Chapter 7
Immediately following his inauguration as president on January 20, 2009, President Obama could look forward to a “honeymoon period” with the press and the public during his first few months in office. The question was not whether that honeymoon would occur, but how, if at all, the newly elected president would take advantage of it. In the case of Obama, this early honeymoon period was marked by numerous legislative achievements: the $787 billion fiscal stimulus bill, a budget reconciliation bill, and massive intervention in the housing and credit markets.
Still, Obama’s honeymoon period proved disappointing in at least one respect. Past U.S. presidents have found that during this initial period, even Congressional opposition is likely to support some of the new president’s more controversial initiatives. Ronald Reagan, for example, was able in 1981 to win support from the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives for some of the largest tax cuts in American history. FDR in 1933 was able to pass a record number of bills during his administration’s first 100 days with help from many Republicans. Barack Obama’s legislative victories, by contrast, were achieved almost entirely on the strength of his Democratic congressional majorities.
Realistically, Barack Obama’s honeymoon period began to wind down during May 2009, as his approval ratings began to plummet down into the 50 percent range on a regular basis. By then the nation was already growing frustrated with the nation’s continued economic woes, and many were willing to transfer at least some of the blame to the new administration (concerns about the growing deficit also hurt Obama’s standing). Other presidential honeymoons have been cut short by pronounced presidential missteps. Gerald Ford enjoyed high approval ratings in 1974 when he took over the presidency following Richard Nixon’s resignation; but when he pardoned the ex-president just a month into his own presidency, Ford suffered an immediate 30-point drop in his approval ratings and was never able to get back into the public’s good graces. Bill Clinton rode a wave of high hopes into the White House in 1993. Yet when during his first week in office he announced his plans to allow gays in the military, even some Democratic support for his administration began to diminish.
Even the most careful presidents know that the honeymoon won’t last forever. By the summer of a president’s second year in office, the nation begins to turn its attention to the midterm Congressional elections; the following year, the president is usually gearing up to run for re-election. Best that the president simply takes advantage of his honeymoon while he can.
Consult the various links that relate to how different presidents began their administrations with ambitious policymaking agendas.