In a result that has not surprised most Americans, President Barack Obama has been essentially reduced to the status of a lame duck president as Republicans seized control of the US Senate, following mid-term polls, which gave them a remarkable series of victories in some unexpected places. The status is not an unusual one for US presidents in their second term. Each president since Ronald Reagan has lost control of Congress during his second term.
The results that have come in put the Republicans more firmly in control of the House of Representatives, while they also made inroads into the Senate, as well as winning the races for governors of key states, including President Obama’s home state of Illinois. The vote from the American people seems to demonstrate opposition for the domestic policies of the Obama Administration, notably its efforts to increase the role of government in various areas of life. The Republicans have been campaigning consistently against such control and the health policy, of course, remains a topic of much controversy. Last minute Democrat efforts to bring out voters did not work and surveys suggest that many traditional Democrat voters chose not to cast ballot at all.
There has been a strong message from both camps for cooperation to ensure that the affairs of government can run smoothly. How far this will happen is yet to be seen. President Obama can expect a harder battle to get bills through the Senate and to implement his vision. Eyes, of course, are already on the next presidential contest in 2016. The results may appear to show a strong Republican surge, but there is no reason to believe this will translate into the Republicans gaining the White House. The Democrats, for now, appear to have the more popular candidates to put out into the race. They include Hillary Clinton, and for many, she would appear to be the person best poised to win the next polls for the most powerful post in the world.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 7th, 2014.
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@Karim Khan: A republican president would have put boots on the ground.The psuedo-caliphate of perverted ISIL murderers can't be ignored.He tried his best to keep out of it for which he was chided by republicans.It is true that USA should stay out of the mess that is middle east.It is purely a Muslim problem,and never likely to improve.Shias and Sunnis have been fighting each other for centuries,and have never tried to reconcile.But if Obama has not interfered in Syria,his popularity would have been even lower.
In my two years spent here in US, I totally agree with the reason for Obama's unpopularity. However, nationwide polls have shown that his popularity dropped most sharply due to his horrible foreign policy, especially in Middle East. Even many democrats who used to defend his domestic policies would go silent when his war announcement on Syria came. That was a huge embarrassment for a President who had received a Nobel Prize for Peace (and had raised many fingers at the credibility of this prize back then).
Obama is less popular than George Bush after Katrina - that says it all. His domestic influence is now pretty much limited to vetoing legislation he doesn't like. He's unpopular and he knows it - expect him to travel abroad and focus on foreign policy.