Within days of his inauguration, Barack Obama had established a unique presidential style, displaying the charm of Reagan and the ruthlessness of Roosevelt as he introduced a blizzard of new legislation. Here, Paul Harris identifies the moments that illustrate Obama's steel, dignity and intimacy
- Paul Harris The Observer, Sunday 25 January 2009
It was as swift and ruthless a transfer of power as has happened in US presidential history. All the pomp and ceremony, cheering throngs and glamorous balls did little to distract from the fact that the Obama administration wasted no time in taking lightning action.
In his first 100 hours in power, Barack Obama reversed many policies put in place by George W Bush, ranging from curbing lobbyists to closing Guantánamo to appointing new special envoys to the world's trouble spots.
The new era of Obama dawning in America's capital has begun well, receiving rave reviews from the media and even winning grudging respect from Republicans. It has been a frenetic few days as Obama and his top staff have struggled to move into their new homes and offices, as well as trying to impose a dramatic new direction from day one. Few experts think it could have gone much better. "Expectations and anticipation are clearly high and it is unfair to put that on anyone's shoulders. But if anyone can live up to those expectations, it is him. It is like suddenly the adults are in charge again," said Professor Shawn Bowler, a political scientist at the University of California at Riverside.
But those very expectations are a problem. Few presidents have entered the Oval Office amid such a mixture of hope and fear. The economic crisis has many ordinary Americans in a panic and looking to Washington for a steady hand. At the same time Bush has departed as a hugely unpopular leader, seen by many as a disaster for America, both at home and abroad, and so Obama is seen as almost a revolutionary change.
Certainly Obama has moved quickly to try to live up to those expectations. It began in the first minutes of his presidency, when he delivered an inaugural speech that was a stinging attack on Bush's legacy. As Bush listened, Obama rejected many of the key planks of Bush's rule, from national security policy to the misuse of science. Washington had seen nothing like it since Franklin Roosevelt rebuked Herbert Hoover in 1933 by saying: "The money-changers have fled from their high seats in the temple of our civilisation." No wonder Bush's top aides were rankled on the plane home to Texas, openly complaining about Obama's tone.
Not that Obama or his staff cared. During the first three full days of his presidency, Obama and his team pushed through a series of measures and appointments signalling a new beginning. Yesterday was also a working day, as Obama unveiled details of the massive economic stimulus package he intends to force through Congress, despite Republican reservations.
The most dramatic move was the order to close the Guantánamo terrorist detention centre in Cuba. The jail had become a rallying cause for critics of America worldwide and Obama's swift move is likely to rehabilitate much of America's reputation abroad. Obama also effectively banned the CIA's controversial practice of rendition and closed off its ability to use torture techniques to interrogate suspects abroad. The diplomatic offensive continued with the appointment of former Senator George Mitchell as a special envoy to the Middle East and former UN ambassador Richard Holbrooke to the same post for Afghanistan and Pakistan.
A similarly hot pace was set domestically. Obama issued three executive orders aimed at increasing the transparency of his government and opening access to presidential documents that Bush had made more difficult. He also took the important symbolic measure of freezing wages for 100 of his top staffers. Finally, he introduced a genuinely tough set of rules aimed at curbing the influence of the lobbyist industry, limiting their ability to join government or for his staff to leave and take jobs at lobbying firms.
The pace and calm execution of measures impressed many, though few of Obama's plans were radical. Instead they reflected a firm moderation that typified his campaign message of appealing to middle-ground Americans. "He has done some very smart things. From day one he has also been reaching out to Republicans," said Bowler. "He's getting rave reviews. Even from Republicans."
To his supporters, which seem to include many in an almost fawning US media, Obama last week successfully blended elements of some of the most fondly remembered presidents. He has shown some of the charm and humour of Ronald Reagan, the seriousness of purpose of Franklin Roosevelt, and the rhetorical, unifying flourishes of his hero, Abraham Lincoln.
