President-elect Barack Obama has not signed a single piece of legislation into law, but already he is being compared to the likes of John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela. Amid the Iraq War, a downward spiralling economy and a society that is sharply divided on social issues from gay rights to abortion to gun control, Obama was elected on a campaign promise of a single word – change. His victory has been hailed by many as a watershed moment for America’s history. However, now the election is over and the Democratic Party has swept back to power in Congress, America has, for the first time in two decades, a President that is neither a Bush nor a Clinton, and for the first time ever, an African-American in the country’s highest office. Barack Obama’s journey to the Oval Office has turned the establishment on its head and America, politics and the world may never be the same. However, now that he has the job, what can the world expect from the United States Commander-in-Chief?

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DEMOCRACY 2.0

In winning the Democratic nomination and eventually the election, Barack Obama defeated the two most powerful political establishments in recent American political history – the Republican Party and the Clintons. He did so by rewriting the rules of the election. Rather than relying on a handful of big donors (though Obama certainly had a few of those), the ever charismatic Obama motivated the masses and collected a lot of small donations – both time and money. Much of his success in calling out to the masses comes down to sheer timing. This election occurred at the height of the online social networking craze, and Obama understood that better than his opponents and wielded technology to his advantage. If he stays true to his promises, President Obama will use the same technology and networks to keep the masses engaged in the law-making process, something in America that typically happens behind closed doors with lobbyists jockeying for special interests. With Democracy 2.0, Barack Obama could theoretically inform hundreds of thousands of American citizens about why a particular piece of legislation is stalling, and in some cases, the public could be motivated to lobby with as much force and power as special interest groups. The end result of this has implications both good and bad – the good, the public will be more closely engaged in the lawmaking process. The bad? Since Obama has already proven the most skilled at connecting politics to cutting-edge technology, America’s carefully struck balance of power between the courts, the White House and the Congress may tip toward the executive branch.

DIPLOMACY FOR DUMMIES

One of the turning points in the Primary election was in fact a slip-up on Obama’s part. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama were asked if they would meet with leaders of countries such as Iran and North Korea without any preconditions. The politically safe answer should have been a resounding ‘No.’ However, Barack Obama, perhaps caught off-guard, said yes. While Clinton and later the Republican Party tried to capitalize on that supposed faux-pas, it turned out the American public did not necessarily think his answer a sign of inexperience. Obama has later gone on to give more nuanced replies, but overall, his message – one that clearly resonated with the American voters – was to call for diplomacy to be the cornerstone of American foreign policy. The era of Bush was marked by unilateral action and going in guns blazing with very little diplomacy. An Obama Presidency is more likely to build alliances and exercise all diplomatic options and pressure before calling for military action.

TAKE 3 STEPS LEFT

Though economic policy and the Iraq War were the dominating issues in the final days of the election, some of the most lasting implications of this election will likely be seen in social policy. Not only is Obama viewed as a progressive on social issues, including gay rights, but he will also likely appoint new Supreme Court justices. Currently, the average age of the ‘liberal’ justices is 15 years older than that of the ‘conservatives’, and Obama’s appointments (likely to replace the left-leaning justices of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, age 75, and John Paul Stevens, age 88) are viewed as critical in maintaining the status quo on such decisions as Roe v. Wade (legalized abortion) and creating a Supreme Court that would not enshrine the definition of marriage nationally. When it comes to gay rights, Obama has gone on the record for federal civil unions, strengthening hate crimes protection, passing ENDA (Employment Non-Discrimination Act), repealing the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy in the military and implementing a national HIV/AIDS strategy.

RACIAL HEALING

The 2008 Presidential election saw record numbers of African-American and minority voters turning out to vote and elect America’s first President of a racial minority. Barack Obama’s rise to power has given minorities, particularly African-Americans, hope that their often marginalized voice will be heard in the nation’s capital. Over the course of his Presidential campaign, Barack Obama was seemingly careful to touch on issues of race and call for progress, healing and greater unity within the country. However, he was also very cautious to not focus his campaign on race. A popular catchphrase during the campaigns was ‘Rosa [Parks] sat so Martin [Luther King] could walk; Martin walked so Obama could run.’ However, how far and how fast Obama will run on issues like Affirmative Action and the economic and educational gaps in America remains to be seen.

FIT FOR THE JOB

One of the greatest criticisms of the Bush Presidency has been the nepotism and cronyism that have defined appointments in high-level positions. From Hurricane Katrina to the Iraq War, Bush has been criticized for placing ill-qualified individuals into critical positions with dire consequences. As Barack Obama has put together his team, he has not been afraid to put former rivals (Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State, being the most cited example) into positions of power, and his Cabinet and advisors are likely to debate and challenge Obama’s views far more than Bush’s did. However, Obama has also consistently opted for the ‘safe choice’ in Cabinet positions, leaving sometimes better qualified, but more controversial options to less visible advisory roles. For example, amid the economic crisis, Obama appointed Timothy Geithner Treasury Secretary rather than the arguably better qualified Lawrence Summers (the controversial former President of Harvard University and Treasury Secretary under Clinton) who will remain a close advisor as Director of the National Economic Council.