Obama’s troubles

Mid-term election results may force Obama to focus on domestic issues, particularly getting the economy back on track.

Euphoria never lasts indefinitely and US President Barack Obama, who has so far carried forward policy on the back of his emphatic 2008 victory, has learnt this in the harshest possible way. The enormous gains made by Republicans in mid-term polls to the Senate and the House of Representatives had not even been predicted by the party itself. The results leave behind a subdued president, who has admitted to making mistakes and blamed the crushing verdict of the American people on an economy that refused to pick up pace. Indeed, 62 per cent of Americans cited the economy and unemployment as key reasons for disappointment with Obama; only seven per cent were concerned by his approach to the war in Afghanistan. There is also displeasure from Republican voters over Obama’s sweeping healthcare reform package, with taxes to go towards funding healthcare for those who have no cover.

The 239 seats out of 435 won by the Republicans in the House of Representatives leave the Democrats with just 185. In the Senate, the Democrats retain a narrow majority with 49 seats in the chamber of 100, while the Republicans, picking up six extra seats, now hold 46. The results, which mark the biggest Republican victory in six decades, included some especially embarrassing set-backs for the Democrats on seats they considered their own. This also means they must work with the Republicans to push through many aspects of policy. President Obama has already made overtures seeking cooperation and expressing a willingness to take on board some Republican views.

But there are bound to be clashes. One area where this may happen involves the closure of Guantanamo Bay and the trial of terrorist suspects. The Republicans have opposed the Obama administration’s plans in this respect. Overall, the election results may force President Obama to focus far more energy on domestic issues, particularly on getting the economy back on track. This may mean reduced concentration on issues such as the war on terror and the implications of this for Pakistan will become clearer as the Obama team reviews what it needs to do next.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 5^th, 2010.