Stories and Lifestyle: Barack Obama’s 100-day sprint

Since the era of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the first 100 days in office are something like an almost mythical period of grace for any new US president. After Roosevelt, no one has tackled the challenges with quite as much energy as Obama. That’s how the historians sum up his first 100 days. Hardly a day goes by without the president speaking to the public. With unfailing enthusiasm, the media darling continues to advertise his reform message. However, so far there is not the slightest need to worry that the Americans might be getting tired of their leader. Two thirds confirm that he is doing a good job. The only person more popular than himself is his wife Michelle, who has won people’s hearts by being a First Lady extraordinarily close to the people.

With the deeply symbolic announcement to close the Guantanamo prison camp in Cuba on his first day in office, he got off to a spectacular start. Chief strategist David Axelrod confirmed that Obama slipped into the role of president in basically no time. Faster than he grew into the role of presidential candidate.

According to his motto that there is no time to lose, he used the first 100 days, driven also by the economic dilemma, to formulate the most important plans of his ambitious agenda. Explanations of his policies are level-headed and to the point. Obama admitting America’s partial responsibility for the global economic crisis at the summit in London, or admitting that he made a mistake with the nomination of a secretary – things like these are absolute novelties in recent US history.

However, Obama had to realize quickly that his conciliatory path after years of polarization was met with unyielding resistance on the side of the Republican minority in Congress. So, during his short trips across the country, he tries connecting directly with the voting public. The direct support is supposed to give him moral legitimacy.

Euphoria has subsided, first criticism can be heard. Malevolent critics accuse him of a naiveté à la Jimmy Carter, who is regarded as an unlucky do-gooder president. Left-wing followers are disappointed, because they don’t like his tendency towards pragmatism; they had hoped for a complete turnaround in all respects.