But it is unlikely to last. Obama is riding his huge wave of popularity into some dangerously choppy waters. The economic crisis is getting worse by the day and he is trying to push a massive stimulus package through Congress in order to try to rescue some of the devastated economy. But the effort is drawing fire from Republicans and could lay the groundwork for a tough battle as Obama seeks to get a major initiative approved early on. Obama has also already seen US forces apparently carrying out a missile attack in Pakistan, the sort of thing closely associated with Bush's war on terror and emblematic of the troubles awaiting Obama abroad. There will be more incidents like that, and most will be much more serious. Unlike his first 100 hours, the signs are that Obama's first 100 days will not be so smooth.
It was a performance that displayed Obama's often overlooked political ruthlessness and satisfied an election campaign that had run on a single-word slogan: change. "Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and begin again the work of remaking America," Obama said. He then detailed a list of shifts, ranging from respecting science to national security to wealth redistribution to decreasing partisan attacks to restoring American ideals in foreign policy.
Not surprisingly, there were grumbles on the Bush plane back to Texas. Not from Bush himself, but some of his long-time advisers and former staff - such as Karen Hughes and Dan Bartlett - bristled at the attack and let their opinions be known. In typical style - and reflecting where power now lies - Obama's chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, gave their complaints short shrift and mocked the Bush supporters as out-of-touch. "If they didn't know that was the judgment of people, then their subscription to the newspapers were cancelled over the last three years," he said.
Later in the week, Obama ordered the closure of the notorious Guantánamo Bay detention camp for terrorist suspects. He also issued orders that effectively shut down a CIA network of clandestine interrogation centres abroad and banned the use of torture and rendition. On Friday, he lifted the ban on funding for international organisations that offer advice on or perform abortions. During the afternoon he met both Democrats and Republicans from Congress to stress the urgency of the proposed $825bn economic recovery package.
The White House itself was earmarked for a technological makeover. Many new staff on the Obama team - used to the high-tech instruments of their ultra-sophisticated election campaign - were perplexed by ageing computers, a shortage of laptops and old software that led them to set up their own email accounts. New presidential spokesman Bill Burton said: "It's like going from an XBox to an Atari."
Other significant appointments confirmed the new commitment to dialogue. Senator George Mitchell was made a special envoy to the Middle East and former UN ambassador Richard Holbrooke will perform the same role in Afghanistan and Pakistan. But there was no move yet on creation of a similar post for Iran. Though Obama has held out the promise of talks with Tehran, he is biding his time. On Friday, Gordon Brown received a welcome phone call, becoming the first EU leader to speak to the new president. During a 15-minute chat, Obama and Brown talked about the global economy, Zimbabwe, and that spectacular inauguration ceremony.
No one who watched America's first black president dancing cheek to cheek with its first black first lady, as Beyoncé serenaded them at the Neighbourhood Ball, could doubt that glamour has returned to the White House. It was like a scene from a Hollywood movie and created images of fashion and celebrity to rival anything that emerged from JFK's vaunted "Camelot". Strong, uncomplicated and loving marriages - such as those of both Bush presidents and Ronald Reagan - are no stranger to the White House. The Obamas continue in that tradition, but have added a dose of youthful style and class.
But the visit also showed the realities of the security bubble in which the family now live. The drive to St John's church involved 20 Secret Service members, a 14-car motorcade, the presidential limousine known as "The Beast" and the deployment of precautionary gas masks. The drive took 90 seconds. Yet that is now normal life for the Obamas. The huge security bubble surrounding them will make it difficult to fulfil their promise to involve themselves in the city outside the machinery of government. That is especially true given the capital's poor, mostly black population which has serious crime issues. But that makes Obama's pledge to embrace the city all the more important.
This was hardly new territory for Obama. During the campaign he had set up a website to debunk rumours ranging from his being born abroad to being a secret Muslim. Once again Obama's team moved swiftly and left nothing to chance. Roberts visited the White House again, and this time administered the oath correctly.
