The First 100 Days of the Obama Administration
| DOI | 10.1177/016934410902700201 |
| Date | 01 June 2009 |
| Published date | 01 June 2009 |
| Subject Matter | Column |
Netherlands Q uarterly of Human R ights, Vol. 27/2, 133–138, 2009.
© Netherlands I nstitute of Human Rig hts (SIM), Printed in the Net herlands. 133
COLUMN
THE FIRST 100 DAYS OF THE
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION*
It is dangerous to make any predictions in p olitics, and the Obama Admi nistration has
been in o ce fo r onl y thr ee mo nths as th is c ommen tar y is b eing wri tten . None the less ,
there is no doubt that new US foreign policies and human rights policies will di er
signi ca ntly from those pursued by George W. Bush, and the following brief c omments
assess the Obama record thus fa r in these two areas.
One of the hallmarks of the presidential campaign was Obama’s frequently
expressed willingness to engage in dialogue with America’s competitors, as well as
its allies. Despite criticism from both Hillary Clinton and John McCain, Obama
maintained a consistent view that talking did not imply weakness, although he was
careful not to imply that the president would meet with anyone, anywhere, without
careful consideration of the l ikely diplomatic impact.
Early overtures from Obama to Iran and Cuba have con rmed that Obama
meant what he said. His radio message in April on the occasion of the Iranian
holiday of Nowruz invited the Islamic Republic of Iran – use of the full name was a
signi cant sign – ‘to take its rightful place in the community of nations’. Similarly,
the administration’s reversal of the Bush Administration’s bans on travel or sending
money to Cuba by Cuban-Americans suggests t hat more substantial changes may be
ahead.
At the same time, of course, one should not mistake such largely symbolic
gestures for fundamental shi s in US policies that have been in place throughout
several administrations. Concern over Iran’s nuclear programme and President
Ahmadinejad’s views on Israel are as strong in the Obama Administration as they
were under President Bush. e trade embargo against Cuba i s unlikely to be li ed in
the near f uture, althoug h movement on Cuba is much more probable than signi cant
shi s regarding Iran, particularly since an April 2009 opinion poll found that 67
percent of Cuban-Americans now support a more libera l policy toward Cuba.
e capacity of President Obama to seize the symbolic moment is perhaps best
epitomised by his April 2009 encounter with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a
vitriolic critic of t he United States generally and former President Bush, in partic ular.
Shaking hand s with Chavez, Obama sent a message t hat the United States does, indeed,
* Hurst Hannum, P rofessor of International Law, e Fletcher School of Law an d Diplomacy, Tu s
Univers ity, USA.
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