Jamie

Weinstein

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May 5, 2009

Obama at 100 Days: Laying the Groundwork for a One-Term Presidency

Last week, Barack Obama celebrated the 100-day anniversary of his “enchanting” presidency. The media took the anniversary as a moment to reflect on all Obama has accomplished during his short time in the Oval Office and bask in his glow.

In fairness to the media, it is hard to argue that Obama’s first 100 days have been anything short of spectacular. Deciding that the previous administration’s fiscal irresponsibility wasn’t sufficiently irresponsible, President Obama upped the ante of irresponsibility during his first 100 days.  Deeply in debt already, Obama’s “stimulus” program turned $400 billion deficits into trillion dollar deficits. Americans quickly learned that Obama was both the president and a financial magician. He makes money appear out of thin air.

Pushing America further along the path to financial suicide would surely be enough for anyone’s first 100 days. But as we all know President Obama is no ordinary president. While racking up mountains of debt, Obama also found the time to travel extensively to beautiful locales in Europe, Mexico, Turkey, Iraq and beyond. And wherever our commander in chief goes, he never forgets to carry an apology note. 

Indeed, whether it was some two-bit international slime ball leader or the leader of a friendly country, Obama proved it is never too late to say you’re sorry. And when Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega viciously accosted America, Reverend Wright-style, at the Summit of the Americas that Obama attended in April, our president responded defiantly to the remarks by noting that all the supposed crimes Ortega spoke of occurred when President Obama was not born or was just a babe. Yes, don’t blame Obama. For Obama, year Zero in American history began at noon on January 20, 2009.

So defending America’s honor may not be our president’s forte. But this trip down memory lane makes one wonder what President Obama will accomplish during his next 100 days?

As day 101 dawned, so did a new threat to America – swine flu. In the worst flu outbreak since last flu season, Obama is firmly in control in what historians will surely see as his 9/11 moment.

The stakes are high. In America, the swine flu has claimed one in every 304,000,000 Americans within the last week. If we continue at this rate for the next 700 years, we may lose as many people to Swine Flu as those who die of the normal flu every year. Thankfully, we’ve got Obama in charge to handle this calamity. Phew.

At the very beginning of his first 100 days, President Obama signed an executive order mandating the closure of the Guantanamo Bay terrorist detention facility within one year. Since we apparently no longer need prisons for terrorists, can we expect that President Obama will expand upon that policy during the next 100 days by shutting down ordinary prison facilities as well? After all, who needs prisons in the Age of Obama anyway? Peace, love, hope and change will solve all of our problems.

There is also little reason to believe that the president is done apologizing to the world. At his current Phelpian pace, however, he just may finish his grandiose Apology Tour before his next 100 days is complete. So what’s next? How about apologizing to history? Medical science has advanced at a rapid pace and we could surely clone historical figures so that President Obama can apologize to them in person.

On the same note, as Obama’s Justice Department contemplates prosecuting Bush-era officials for giving their best legal advice (I guess prisons are still useful for some “criminals”), Obama very well may use his second 100 days to broaden the horizon of possible political witch hunts to include historical witch hunts as well. Why not prosecute Harry Truman posthumously for war crimes? Let’s take on FDR for interning Japanese-Americans! Or, maybe we can get Abraham Lincoln convicted for suspending habeas corpus during the Civil War. What fun!

Even more enticing, these historical prosecutions could serve another purpose other than just to demoralize America. They could actually be attached to Obama’s economic stimulus plan as a sort of Lawyer Bailout. Lawyers fearing the recession might cost them their job would find plenty of positions available to keep them busy in the Obama Justice Department’s Historical Unit.

Finally, having harmed our national security by releasing the so-called “torture” memos, perhaps we can expect President Obama to prove his commitment to transparency by declassifying all American classified documents during his second 100 days. After all, in the Age of Obama, America is now so loved in the world by friend and foe alike that we have little reason to keep secrets. And, most importantly, the president has been a long-time proponent of the “secrets, secrets are no fun unless you tell them to everyone” principle. There are some principles you can break. The “secrets, secrets” rule is not one of them.

A fair and less sarcastic assessment of Obama’s first 100 days shows that while President Obama has taken some positive steps in some areas, he has made a number of disastrous decisions. Some of those decisions, as a certain former vice president has indicated, have made us less safe. 

The good news is that Obama is quickly laying the groundwork to be a one-term president. The bad news is the Age of Obama has only just begun.

© 2009 North Star Writers Group. May not be republished without permission.

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