WASHINGTON: Barack Obama claimed the presidency eight years ago in Chicago’s Grant Park, declaring “a new dawn” in American history and promising the enthusiastic crowd of a quarter-million people that “we as a people will get there.” “Because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America,” the new president-elect vowed.
But as the nation prepares to choose Mr Obama’s successor on Tuesday, the bold agenda he described that morning remains incomplete. What Obama discovered — and what his successor will learn — is that every presidency lasts for only a brief moment in time.
Mr Obama’s health care bill gave insurance to millions, but he now faces calls for big changes to it. The economy is markedly better, but incomes and growth remain stubbornly low. The immigration overhaul he wanted is tied up in legal limbo, as are his tough new climate rules. Fewer Americans are fighting in overseas wars, but the Islamic State has emerged as a new threat.
“There is a lot of unfinished business,” said Tom Daschle, the former Democratic Senate leader from South Dakota, a longtime supporter of Mr Obama. “The satisfaction comes in knowing that he has changed the landscape in a very profound way. The frustration comes in knowing what might have been.”
Healthcare
Obama's Affordable Care Act, 2010, gave insurance to millions but even Democrats agree that much more needs to be done to improve the cost and quality of that care.
Climate
Obama successfully pressed world leaders to aggressively confront the threats from a warming planet. At home, he demanded tougher fuel standards for cars.
Economy
The economy is markedly better, but incomes and growth remain stubbornly low. The immigration overhaul he wanted is tied up in legal limbo.
— By arrangement with the New York Times
