Can Barack Obama’s “Bottom Line” Save the U.S.?

The first White House press conference after Obama took office received a great deal of global attention, in a moment of the most severe economic crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Of the 13 questions raised by reporters, 8 focused on economic recovery plans. It was obvious that the economic issue took center stage.

Obama had a pre-arranged sequence of questions that would be raised by the journalists. This conference was unique because Obama gave the Internet media site, the Huffington Post, a chance to raise a question.

At the conference, Obama remained steady and calm, as usual. He accurately grasped the content and direction of conversation and hardly engaged in rhetorical debate with the journalists. However, that night’s press conference was not as impressive as expected, compared to the speech Obama gave that morning in Elkhart, an auto-manufacturing city, now suffering from severe unemployment.

At the press conference, Obama used the phrase “my bottom line is…” to direct reporters’ questions, which he used eight times throughout the rest of the conference.

Obama hopes that Congress will hold nothing back in supporting economic revitalization plans, saying “my bottom line when it comes to the recovery package is, send me the bill that creates or saves 4 million jobs.” The bottom line of creating 4 million jobs was made imperative after the unemployment rate reached 3.6 million recently in the U.S. The “bottom line” expression seemingly became Obama’s platitude and main theme of the conference that day.

In response to diplomacy and anti-terrorism issues, Obama said, “remembering the 9/11 attack that killed 3,000 Americans” is the bottom line in his dealings with Afghanistan and Iraq.

Obama’s last “bottom line” remark was made in response to financial bailout issues. He did not disclose what the new government would do to the financial sectors before the Secretary of Treasury officially makes the announcement. But Obama stressed that his real “bottom line” is whether or not credit flows to the people who need it. Is it moving towards businesses and consumers? Are they able to operate in ways that generate jobs and economic growth on Main Street?

Next, we need to see if Obama’s “bottom line” can really rescue the U.S. indicators. Will we know when we have reached the bottom?