Not a day goes by without a piece of the President's policies being dislodged or weakened. As the saying goes: defeat has many "claimers". The Republicans are waging their own Jihad against anything the President does, for their own reasons, primary to have some smoke-screen handy, in order to hide their more fratricidal doings. The White House acts like Houdini, unable to disentangle himself after gone a trick too far.
One by one the goals of the President backfire or get stuck in the mix of Democratic amateurism and Republican obstructionism. Obama has lost his ability to communicate and he lost the common sense to evaluate the public mood. He touts climate change at a time when the Americans are Christmas shopping for guns rather than being glued to the Weather Channel.
The mood in the US is one of disbelief. Americans are smart enough to realize that for now they have become "almost dispensable" in world affairs. The current Trump poll numbers are more the result of "pique" than of "hype". When diminished or uneasy, countries tend to become insular and go for noise. Trump is, by the way, a formidable competitor playing with bombast on frustration and a new inferiority complex in the land. If elected (no chance) he would be a pariah in the world, making Putin "thoughtful" in comparison.
The President should take some cues from de Gaulle. Rather than sticking to what doesn't work, he should change course...and personnel. He obviously wanted to reboot America first and re-dimension its involvement in world affairs. What he got is a nervous breakdown at home and a devastating reality-check abroad. As a result the United States is in a real confidence/socio-cultural impasse. The intelligentsia chooses for the Aventine, while the demagogues encircle the Capitol. Obama looks totally out of touch. The knowledgeable scholar of yesterday became a president, ignored almost. The Pax Americana is crumbling around the world, while the homeland is besieged by the most unwelcome but understandable challenges.
"New Reality" among allies is no substitute for former sharing of moral principles.
These times call for a study of character to unlock where the President stands. Given his intellect, the result should be interesting. Seldom has such potential been wasted in the minds and hearts of so many. The world is orphaned without American leadership. Babble is no substitute for speech. Obama's legacy might be a sad one, indeed.
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