December: A New Start for Obama

November was a difficult month for Barack Obama. But the midterms may have had the merit of propelling him to a new dimension which could serve as a platform for his 2012 re-election. By signing the tax cut bill, Barack Obama has taken on the role of a president above all parties and now wears the hat of a bipartisan rallying man. Additional successes in December can bring a smile to his face once again. So, is he now dad-in-chief of America?

It was as if John Boehner, majority leader of the Republican House of Representatives, had understood everything. During the November campaign, he showed his muscle and rejected any form of compromise. He held the same position during an interview by the Washington Post, and has somewhat of an allergic reaction to the word “compromise.” Sure, it was a compromise that led to the health care reform bill, but Boehner knows too well that an era of compromise can make the president appear more sympathetic in the face of power sharing. This implies that beyond his personal conviction, a president takes into consideration the concerns of all Americans to make compromises. President Obama displays the qualities essential to the job, among which are humility and tenacity. In other words, Boehner tried to get in the way and ban the word completely: “This is not a time for compromise, and I can tell you that we will not compromise on our principles.”

Nevertheless, the tax cut bill is a living example of compromise, which could lead to feelings of sympathy for the 44th president. Theis sympathy will probably not be found in the realm of Washington ideologues but among the real people, for whom it is vital to continue benefiting from the social and fiscal advantages the Republicans wanted to take away — for example, the poorest of the 10 percent that are currently unemployed. We even saw 45 billionaires wanting to pay taxes because their wealth would benefit others.

We will see compromises which, as the months go by, if they are good deals, could reconcile segments of the population with the president. Barack Obama, who is viewed by some as cold and rather curt, could thus soften his image and again conquer public opinion by showing his ability to make decisions by considering public interest over partisan disputes.

And December was the month that saw two important steps forward for 44:

1 — The Senate vote on the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell that will ease relations with the gay community. Since a few months ago, the shadow of this long-unkept electoral promise polluted his mandate. The repeal of DADT by 65 votes to 31 votes shows that the popularity of this step did not require compromise.

2 — The preliminary vote opening the way for the ratification of START* with Russia. This water snake on nuclear weapons containment was inherited from the Carter presidency and can once again place Obama at the center of negotiations with Russia, which would be in favor of his dimension and image. The Nobel Peace Prize of 2009 doesn’t only serve the Middle East!

Obama and the new political order is an opportunity the Republicans will not let pass them by. But the problem of Latino immigration could very well come back in full force to slow down this nice ray of optimism.

*Editor’s Note: Original article references SALT, but the issue the author is referring to now should be START, not SALT.