Grading Obama's first 100 days: Kori Schake

Posted By Kori Schake Friday, April 24, 2009 - 12:05 PM Share

I would give him a C-.

The administration set a politically-expedient timeline for abandoning Iraq with no hedge against resurgent violence or challenges to what we and the Iraqis have achieved in this most important of the wars we are fighting. Their Afghan "strategy" is just an increase in military force without the civilian personnel or politico-economic lines of operations necessary to succeed. The G20 and NATO summits were a bust -- the president failing to get cooperation on stabilizing the global economy or increased effort in Afghanistan. All they could wring out of the UN after a provocative missile test by North Korea was a statement, while the president was proclaiming that actions must have consequences. The Obama administration has improved the atmospherics of foreign policy, but only by apologizing for us and asking for nothing from others.

Most importantly, though, the president submitted a budget that will double the national debt and raise government debt to 85 percent of GDP by 2017. That's by their own calculations. If one applies less hope and more economics to their predictions about the pace of recovery, it's red ink as far as the eye can see. This is the single most damaging thing the president could do to American power.

--Kori Schake

 
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MARTIN SULLIVAN

9:55 PM ET

April 24, 2009

Your angry accusations belie the awarding of a C-

You are either an easy grader or you're trying to get the pupil's undivided attention early in the term and stop the downward trend in his performance.

I believe you are correct in focusing on the economic ramifications of the President's actions in his first 100 days. The rising threat of rampant inflation coming to pass due to the stimulus, the financial system's and other firms' bailouts, as well as the spending projections in the budget, may soon lessen the value of the dollar and cause further erosion of our place in the international order.

If, as you have written, the President cannot muster domestic political consensus to address these ecomonic issues his actions will only have hastened the demise of our power.

 

WOLFBOY

3:04 AM ET

April 25, 2009

Your comments on fiscal circumstances are misleading

Review of the CBO's analysis of the Obama budget makes clear that the red ink as far as the eye can see is really much more a function of the Bush tax cuts and health-care cost escalation than Obama's proposals, which reduce deficits relative to a realistic current-policy baseline.

As Congress' reaction to proposed Obama tax increases and spending cuts makes clear, any president would be facing substantially similar fiscal circumstances.

As for 'abandoning' Iraq - you can't abandon a country that wants you to leave.

 

IAN.D.SMITH

3:59 PM ET

April 27, 2009

How about a C.

Kori, I'd give him a C.

I mostly agree with your assessment of the President's performance on FP so far.

Although I think you underestimate the importance of improving the atmospherics, I agree that if Obama does not get the economy right, American power diminishes greatly. Much or all of his effort would be for naught. And so far, I am skeptical about whether adding so much to our debt is advisable.

Economics may be a dismal and boring science, but it is essential in power calculus.

Kori, what do you say to the popular notion that adding to the debt through high spending is necessary in the short term? And that he will just have to worry later about controlling debt and inflation?

-Ian Smith

P.S. I am afraid Obama's grades and ratings are going to be inflated by most for a while, just because everybody is glad to be rid of George Bush. Giving him a "by" and not keeping him accountable is inadvisable. I am eager for the day when he "owns" this presidency, and stops blaming his predecessor for his woes.

 

Shadow Government is a blog about U.S. foreign policy under the Obama administration, written by experienced policy makers from the loyal opposition and curated by Peter D. Feaver and William Inboden.

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