédéral, repoussoir facile dans une Amérique divisée et incertaine. Noir, libéral, urbain, il représente tout ce qu’une partie du pays déteste. Obama a aussi beaucoup perdu parmi sa base traditionnelle noire, hispanique, ouvrière qui attend encore le changement espéré. Dans l’histoire électorale du pays, Obama ne sera pas le premier président ainsi sanctionné - Reagan et même Clinton, en 1994, avaient lourdement perdu. Ce qui n’avait pas empêché la victoire de leur parti à la présidentielle suivante.
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