American Citizens Refused the Status Quo

It is clear that the essence of America’s choice in this U.S. presidential election was about refusing the status quo rather than a victory for Obama.

There has been the recent financial crisis as well as the long-term Iraq War. A pollster suggests that about 80% of the American people thought the country was going in the wrong direction, and that number has increased compared to the beginning of this year, when this election really took off. The approval rating of President Bush has gone below 30%. The people have even talked about a “Leadership Crisis,” that leaders in any area except soldiers and doctors are deeply distrusted.

In the beginning of this two-year race, the main theme was about security and whether the U.S. can win the War on Terror. However, the focus has moved onto the redistribution of wealth towards the end of the campaign, given the financial crisis. These are the most basic roles of government, and direct questions and doubts over those issues imply the weakening foundation of the U.S. government.

There is one book which has been popularly read by the Obama campaign managers; “The Defining Moment,” which depicts the first 100 days of President Franklin Roosevelt, who was elected in 1932 right after the Great Depression. They must be desperate to find a hint from the experiences of their predecessors on how a leader should rescue a government from an unprecedented crisis.

One ray of light in the current pessimistic atmosphere is probably the election of the first African-American president. Earlier on the 5th, young African voters vigorously claimed with excitement, “We do not mind if Obama fails as the president. We made history today.” But did the U.S. overcome racism with this election? Many, regardless of their race, would say ‘no.’

Mr. Obama is neither a descendant of slaves nor a representative of the Angry Black. His attitude has been rather to rise above race throughout the contest. Reverend Jesse Jackson and other civil rights activists once gave him the cold shoulder.

Mr. Clinton, the last Democratic president, declared at the State of the Union that “The era of big government is over.” But a bigger role of the government is inevitable to deal with the financial crisis. The latest $700-billion rescue plan vividly indicates that. Some experts point out that, “The trajectory towards ‘a small government,’ which lasted for the last three decades, has completely changed” (John Hamre, President of the Center for Strategic and International Studies). Nonetheless, no one seems to know where it’s going. One difficulty is clear— how to steer the boat at this turning point of the era.

“Obama will change the current situation.”— Such an expectation is rising in and out of the U.S. Japan too hopes that the unilateralism of the Bush administration will be corrected. But it has been unknown what he does and what he can do and by how much. A big job now for the Obama administration, which will be formed in January of next year, is going to be to adjust expectations in different directions.