Should Obama abandon his re-election bid?
Chicago Tribune columnist Steve Chapman suggests the president ought to quit while he's behind
The bad news keeps piling up for President Obama: His approval rating is sinking to record lows; the economy is on the brink of another recession; and Republicans are threatening to block much of his jobs plan. And now, a columnist from Obama's hometown newspaper, the Chicago Tribune, is advising Obama to withdraw his re-election bid. With unemployment high, voters are likely to give Obama "the ax" anyway, says Steve Chapman. And even if Obama wins, his second term — possibly with a GOP-controlled Congress — will probably bog down in "frustration, exhaustion, and embarrassment." He should step aside, Chapman says, and let the tough and tested Hillary Clinton take over his "unenviable job." Should Obama take Chapman's advice?
Quitting might help Obama's legacy: Think about it, says The Crawdad Hole. If Obama steps down, "history will likely be kind to him because he inherited a mess even Hercules would have trouble cleaning up." If he sticks around, he's "unlikely to get any significant policy victories" in his second term — and even if the economy improves, "it will be lost in the shuffle of the race to replace him." And no matter what, "Obama will always be a lifetime member of a very exclusive club. He can spend the rest of his life reading speeches and playing golf."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Obama's too proud to quit: It's clear that Obama should step aside, says Scared Monkeys. But he won't, because that would be admitting "that the last four years have been something that no one would want to repeat." Somebody with an ego like Obama's would never give up the dream of a second term "for the sake of the party," especially if it meant having a longtime rival like Hillary Clinton being the one to "ride in on the white horse."
This is so far-fetched it's not even worth discussing: "Not to put too fine a point on it," says Dave Schuler at The Glittering Eye, but suggesting that Obama might decide not to run is pure "crazy talk." Every president knows that second terms tend to be "less than distinguished, even disastrous." But they all go all out to win four more years, because "being president is an itch that just doesn't go away."
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
'Making a police state out of the liberal university'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
8 looming climate tipping points that imperil our planet
The Explainer New reports detail the thresholds we may be close to crossing
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Try 6 free issues of The Week Junior
Spark your child's curiosity with The Week Junior - the award-winning current affairs magazine for 8-14s.
By The Week Published
-
Arizona court reinstates 1864 abortion ban
Speed Read The law makes all abortions illegal in the state except to save the mother's life
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump, billions richer, is selling Bibles
Speed Read The former president is hawking a $60 "God Bless the USA Bible"
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The debate about Biden's age and mental fitness
In Depth Some critics argue Biden is too old to run again. Does the argument have merit?
By Grayson Quay Published
-
How would a second Trump presidency affect Britain?
Today's Big Question Re-election of Republican frontrunner could threaten UK security, warns former head of secret service
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'Rwanda plan is less a deterrent and more a bluff'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By The Week UK Published
-
Henry Kissinger dies aged 100: a complicated legacy?
Talking Point Top US diplomat and Nobel Peace Prize winner remembered as both foreign policy genius and war criminal
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Last updated
-
Trump’s rhetoric: a shift to 'straight-up Nazi talk'
Why everyone's talking about Would-be president's sinister language is backed by an incendiary policy agenda, say commentators
By The Week UK Published
-
More covfefe: is the world ready for a second Donald Trump presidency?
Today's Big Question Republican's re-election would be a 'nightmare' scenario for Europe, Ukraine and the West
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published