The president's hump year
The sixth year is often tough, but Obama could triumph
Doyle McManus, LA Times
January 5, 2014
The sixth year of a two-term presidency is rarely kind.
The public's initial romance with the president has faded. The brief momentum he thought he earned by winning reelection has faded too. The White House doesn't set the agenda any more; events are in charge now.
For many presidents — Richard M. Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton — this was the point when the scandals took over. President Obama has run into his share of controversies, but none that quite reached scandalhood. (Does anyone even remember the IRS flap?) But the calamitous launch of Obama's healthcare plan has had the same confidence-sapping effect.
And if the past is any predictor, Obama's plight is likely to get worse before it gets better. The midterm congressional election has almost always taken seats from the second-term president's party, making his job even harder.
So what are the chances Obama can defy the historical pattern and turn his sixth year into a success?
(More here.)
Doyle McManus, LA Times
January 5, 2014
The sixth year of a two-term presidency is rarely kind.
The public's initial romance with the president has faded. The brief momentum he thought he earned by winning reelection has faded too. The White House doesn't set the agenda any more; events are in charge now.
For many presidents — Richard M. Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton — this was the point when the scandals took over. President Obama has run into his share of controversies, but none that quite reached scandalhood. (Does anyone even remember the IRS flap?) But the calamitous launch of Obama's healthcare plan has had the same confidence-sapping effect.
And if the past is any predictor, Obama's plight is likely to get worse before it gets better. The midterm congressional election has almost always taken seats from the second-term president's party, making his job even harder.
So what are the chances Obama can defy the historical pattern and turn his sixth year into a success?
(More here.)
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1 Comments:
Using the word 'hump' in the title would indicate that the administration experienced a sustained increase in approval and yes, plenty of people still remember the IRS scandal and it is still alive.
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