But it showed how not everyone is joining the love-fest surrounding America's new presidency. The media may be swooning and approval ratings currently remain sky-high, but Obama's victory was no landslide, with some 47% of Americans preferring John McCain. The Republican party is now finding its new role outside power as an opposition. Future setbacks, more serious than getting one's lines wrong, will lead to attacks less easy to deal with.
In his first 100 hours in power, Barack Obama reversed many policies put in place by George W Bush, ranging from curbing lobbyists to closing Guantánamo to appointing new special envoys to the world's trouble spots.
The new era of Obama dawning in America's capital has begun well, receiving rave reviews from the media and even winning grudging respect from Republicans. It has been a frenetic few days as Obama and his top staff have struggled to move into their new homes and offices, as well as trying to impose a dramatic new direction from day one. Few experts think it could have gone much better. "Expectations and anticipation are clearly high and it is unfair to put that on anyone's shoulders. But if anyone can live up to those expectations, it is him. It is like suddenly the adults are in charge again," said Professor Shawn Bowler, a political scientist at the University of California at Riverside.
But those very expectations are a problem. Few presidents have entered the Oval Office amid such a mixture of hope and fear. The economic crisis has many ordinary Americans in a panic and looking to Washington for a steady hand. At the same time Bush has departed as a hugely unpopular leader, seen by many as a disaster for America, both at home and abroad, and so Obama is seen as almost a revolutionary change.
Certainly Obama has moved quickly to try to live up to those expectations. It began in the first minutes of his presidency, when he delivered an inaugural speech that was a stinging attack on Bush's legacy. As Bush listened, Obama rejected many of the key planks of Bush's rule, from national security policy to the misuse of science. Washington had seen nothing like it since Franklin Roosevelt rebuked Herbert Hoover in 1933 by saying: "The money-changers have fled from their high seats in the temple of our civilisation." No wonder Bush's top aides were rankled on the plane home to Texas, openly complaining about Obama's tone.
Not that Obama or his staff cared. During the first three full days of his presidency, Obama and his team pushed through a series of measures and appointments signalling a new beginning. Yesterday was also a working day, as Obama unveiled details of the massive economic stimulus package he intends to force through Congress, despite Republican reservations.
The most dramatic move was the order to close the Guantánamo terrorist detention centre in Cuba. The jail had become a rallying cause for critics of America worldwide and Obama's swift move is likely to rehabilitate much of America's reputation abroad. Obama also effectively banned the CIA's controversial practice of rendition and closed off its ability to use torture techniques to interrogate suspects abroad. The diplomatic offensive continued with the appointment of former Senator George Mitchell as a special envoy to the Middle East and former UN ambassador Richard Holbrooke to the same post for Afghanistan and Pakistan.
A similarly hot pace was set domestically. Obama issued three executive orders aimed at increasing the transparency of his government and opening access to presidential documents that Bush had made more difficult. He also took the important symbolic measure of freezing wages for 100 of his top staffers. Finally, he introduced a genuinely tough set of rules aimed at curbing the influence of the lobbyist industry, limiting their ability to join government or for his staff to leave and take jobs at lobbying firms.
The pace and calm execution of measures impressed many, though few of Obama's plans were radical. Instead they reflected a firm moderation that typified his campaign message of appealing to middle-ground Americans. "He has done some very smart things. From day one he has also been reaching out to Republicans," said Bowler. "He's getting rave reviews. Even from Republicans."
To his supporters, which seem to include many in an almost fawning US media, Obama last week successfully blended elements of some of the most fondly remembered presidents. He has shown some of the charm and humour of Ronald Reagan, the seriousness of purpose of Franklin Roosevelt, and the rhetorical, unifying flourishes of his hero, Abraham Lincoln.
