 "Photo: The White House")
“Yes, we can.” A year ago, hope, change and an optimistic view of the future were the tenets that vaulted Barack Obama to the forefront of the American political scene. Now, with an historic election and ten months in office behind their new president, Americans are discussing how much of Obama’s work has been concrete action and how much has just been talk.
The issue has garnered increasing national attention ever since Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize, an event that invoked a maelstrom of applause and censure. Critics speculated that he won based on his international celebrity and that his popularity amongst the Peace Prize selection committee members was fueled by their dislike of his predecessor, George W. Bush.
Obama’s nomination was solicited in Sept. 2008, two months before he was elected President, which gave critics further reason to dismiss the Nobel Committee’s decision. However, the committee remains confident in awarding Obama, claiming that the “unanimous” decision resulted from his “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.”
The diversity of campus responses to Obama’s award reflected similarly mixed attitudes toward the President’s track record, which for some is a little too thin for this latest nod of approval from the international human rights community. “I think that Obama’s winning the Nobel Peace Prize was absurd and calls into question the legitimacy, or at least the magnitude, of the award,” Wellesley College Republicans co-president Jillian Cunningham ’10 said. “His vague references to ‘community organizing’ during his campaign are his only examples of any humanitarian-service type achievements− certainly nothing worthy of a Nobel Peace Prize.”
The nomination compelled many, like Cunningham, to more carefully weigh Obama’s accomplishments thus far. “My impression, without knowing much about the prize, is that they were awarding it to him for changing the tone of American foreign policy. The funniest thing is, though, all the award caused Obama was grief. He probably wishes he had never won,” political science professor Tom Burke said.
In response to the backlash, some have pointed out the President’s progress with national legislation. “The [American Reconstruction and] Recovery Act was a huge piece of legislation. His work with No Child Left Behind is also intriguing—he’s putting a lot of pressure on states to reform their systems,” Burke said. “Health policy is also something many have talked about in the past—countless presidents have tried to pass reform and failed.” Burke agrees with economists who say the recovery act helped the United States stave off a major depression.
“The fact that this healthcare reform bill has been passed [in the House of Representatives] during the first year of his administration says a lot about his influence in Congress and his weight when it comes to party unity,” Wellesley Democrats Senator Tiffany Lam ’13 agreed.
However, looking toward the future, Cunningham expressed a need for more “constructive plans.” “I would like to see the policies and proposals of the Obama administration shift to a more moderate ground,” she said.
Lam believes that patience will be key for observing tangible results. “Most people are under the impression that once their elected leader is voted into office, ‘change’ will take place right away. I’ve always understood and therefore, accepted, that real progress can only take place over time,” Lam said. “But I have to say, I am impressed with Obama thus far. As corny as it sounds, I have realized that Obama serves as a symbol of a new era where cooperation between different people and ideals is actually possible.”
An evenhanded review of the Obama administration proves challenging for the public, which is kept more than just an arm’s length away from the multitude of issues and decisions being weighed inside the White House. “With any president, there are always a hundred things going on that the public isn’t seeing,” Burke said. “For every piece of criticism or praise that the public advocates, it is conceivable that there is a counterargument to confront it.”
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