President Obama turns 50 years old today. More than half-way through his first term, is the Obama presidency going through a mid-life crisis? A mid-life crisis comes for many adults at a turning point in life (or an administration) where an individual takes stock of where they are and makes adjustments based upon where they believe they need to be.
Most people who go through this process will balance their successes in life such as career, family, and health, against challenges such as debt (personal or national) and loss (familial or legislative).
As President Obama takes stock of the accomplishments of his administration there is a lot to be proud of. In 2009 he signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act into law. The data shows American women who work full-time are paid only 77 cents for every dollar paid to their male counterparts. African-American women make only 62 cents, and Hispanic women only 53 cents, for every dollar earned by white, non-Hispanic men.
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Simply put, this legislation resets the 180 day statute of limitations for filing an equal-pay claim with every paycheck received, making it easier for women who have been discriminated against to seek redress.
He signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act making it easier to prosecute individuals and groups who engage in crimes motivated by a victim’s actual or perceived race, gender, disability, or sexual orientation. He signed the repeal of the controversial of the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.
The Credit CARD Act was signed in 2009 along with the extension of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act making it easier for students to qualify for financial aid and increased Pell Grants making it easier for students to pay for college.
Many believe that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act signed in 2010 could be the most significant piece of legislation enacted to date by the Obama administration. This law reforms the private health insurance industry and public health insurance programs, to improve coverage for those with pre-existing conditions, expands access to care for over 30 million Americans, and reduces the long term costs of the U.S. health care system.
In the minds of many these accomplishments, as significant as they are have not been enough. The optimism of “Yes We Can” and “Change We Can Believe In” has turned into the pessimism of “if not now when” and “if not you, who?”
According to recent Gallup polling President Obama’s job approval rating is 49 percent disapprove to 42 percent approve. According to Gallup, “U.S. economic confidence has been running below 2010 levels during most of June and July. But the recent plunge sent this year’s economic confidence down even further — back to the recessionary levels of early 2009.”
The pessimism stems from a seeming inability to craft and articulate a cohesive direction or message and highlight his accomplishments up to this point. There is also a perception that the president is unwilling or unable to fight for the principles that he ran on and compromises with an ideologically driven conservative House of Representatives at the expense of working and middle-class Americans.
The most significant examples of this would be the “public option”. White House adviser Valarie Jarrett stated on MSNBC’s Morning Joe “He’s (Obama) committed to it, he’s pushing for it, and he’s absolutely committed to delivering on health care reform this year.” The administration compromised on the issue.
As a candidate for president and as president, Obama was committed to ending the Bush era tax cuts.In December of 2010 the administration compromised; arguing that the extension of unemployment benefits amounted to a second chance to stimulate the still-fragile economy.
The president committed to closing the military prison at Guantanamo Bay; it’s still open for business. During the debt ceiling debate the president consistently stated “Not only is it not fair if all this is done on the backs of middle-class families…the best way to take on our deficit is with a balanced approach…one where wealthy Americans and corporations pay their share, too.” Revenues were conspicuously absent in the resulting compromise.
Many see these “compromises” as concessions. Capitulations based upon inexperience, weakness and an inability to effectively negotiate with conservatives in Congress. The administration will argue that they have been forced to deal with an ideologically driven intransigent Congress that refuses to work towards solutions that benefit all Americans.
As the electorates focus moves towards the 2012 elections, the battle lines will become clearer and the space for compromise will narrow. In dealing with this mid-life or mid-term crisis a three-step program must be adopted in order to move forward.
Step 1, reality check. Some of your “compromises” are actually losses for the poor, working and middle-class people who voted you into office. You can not negotiate with individuals who have sworn to make you a one-term president.
Step 2, dance with the one who brought you. Yes, you are the president of all of America but this is real politics. You owe more to your base, the 53 percent of Americans who sent you to the White House than your opposition.
Step 3, Fight! Use your bully pulpit and allies to communicate a clear explanation of the current reality and a vision going forward.
© 2011 InfoWave Comuications, LLC. Dr. Wilmer Leon is the Producer/Host of the call-in talk radio program “Inside the Issues with Wilmer Leon,” on Sirius/XM 128. He teaches at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Go to www.wilmerleon.com or email: wjl3us@yahoo.com. www.twitter.com/drwleon