But it is unlikely to last. Obama is riding his huge wave of popularity into some dangerously choppy waters. The economic crisis is getting worse by the day and he is trying to push a massive stimulus package through Congress in order to try to rescue some of the devastated economy. But the effort is drawing fire from Republicans and could lay the groundwork for a tough battle as Obama seeks to get a major initiative approved early on. Obama has also already seen US forces apparently carrying out a missile attack in Pakistan, the sort of thing closely associated with Bush's war on terror and emblematic of the troubles awaiting Obama abroad. There will be more incidents like that, and most will be much more serious. Unlike his first 100 hours, the signs are that Obama's first 100 days will not be so smooth.
The family assets
The introduction of Sasha and Malia Obama to the White House was one of the most delicate issues of last week. Everyone in the White House becomes a symbol for something and the pressures of growing up at the most important house in the world are immense. But America fell firmly in love with the Obama daughters as their introduction to the world was handled with cool and aplomb. For the girls, the experience was probably helped by the surprise appearance on inauguration night of the Jonas Brothers boy band, who were hiding behind one of the doors. Obama has already urged the media to respect the girls' privacy.The ruthless streak
Rarely has an inauguration speech so clearly repudiated the legacy of the outgoing president. Though Obama and Bush appeared to have run a seamless transition, the aura of conviviality ended on the podium. The freshly minted president wasted no time spelling out the changes he would bring to American politics and diplomacy even as Bush - who had been booed by the crowd as he entered - watched as a newly private citizen.It was a performance that displayed Obama's often overlooked political ruthlessness and satisfied an election campaign that had run on a single-word slogan: change. "Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and begin again the work of remaking America," Obama said. He then detailed a list of shifts, ranging from respecting science to national security to wealth redistribution to decreasing partisan attacks to restoring American ideals in foreign policy.
Not surprisingly, there were grumbles on the Bush plane back to Texas. Not from Bush himself, but some of his long-time advisers and former staff - such as Karen Hughes and Dan Bartlett - bristled at the attack and let their opinions be known. In typical style - and reflecting where power now lies - Obama's chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, gave their complaints short shrift and mocked the Bush supporters as out-of-touch. "If they didn't know that was the judgment of people, then their subscription to the newspapers were cancelled over the last three years," he said.
The seriousness of purpose
Obama had his feet behind the White House desk at 8.35am on Wednesday. His staff were there earlier, many of them skipping inauguration balls the night before in order to prepare the new administration's first full day in power. Obama's chief of staff Rahm Emanuel was Obama's first visitor after giving the new president 10 minutes of private "time for reflection". Then the new White House sprang into action. In a deft nod to the tough times gripping America, Obama froze the pay of 100 top staffers. He also rolled out a new set of rules for his appointees restricting lobbying activities. A trio of decrees was issued with the aim of increasing the transparency of government, reversing measures taken by President George W Bush that made it harder to gain access to presidential documents.Later in the week, Obama ordered the closure of the notorious Guantánamo Bay detention camp for terrorist suspects. He also issued orders that effectively shut down a CIA network of clandestine interrogation centres abroad and banned the use of torture and rendition. On Friday, he lifted the ban on funding for international organisations that offer advice on or perform abortions. During the afternoon he met both Democrats and Republicans from Congress to stress the urgency of the proposed $825bn economic recovery package.
The White House itself was earmarked for a technological makeover. Many new staff on the Obama team - used to the high-tech instruments of their ultra-sophisticated election campaign - were perplexed by ageing computers, a shortage of laptops and old software that led them to set up their own email accounts. New presidential spokesman Bill Burton said: "It's like going from an XBox to an Atari."
The new diplomacy
First phone call - to Mahmoud Abbas, head of the Palestinian Authority. Then a flurry of further conversations with Middle East leaders. It was the old blood feuds of that troubled region that held Obama's immediate attention. Following the talk with Abbas, Obama spoke to Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert, Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak and Jordan's King Abdullah. The sense of a new era for the US abroad was reinforced by the confirmation of Hillary Clinton as secretary of state. Clinton has promised smart diplomacy, replacing the confrontational approach of the Bush era with a more inclusive approach. After spending 18 months attacking each other on the campaign trail, Obama and Clinton are now on the same team.Other significant appointments confirmed the new commitment to dialogue. Senator George Mitchell was made a special envoy to the Middle East and former UN ambassador Richard Holbrooke will perform the same role in Afghanistan and Pakistan. But there was no move yet on creation of a similar post for Iran. Though Obama has held out the promise of talks with Tehran, he is biding his time. On Friday, Gordon Brown received a welcome phone call, becoming the first EU leader to speak to the new president. During a 15-minute chat, Obama and Brown talked about the global economy, Zimbabwe, and that spectacular inauguration ceremony.
