History is ripe for the taking. Less than a week ago, Barack Hussein Obama was inaugurated as the first African-American president of the United States.
In addition, he entered the presidency with an 83 percent approval rating, the highest of any president elected for his first term. This fact is a tribute to the objectivity of the American people, as well as their desire for change.
His first week as president, however, has also gone beyond being a merely historical moment. Whether you share his ideology or not, his leadership has given hope to tens of millions of Americans whose dreams have been dashed by deteriorating economic conditions.
I am one of those who don’t agree with Obama’s liberal ideology. I like to think, however, that I see beyond the veil of ideology and see the face of leadership.
Tragically, voters often fail to understand the difference. In his first week in office, for example, Obama has epitomized non-partisan leadership.
Bipartisanship
In just his first few days, Obama has signed a flurry of executive orders and made significant changes to the management of the executive branch. The new president has cleaned up government, articulated policies concerning torture and taken proactive steps to halt the economic crisis and the tension between Israel and Gaza.
Though I was too young to remember many details, I am quite sure George W. Bush’s conservative ideology translated to conservative leadership during his first week in office – conservative as in over-cautious, slow-moving and reluctant.
Obama’s leadership, I think, will transform this government. It has set the foundation for it to be run more effectively in the future for both Democrats and Republicans.
Lobbyists have been targeted, and ethics made a prerequisite for political participation.
Politicians who work for Obama and then leave the administration cannot lobby that administration. Moreover, politicians cannot lobby their former colleagues or departments within two years after leaving their office.
In a White House memorandum by Obama, departments have been ordered to “adopt a presumption in favor of disclosure” in honor of the Freedom of Information Act.
As reported in U.S. News & World Report, Obama said at a ceremony Thursday that his administration will be based on “transparency and the rule of law.” Former presidents now have less power to withhold documents from public view. Documents will no longer be as hard to obtain.
So, in reality, these moves are more conservative and libertarian in nature – if you had to attach an ideological label to them – because they reduce the corruption, power and unaccountability of the executive branch.
In the Bush administration, ambiguity was often the name of the game. The Abu Ghraib controversy was a case in point. Unfortunately, leaders often failed to establish clear-cut rules of engagement.
As a result, mid-level leaders were left to interpret their instructions how they saw fit. Top military and civilian brass knew about many of the problems that were developing but failed to fix them.
Articulating torture
Last week, Obama did what the Bush administration failed to do until its second term: establish specific rules regarding the handling of detainees in the war on terror and the articulation of what constitutes torture.
Whatever you believe concerning the handling of supposed terrorists and what constitutes torture, the Bush administration’s ineffective leadership led to the inadequate application of its ideology and the stain on the United States’ reputation caused by Abu Ghraib.
Economy and Middle East
Also being tackled are the economy and the Middle East crisis. Obama is working on another stimulus package and has sent a special envoy to Israel to facilitate peace between Israel and Gaza. Of course, we don’t know what all is going to be done, but proactive steps are being taken.
Personally, I have been impressed with Obama’s willingness to tackle partisan issues and his desire to make issues bipartisan.
Obama has actively sought the counsel of Republican leaders, but has not obligated himself to make compromises. His stimulus package is a masterpiece of compromise, providing tax returns while also attempting to provide four million jobs through upgrading the nation’s infrastructure.
For now, I will not go into the damaging effects I believe our president will have on the nation’s economy and social system through higher progressive taxes, socialized health care and bigger government.
The inauguration and presidency of Obama, however, demonstrate the beauty of the American style of government. Presidents tend to keep what works from prior administrations and change what doesn’t. In Obama’s case, I am sure, his successes will no doubt continue long after his presidency and become part of his legacy.
Lazarus Austin is a senior majoring in history. He can be contacted at [email protected].