Obama - right place, wrong time

United States President Barack Obama represents the new face and ideas so badly needed in American politics. He opened eyes, ears, minds and hearts. I also believe that he is a sincere man who keeps the best interest of America and the world at the fore.

Pioneering black entertainers, academi-cians, scientists, religious leaders, social activists, civil rights stalwarts, respected professionals and some politicians created the social atmosphere for the election of an African-American president. At last, most Americans realised that colour, race or ethnicity never truly define and, therefore, should never limit anyone.

Obama became president because his concern and genuineness were palpable and Washington had failed the people. It dragged America into an unjust war in Iraq. It repeatedly failed to sufficiently monitor and control the greed of the big businesses and upper echelons of society. It failed to take assertive, corrective steps against beguiling, rapacious and predatory business, until their actions plunged that nation and the world into a global recession (that just fell short of a depression). America was deeply wounded by her own leaders.

Inherited crisis

President Obama inherited a serious financial crisis that requires many years for it to be halted and reversed. Socio-economic programmes designed to rescue flailing economies involve significant time, money, sacrifices and are sure to be extremely unpopular. The recent upheavals in France are testimony to this truism. Then, there is the health-care plan that he apparently wants to make his legacy. But President Obama's health-care reform (nicknamed 'Obamacare') costs, and the last thing that taxpayers want to do is to spend, no matter how small, during a recession.

Unfortunately, in spite of the well-intended, massive, taxpayer-funded bailout, stimulus plan and home-saving pro-grammes instigated by the Obama administration, the positive effects have not sufficiently percolated down to the average US citizen. Job losses have continued at a rate of 9.6 per cent per month, with 14.8 million unemployed persons. Additionally, many people continue to either lose their homes or are about to lose them.

Evidently, job, business and home losses persist in part because too many banks and lending institutions play significant roles in handling and managing the relief programmes. Large institutions have absorbed the life-giving economic injections that were administered, while continuing to hold homeowners to the same ridiculous mortgage conditions that impoverished them in the first place.

Capitalising on the problems

Ironically, the Republicans have capitalised on the very same problems that occurred and mushroomed on their watch - the financial crises, the Mideast war, the Guantanamo Bay debacle and the health-care deficiencies. They capitalised on the unpopularity of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, by spending $80 million on ads linking the voting records of several Democrats to hers. The Republican-aligned Tea Party movement headlined Sarah Palin to regurgitate her signature fluff, flurry and fury to entertain and sway unthinking voters.

Republican political strategists had a field day. It was a midterm election short on facts, long on rhetoric, full of fear and devoid of common sense. Republicans now have control of the House of Representatives, but the Senate remains in Democratic hands. Barack Obama faces a similar uphill battle that two former political giants - Presidents Reagan and Clinton - faced and overcame. Although extraordinarily handicapped by the devastating economic situation, he needs to surmount this midterm election loss and rally to win a second term in office.

In order to achieve this feat, President Obama must see to it that his relief policies get to the people that need help the most - Main Street, grass-roots Americans.

Garth A. Rattray is a medical doctor with a family practice. Feedback may be sent to garthrattray@gmail.com or columns@gleanerjm.com