Charm and glamour
"How good-looking is my wife?" Obama's compliment to Michelle before one of 12 inaugural balls was effortless, endearing and clearly sincere.No one who watched America's first black president dancing cheek to cheek with its first black first lady, as Beyoncé serenaded them at the Neighbourhood Ball, could doubt that glamour has returned to the White House. It was like a scene from a Hollywood movie and created images of fashion and celebrity to rival anything that emerged from JFK's vaunted "Camelot". Strong, uncomplicated and loving marriages - such as those of both Bush presidents and Ronald Reagan - are no stranger to the White House. The Obamas continue in that tradition, but have added a dose of youthful style and class.
The importance of being humble
Vice-President Joe Biden has been accused in the past by critics of "shooting from the lip". It didn't take him long last week to provide an example. The notoriously gaffe-prone vice-president cracked a joke about the fluffed inauguration oath ceremony when he was asked to swear in senior staff. "My memory is not as good as Justice Roberts," he said in reference to the Supreme Court judge's botched recitation of the oath. A few staff laughed. Obama, acutely aware throughout his first week of setting the right tone, frowned. A gentle touch on the elbow from his boss ensured that Biden reined in the gags and concentrated on the dignity of his new office. A small moment, perhaps. But one that showed Obama's keen sense of propriety. A break, also, with the relentlessly jovial Bush.The easy populist touch
They had stood outside the White House gates, shivering in the bitter cold. Scores of people who had heard about an open house day and Obama's promise of more transparency. But the Secret Service blocked the way. Until, apparently spotting the crowd from a White House window, Michelle Obama signalled that they should be allowed to enter. So it was that dozens of ordinary citizens trooped through the famed residency and were eventually led into the Blue Room to meet the new president. It was a masterstroke of PR as the Obamas greeted them one by one. "Welcome, enjoy yourself. Roam around. Don't break anything," Obama told one young man.Civic pride
The Obamas have chosen to embrace Washington as a city in its own right. The first indications came before his inauguration, when Barack Obama paid a visit to Ben's Chili Bowl diner in Washington's U Street black district. Then, on his first full day in office, he attended a local church service.But the visit also showed the realities of the security bubble in which the family now live. The drive to St John's church involved 20 Secret Service members, a 14-car motorcade, the presidential limousine known as "The Beast" and the deployment of precautionary gas masks. The drive took 90 seconds. Yet that is now normal life for the Obamas. The huge security bubble surrounding them will make it difficult to fulfil their promise to involve themselves in the city outside the machinery of government. That is especially true given the capital's poor, mostly black population which has serious crime issues. But that makes Obama's pledge to embrace the city all the more important.
Conspiracy theories
It did not take long for the conservative right, abetted by internet conspiracy theories, to pounce. Chief Justice John Roberts bungled the wording of the presidential oath, prompting a flurry of speculation as to whether Obama had been truly sworn in as president.This was hardly new territory for Obama. During the campaign he had set up a website to debunk rumours ranging from his being born abroad to being a secret Muslim. Once again Obama's team moved swiftly and left nothing to chance. Roberts visited the White House again, and this time administered the oath correctly.
But it showed how not everyone is joining the love-fest surrounding America's new presidency. The media may be swooning and approval ratings currently remain sky-high, but Obama's victory was no landslide, with some 47% of Americans preferring John McCain. The Republican party is now finding its new role outside power as an opposition. Future setbacks, more serious than getting one's lines wrong, will lead to attacks less easy to deal with.
