Pros And Cons Of Obama's Second Term In Office

As President Obama began his second term as president of the United States, expectations are soaring amongst the American people. Many second term presidents have found that their second term has left them with more of a burden then acceptance from the public. Though there is a chance for peril, some have experienced notable success during their second term in office. Many presidents experience both pros and cons during their second terms, but do Americans remember the cons more than the pros?

Adam Clymer of the New York Times, is the author of the excerpt “Triumphant Obama Faces New Foe in ‘Second-Term curse’ “ notes the positives and the negatives of a second term in office, as President Obama will begin his second term he faces the possibility

of danger within his presidency. Clymer noted the historical patterns of second term presidential failures since Frank Delano Roosevelt was in office. Clymer also notes that many presidents have experienced success in their second term of office, he recalls president Dwight Eisenhower’s handling of the Little Rock Nine situation in Arkansas in 1957 also recalls the success and popularity of president Ronald Regan during the economic boom of the 1980s.Clymer used a historical approach when he analyzed presidents terms. He believes that Obama has a chance to have success in his second term in office. Clymer is correct because every president stages events and solves differently. Based on their handling of issues, they will establish whether their presidency is a negative or positive one (Cannon, Colman & Mayer p.230-232). One thing that Clymer failed to mention is that Obama, a rather unpopular president is more likely to fall victim TO the curse, his inability to be effective in congress and take charge will certainly affect him down the road.

News Editor Tim Cavanaugh of the magazine Reason described in his article “Beware Obama’s Big Ideas” how he thinks that President Obama’s re-election and “public appeal” will lead him to push his agenda more aggressively in his second term. The author a clear Libertarian believes that the president’s first term blunders such as health care, deficit, and the war will lead him to make irrational decisions during his second term, since he is unable to make the majority of the American people happy. Cavanaugh beliefs that Obamas executive decisions will lead him to give the American people more government and less freedom rather than more freedom and less government (Cannon, Colman & Mayer 233-235). One con that Cavanaugh brings to the table is that his editorial is much more biased as he analyzed the negatives of Obamas presidency; contrary to popular belief he has succeeded with attempting to reform health insurance and Wall Street in order to save jobs and give all U.S citizens affordable healthcare.

Akhil Reed Amar an author of “Second Chances” takes a more neutral approach, as he believes that a second term could be a possibility for both disaster and promise.

He recalls recent presidential terms with former presidents of the 19th and 20th centuries such as Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton, and George Bush, 43rd as he incorporated the “second-term curse” of their respective terms. For Bush, he explains how his opponents made their ways into congress; for Clinton it was his impeachment because of the Lewinsky affair; for Nixon it was resignation due to the major Watergate scandal; and for Reagan it was his involvement with the Iran-Contra affair. He does look at one positive feature that Obama brings to his second term, his youth. President Obama is only in his 50s as he explains that Obama could potentially be an affective political force in the second term. Key issues that Obama should focus on are immigration reform and social security benefits in order to beat the dreaded “second –term curse” (Cannon, Colman & Mayer p235-238). Amar did not mentioned the mid-term elections of 2014, This proved to be an unpopular presidency. Although his term is only halfway completed. The republican people proved that the American public is rather unhappy with a democratic

president.

I agree with Adam Clymer of the New York Times because I agree that not all second term presidents suffer from the “second-term curse”.

One great example that he used is that of Eisenhower achieve notable success in his second term and so did Ronald Regan, who had a near complete electoral sweep when he defeated rival Walter Mondale in the 1984 U.S Presidential Election, as he only lost in McGovern’s home state of Minnesota. The reason why I believe that president’s suffer during their second term is because the American people remember failures more easily then achievements (Wayne p. 323-324). With Obamas second term ending in 2017, I am not able to fully analyze his second term. I feel like Clymer had the most rational approach, the American people are as helpful to a president as critical. Campaigns like re-elections promise the American public something better. Americans are naturally fascinated with elections, a re-election provides Obama with a leadership image, I believe that the “second-term curse” could be broken but Obama needs to sound decisive with current mainstream political issues such as immigration, same-sex, and the

economy.

As editor Lawrence Summers of the Washington Post explained in his news article “Ending presidents second-term curse” that every president including Obama is expected to beat the curse. As he had a rather unpopular first term, he could now learn from certain mistakes in order to make the second term a better one (Summers). It is important to note that most presidents do suffer from a second term disaster, but it will be up to Obama and how he handles policies, issues, and how he performs in D.C.

Overall, I feel that Obama has a fair chance to have a successful second term. He needs to really touch on the issues that are currently mainstream, if he is able to improve his approval ratings in order for his political party to thrive in the upcoming election and leave office the way he came in with a bang.