The Powerless U.S. President

Barack Obama was elected to solve problems. Americans don’t want him to show how limited presidential powers really are.

It’s not much fun being president of the United States these days. Instead of transforming the world power’s future with courageous reforms, he has to deal with one failure after another. America may be able to fly to the moon and explore Mars with scientific probes but despite all its technical accomplishments it has been unable to plug a damned hole a mile below the surface of the ocean. Things already weren’t going well in Afghanistan and then the commanding general there lets a reporter listen in for days as his staff blasphemes America’s political elite. It’s enough to make you crawl out of your own skin. Is Obama surrounded by amateurs?

Obama’s approval ratings are in decline. The latest NBC-Wall Street Journal poll shows more negatives than positives for the first time of this administration at 48 to 45 percentage points. The main cause is the helpless image Obama has been projecting in the handling of the Gulf oil spill. It’s no more his fault than is the economic crisis he inherited from George W. Bush, but Americans elected him to solve such problems; they don’t want to hear him talk about the limits of presidential power. They want to see positive change in their everyday lives and they absolutely hate to see pictures showing America’s helplessness. The 444 days American diplomats spent as hostages in Iran after the 1979 revolution wasn’t Jimmy Carter’s fault either. But they did cost him his reelection. George W. Bush didn’t cause Hurricane Katrina, but his crisis management team proved inept; after that, his standings were in the cellar and his ability to influence events limited.

Obama has to begin fearing that the Republicans will regain control of Congress this fall and the electorate may deny him reelection in 2012. What an embarrassment that would be — the first black President in America turned out of office after just one term.

In General McChrystal’s case, Obama acted quickly; he can’t be accused of dithering there. But the affair did point out the extent to which the White House, the military and the diplomats are at odds with one another concerning the right strategy for Afghanistan. That damage can scarcely be controlled. The news on the jobs front also shows no improvement despite the fact that Obama successfully passed a bold economic recovery package just three months after taking office. He wasn’t able to increase troop levels in Afghanistan as easily as George W. Bush was able to launch the Iraq war. He discussed his options with experts for three months and is convinced he acted responsibly; his successes there, however, remain limited.

He nearly stumbled on healthcare reform in 2009. He had to employ deft political management skills behind the scenes to get that through Congress. He then got a quick bonus with the nuclear disarmament agreement between the United States and Russia. For that, he received high marks for his perseverance and foresight a mere three months ago. Healthcare reform was long overdue not only because it was a shame to have 47 million uninsured citizens in such a wealthy nation, but also because skyrocketing healthcare costs were threatening to destroy government budgets. But the majority of Americans give him no credit for that: they stubbornly cling to the notion that he’s too liberal, wants to change American society too radically and is neglecting to manage everyday life responsibly.

America isn’t becoming more liberal just because the president wants it that way and, at least from a European perspective, has good arguments to support his policies. It’s far more a matter of the harder he pushes on issues — to end the addiction to oil in favor of renewable energy, for more government involvement in healthcare, for increased borrowing in order to stimulate the economy — the more political resistance he encounters; and thus creating better chances for a right-wing comeback. Obama can’t ignore the mood of the public if he wants to win elections and re-legitimize his administration. He isn’t making America more European; on the contrary, Americans are forcing him more toward the center-right. Otherwise he will have to go.