Obamapectations

It goes without saying that Obama faces the biggest challenges of a new occupant of the White House in over half a century, and that expectations undoubtedly exceed these.  But how quickly will his star fade?  Cynical?  Not really.  It was Enoch Powell who was correct in saying that all political careers end in failure.  And well before that the honeymoon period becomes a distant memory.  For this reason, the Economist ran this interesting feature (in late January, but the blog was, alas, slow to advertse it):

’ WEEK is a long time in politics. By that theory a year is an aeon, so judging the popularity of Barack Obama 12 months hence is a tricky task. Though he entered office last week with pre-inauguration approval ratings of over 80%, the highest for 30 years, sustaining those dizzy heights will be a lot harder. The odds offered on his job rating in January 2010 by Paddy Power, a bookmaker, reflect this. An approval rating of between 50% and 60% is the favourite, at 7/4, whereas the odds offered on maintaining his pre-inauguration rating of between 80% and 90% is 10/1.’

Is it also cynical of me to say that 3/1 looks a good price?

Inside Obama re-election headquarters for 2012 [14 Apr 2012]
Presidential primaries: study note update [20 Oct 2011]
US campaign finance [15 Oct 2011]
Bush shoe incident [6 Oct 2011]
Obama’s political history told through YouTube [22 Sep 2011]
Osama doc on Ch4 well worth watching [8 Sep 2011]
US political parties: introductory exercise [6 Sep 2011]
Documentary heads up [4 Sep 2011]
White House 2012 [4 Sep 2011]
President Twitter [7 Jul 2011]
A solution to Obama’s gay problem? [30 Jun 2011]
Obama’s gay confusion [28 Jun 2011]
Osama, Obama, and the power to persuade [5 May 2011]
Obama and gay rights [21 Dec 2010]
It’s not all about race [22 Nov 2010]
WWOD? [11 Nov 2010]
Great background reading for typical US politics exam questions [30 Oct 2010]
Half Term reading [25 Oct 2010]
Weekend selection [18 Oct 2010]
Accessible article on US midterms, with questions [7 Oct 2010]
What’s up with Obama? [3 Oct 2010]
Tea Party round-up [19 Sep 2010]
Commander in Chief 2012 doesn’t like teachers [11 Aug 2010]
US politics: courts and civil rights [6 Aug 2010]
Midterms 2010 [14 Jul 2010]
Sarah Palin for 2012? [12 Jul 2010]
Racial equality in Obama’s America [18 May 2010]
Two halves of a bank note [5 Feb 2010]
Obama and the State of the Union [1 Feb 2010]
Obama’s first State of the Union [28 Jan 2010]
Obama’s approval ratings [24 Jan 2010]
Extra Obama [20 Jan 2010]
Still more Obama - and ideas for a webquest [19 Jan 2010]
More useful Obama article and video links [18 Jan 2010]
Obama links [15 Jan 2010]
Schama on Obama [12 Jan 2010]
The president and the American political system [31 Dec 2009]
The geography of US jobs [9 Nov 2009]
Media Monday Motown [2 Nov 2009]
Who’s that guy? [28 Oct 2009]
Blank Palin [3 Oct 2009]
Book review value [29 Sep 2009]
Pick of the papers [20 Sep 2009]
Is opposition to Obama racist? [18 Sep 2009]
Obama health care speech reaction [10 Sep 2009]
Focus on US health care [9 Sep 2009]
The President needs Congress [9 Sep 2009]
After Ted: more Kennedys for Massachusetts? [1 Sep 2009]
Obama and racism [17 Aug 2009]
In case you didn’t already know [13 Aug 2009]
Keeping up with Obama [29 Jul 2009]
Obama and the race row [25 Jul 2009]
Obama effect? [22 Jul 2009]
Can Obama meet the health care challenge? [20 Jul 2009]
Obama health check [19 Jul 2009]
Whither support for war on terror? [18 Jul 2009]
Sotomayor and being sleepless in Seattle [18 Jul 2009]
Obama and race [18 Jul 2009]
Obama lacking leadership? [18 Jul 2009]
Obama and Africa [14 Jul 2009]
Checking out? [11 Jul 2009]
Who’s Roe in Roe v Wade? [7 Jul 2009]
Obama and Russia [6 Jul 2009]
Palin’s greatest hits [5 Jul 2009]
Can America get out of its economic crisis? [3 Jul 2009]
Obama and the magic of 60 [3 Jul 2009]
US foreign policy milestone [30 Jun 2009]
FPTP - June/July 2009 [25 Jun 2009]
Book for the beach [23 Jun 2009]
Change to come in America? [19 Jun 2009]
US revision: Obama’s health care reform [16 Jun 2009]
Useful Obama links [16 Jun 2009]
US revision: Obama’s executive office [14 Jun 2009]
US revision: Obama and federalism [8 Jun 2009]
US revision: American Cabinet [4 Jun 2009]
Post AS: A2 American delivery [3 Jun 2009]
American Politics revision: separation of powers [22 May 2009]
Is there an Obama doctrine? [21 Apr 2009]
What about ‘W’? [17 Apr 2009]
Washington Post catch up [16 Apr 2009]
Obama and Cuba [14 Apr 2009]
Paris, parties and partisanship [12 Apr 2009]
US elections revision [7 Apr 2009]
Reality strikes for Obama? [31 Mar 2009]
The West Wing way in [30 Mar 2009]
The politics of nudge [24 Mar 2009]
Obama: first and last [21 Mar 2009]
Obamawatch continues [19 Mar 2009]
Gordomania? [12 Mar 2009]
Larry Sabato [5 Mar 2009]
Obama and the presidency [27 Feb 2009]
More Obamawatch [9 Feb 2009]
Obamawatch [7 Feb 2009]
Advice and consent [3 Feb 2009]
Dealing with the Senate [2 Feb 2009]
The world’s most powerful man? [28 Jan 2009]
First past the post looks at the 2008 election [13 Dec 2008]
Is Europe too racist? [18 Nov 2008]
Schott’s presidential almanac [8 Nov 2008]
Obama speech in full [8 Nov 2008]