How does the president effect us?

Obama’s election affects me personally, because I live overseas. The perception of the US has never really been worse in Europe than it has under Bush’s second term. Obama’s election has already brought a tremendous outpour of respect and good will, and has improved the American image abroad.

I personally doubt Obama will accomplish much in his first term on domestic matters, even with a strong Democratic Congress. Foreign policy was a major issue for me, and that is the area I feel he will be most successful in making change. Most world leaders have already stated their eagerness to work with an Obama administration, and have a clear mandate from their people in doing so. Some of these governments had a falling out of sorts with the US under Bush. The notion that diplomatic engagement is a sign of weakness is a dangerous attitude. Clearly, confrontation has not gotten us anywhere in the world over the last eight years.

amblessed: After see you post that statement a dozen times (literally) I am hoping for change as well…in your choice of wording.

The president is not nearly as powerful as most would think. He has some power with laws, for example if a law is only mildly popular in congress he has the power to veto (turn down) that law. He can also go to war in extreme circumstances for a very short amount of time. This is mainly for defense purposes like if congress was on vacation. The war can be extened past the (I think) 90 day period if congress approves it. There are many other things that he does but this is just the basic.

Change is coming, positive or negative, we shall see.