First 100 Days: Obama Has Gained Ground

"The First 100 Days" matter, but there are 1,361 to go in President Obama's first term.  Getting off to a good start matters particularly when you start 10 yards deep in your own end zone.  That Mr. Obama is still on his feet after inheriting two wars and the worst economy in 80 years is amazing.  He hasn't scored any long gains, but he made a first down with the stimulus bill and smaller yardage expanding children's health insurance coverage, promoting equal pay for women, closing Guantanamo, and setting a timetable for withdrawing from Iraq.  He's also developing future draft picks on the international diplomatic scene.

I've been an economic policy wonk in Washington for too long to be impressed by a flashy run for daylight; I'm much more impressed by grinding out the yardage day in, day out.  It's those third down plays that move the sticks that count.  When the stimulus bill bounced off defensive linemen, he quickly scaled it back, took a stutter step, and pushed it through.  That's the kind of quarterbacking that wins games.

When I look back at President Obama's First 100 Days, I like his strategic focus and willingness to leave the tactics to others.  Here are the highlights for me:

• President Obama has spent more time governing from outside Washington than any modern president.  Every week he's in a different part of the country, always the community organizer.  This will pay off big when it comes time to mobilize the grass roots on tough issues, like health care reform and climate change.  It also frees him from all the members of Congress and lobbyists downfield yelling, "Pass it to me!"  When he does pass it, he'll be sure it goes to his best receiver -- not for an interception.
• President Obama hasn't shied away from the tough issues, particularly our financial crisis and keeping the auto industry alive.  A lot of running backs get nowhere on a muddy field, but somehow Mr. Obama has avoided getting mired down and has kept advancing the ball.  I count myself among the innumerable Washington pundits who on January 20 advised conservative play calling.  Go for the small yardage on sure plays.  On the contrary, President Obama has kept his playbook open and has refused to back off on a wide range of policy initiatives, especially health care reform and energy policy.
• President Obama speaks out much more than most presidents, but he has pulled it off much like Franklin Roosevelt did in his fireside chats.  Our problems aren't going away as fast as we like, but we feel reassured.  Establishing confidence that our quarterback runs plays with a steady hand will pay off big later on.  When your receivers know the ball will be there when they cut, they'll catch it.
• President Obama has a adroit sense of timing.  When Rush Limbaugh caught national attention expressing hope that Mr. Obama would fail, President Obama wasted no time shining the spotlight on Limbaugh as the new head of the Republican Party.  A lot of Republican leaders cringed in the background, waiting for that PR disaster to go away.
• President Obama lets us know that he's human.  That shot of him running after his new dog on the South Lawn was the kind of unscripted playful moment that we have lacked for too long.  This guy actually enjoys his family!  You don't want to know how rare that is among our elected leaders.
• Finally, the quality I find most impressive in President Obama is how well he listens and how deliberative he is.  He won't be rushed into making a decision he might reqret later on.   I'm a member of the United Church of Christ, the New England Puritans and German Protestants that ran the underground railroad and spearheaded the Civil Rights Movement, and so is he.  When Rev. Wright's statements were taken out of context during the campaign, Mr. Obama carefully disavowed the statements but didn't disavow his relationship with Wright.  There is quite a competition among UCC churches, black churches, and just about every church in Washington to attract the First Family as members.  Most Washington politicians would drop by the church that would make the best photo op the first chance they got, join, and never go back.  Mr. Obama is actually looking for a church home, a place where people won't talk to the media, where he might actually hear a sermon that moves him, where he can reflect outside of the glare of public scrutiny with people he enjoys being around.  It's Day 100, and he still hasn't decided.  My church probably won't make the grade, too rich and too white and too far from the White House, but I really like the fact that President Obama hasn't played politics with his choice of church.