The First 100 Days

We all hear about the first 100 days everytime there is new administration or Congressional election. The question always is what will the first 100 days look like? What will take place?

After the 2006 mid-terms the American people heard from Pelosi and Reid that the change, oh the change she was a comin, and it would be glorious. So what happened to the glory? Democrats frittered away their political capital against a weak President on the one issue that he was intractable on and that they had no chance of winning, Iraq. Reid and Pelosi severely miscalculated their potential for success on this one key issue and the result was not what they were hoping for and an expediture of political capital that they could not recover from. Instead of softening the weakened President with blows to other policy areas where they could have had success, they opted for the all or nothing Iraq strategy and lost. Pelosi and Reid are not going anywhere, and are in fact more prominent than before, they will take another pass at Iraq and they will want to do it quickly.

This means that Obama's first 100 days are going to be rife with risk and it will take a master politician to navigate the choppy waters of his mandate. Obama owes the left and they are going to come after him early and often to get what they want. Expect that Iraq, SCHIP and Health Care, taxation plans, spending plans and programs will spring forth from the Congress like Old Faithful. Obama's ability to placate the left with some victories without further damaging the economy will come to the forefront. If he can make his way through it will be impressive.

Ahhh but there is the darned economy. Obama has another group that he owes, new voters. They are going to want all the things that he promised them as well. Better financial times, more money in the pockets of the lower and middle class, Health Care etc... The way in which he handles the populace will be the very telling as well.

Obama is in a sticky spot at present. Bend to the left and risk the economy or bend to the new voters and risk the left. This will be an entertaining 100 days starting in January of 09 and I expect it will be fantastic to watch.