Difficult Moment for Obama

In less than a month, the United States will be faced with the mid-term elections, which will take place on Nov. 4. It is then that it will elect the 435 members of the House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate, as well as some state governors. The elections are considered to be more of an evaluation of the serving president’s management than a true examination of the situation of Congress itself. Various forecasts anticipate a defeat for the Democratic Party, which would require President Obama to make major adjustments if it materializes.

The president is undergoing a difficult time in America. Not only is he facing his worst approval rating since arriving in the White House —40 percent — but what is more, almost 60 percent reject his handling of the economy. Added to this is criticism in recent days from former colleagues, especially over his handling of foreign policy, and the refusal of several of his party candidates to campaign alongside him. Therefore, the objective of the Democratic Party is limited today to not losing the majority in the Senate, as they have already discarded any possibility of regaining control of the House of Representatives, which is currently in the hands of Republicans.

Should these forecasts materialize, the president will have to take into account the discontent of citizens and advance a search for agreement with the opposition in order to not end up generating a paralysis between the two sides at a time when the U.S. is not only faced with a new conflict in the Middle East, but when some economic indicators have raised the alarm regarding the pace of recovery. Predictably, Obama will have to review his policy of strong government spending and higher taxes, things that have been opposed by Republicans.