Obama and the Real World

One year later, it’s fashionable to be an Obama-skeptic. But if the enthusiasm over the first black president in the history of the United States arriving at the White House has lasted so long, it’s mostly because the wait was interminable.

It is easy to criticize Barack Obama’s excess of caution, his detachment, his high opinion of himself, or his tendency to want to stay above the fray. To tell the truth, these criticisms seem unfair in view of the very real virtues belonging to George W. Bush’s successor.

There are other explanations for the lack of results one year into Obama’s presidency: the nature of the conflicts in which the United States is enmeshed and the seriousness of the worldwide financial crisis. Of course, the fact that Obama inherited these problems is not a sufficient excuse.

But it can be dangerous to condemn the “weakness” of a president who has decided to be more relaxed about foreign relations. Showing he’s open to dialogue at the beginning of his administration allows him to be firm later on. After all, Obama hadn’t been dithering when he got elected. Now he has three years ahead of him. Nothing says he won’t be ready when it’s time to act.

In short, judging a president and his policies so quickly can lead to premature conclusions. On the other hand, Obama’s first year is rich in lessons about the harsh reality confronting him.

On the international front, the policy of open-handedness has transformed America’s image. This policy even encouraged the revolt in Iran. But it will not solve everything. Whether Bush or Obama is at the helm, the balance of world politics is changing. Whatever its policy, America will find it more and more difficult to impose its will.

In the United States, Obama is coming up against similar problems. His mandate is not as broad as they say it is. The will to change is limited. And — as the debate over health care has shown — the political system has become so polarized that it has become as difficult to reform the United States as it is to reform France.

Above all, the beginning of this administration has shown the size of the task that remains to be accomplished. The second year, with the congressional elections coming up, will be no easier than the first.