The first 100 days of President Barack Obama

Apr 29 2009 Agenda by Anthony Painter, Birmingham Post

Historian Anthony Painter examines the first 100 days of Barack Obama’s United States presidency.

At a press conference two-thirds into his 100 days in office, President Obama was asked if his administration was ‘colour-blind.’

He responded, “I think that the last 64 days has been dominated by me trying to figure out how we’re going to fix the economy, and that, affects black, brown and white. And you know, obviously, at the inauguration I think that there was justifiable pride on the part of the country that we had taken a step to move us beyond some of the searing legacies of racial discrimination in this country, but that lasted about a day.”

So the celebration of that historic step was just that - a celebration. Whether politically for or against him - mainly for - the world celebrated that day on January 20 as it felt like US has reminded us why it is continually able to dazzle us. It has these moments of dramatic change, where hope triumphs over fear and it seizes the future - and justice - with both hands.

Some had an inkling what an Obama administration would be like. It was just an inkling though. His response to the latest stage of the financial crisis that came with the collapse of Lehman Brothers on September 15 of last year demonstrated a calmness and sureness of touch that distinguished him from his Republican rival, Senator John McCain. It was obvious that he was intelligent and charismatic. These are all good qualities in a leader. But no-one really knew how well he would fare on the job.

That day-long celebration, watched live by two million people and countless more around the world, signalled a break with the failed presidency of George W Bush. But you never really know how a president is going to perform until they are there making critical decisions day to day.

So historians and journalists since the time of President Franklin D Roosevelt have used the notion of 100 days to make an early assessment of a president. In his 100 days, FDR passed a raft of legislation through Congress under the umbrella of the New Deal: banking reform and support, agricultural support, public project financing, refinancing of mortgages, and the introduction of new forms of revenue for government, i.e. through alcohol duties.

The thinking is that FDR set a furious pace of domestic legislation under his New Deal agenda so how do subsequent presidents measure up against that breathless early leadership? And while we’ve been captivated by the celebrity of the new president and his wife, Michelle, and perhaps even by the new White House Portuguese Water Dog, Bo, has the new president actually delivered?

Well, it would seem that the American people think that he has. President Obama’s average approval ratings have barely shifted since he entered office. Roughly two-thirds like what they see and a third do not. Thirty four per cent of the Americans who