WASHINGTON // The Democratic Party's victory on healthcare reform legislation this week has emboldened Barack Obama and boosted his standing around the world in a way that could have a noticeable impact on his foreign policy, some political analysts say.
The achievement leaves Mr Obama in a stronger position politically here, potentially increasing the chances that he could win a second term, and affords him greater clout with world leaders eager to partner with the United States, some say. Others note that the victory could give Mr Obama the sense of being a historic figure and the confidence to take on tougher issues internationally.
Allan Lichtman, a political historian at American University in Washington, said he believed the healthcare bill's passage increases Mr Obama's political capital "in every realm of the presidency, including foreign affairs".
"Foreign leaders will take him more seriously," he said. "The fact that Obama pulled this off certainly makes him a more consequential figure on the world stage."
Analysts caution against drawing a straight line between success at home and success abroad. A domestic legislative victory, they say, does not necessarily translate to positive outcomes in the many foreign policy challenges Mr Obama faces, from mediating the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to the war in Afghanistan. In fact few analysts were able to point to a specific aspect of foreign affairs where Mr Obama's healthcare victory would have an immediate or dramatic affect.
But David Pollock, who served as senior adviser for the Broader Middle East at the State Department during George W Bush's presidency, said the gains for Mr Obama's presidency were real.
"It's more of a psychological, and probably limited and temporary advantage," Mr Pollock, now a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said. "But I do think for the next few months ... it's probably significant."
World leaders have followed the healthcare debate here with some interest and more than a dozen heads of state, including King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, Felipe Calderon of Mexico, and Gordon Brown of the United Kingdom, have congratulated the president since the measure cleared the US House of Representatives on Sunday, according to a White House spokesman.
Still, some foreign policy analysts such as Christian Whiton, a former state department official who worked on North Korean human rights issues during the Bush presidency, doubt that passage of Mr Obama's signature domestic priority will change the way he is viewed by his counterparts. "If anything, they were probably surprised it took so long," Mr Whiton said, noting that the battle over healthcare reform is far from over and that Republicans have vowed to make it a losing issue for Democrats in the upcoming mid-term elections.
"I don't think it will change the perception abroad of whether he is powerful or not".
The legislative victory did not appear to have any immediate game-changing affect on at least one foreign policy issue that has dominated headlines in recent days: the US dispute with Israel over settlement construction in East Jerusalem. Just hours after signing the legislation, Mr Obama met at the White House Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister. The closed-door meeting did not bring a major breakthrough on the settlement issue and, in fact, ended with Israel showing no signs of changing its settlement policy, as the United States has requested.
However, Israelis are known for closely watching US politics and the perception of Mr Obama as a strong political leader with staying power could ultimately change how he is perceived in Israel and how his policies are received by the Israeli government, some analysts say.
There is little historical precedent to suggest that the domestic successes lead to stronger foreign policies. Mr Lichtman, the American University historian, noted that Franklin Delano Roosevelt's foreign policy, which many regarded as a success because of the US victory in the Second World War, was largely aided by his reputation as a strong and trusted domestic leader who had helped pull the country out of the Great Depression. Other historians, however, dispute that, arguing that the relationship between foreign and domestic affairs was more complex, with Roosevelt's foreign policies helping him secure legislative and electoral victories at home.
For Mr Obama, some analysts say, the healthcare victory could afford him immediate political cover on the war in Afghanistan. The most vocal critics of his war strategy have been liberal Democrats, many of whom may now be willing to cut the president some slack. Though some liberal Democrats criticised the healthcare legislation for not doing enough, the measure ultimately won the support of key liberal leaders such as Dennis Kucinich, an Ohio congressman.
Others say the best way to measure the impact of the healthcare victory may be to look at what might have happened had it failed. If there is scant evidence to show that domestic victories lead to foreign policy ones, there is plenty to suggest that a loss on health care would have weakened Mr Obama abroad, according to Robert Dallek, a presidential historian.
"Defeats at home have a huge impact on a president's ability to lead in foreign affairs because when they are politically crippled, neither their opponents or supporters at home or abroad feels compelled to follow their lead," Mr Dallek, now a Stanford University professor based in Washington, said. "If Obama had lost this healthcare fight, it would have been a political disaster."
@Email:sstanek@thenational.ae
Stage result
1. Pascal Ackermann (GER) Bora-Hansgrohe, in 3:29.09
2. Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto-Soudal
3. Rudy Barbier (FRA) Israel Start-Up Nation
4. Dylan Groenewegen (NED) Jumbo-Visma
5. Luka Mezgec (SLO) Mitchelton-Scott
6. Alberto Dainese (ITA) Sunweb
7. Jakub Mareczko (ITA) CCC
8. Max Walscheid (GER) NTT
9. José Rojas (ESP) Movistar
10. Andrea Vendrame (ITA) Ag2r La Mondiale, all at same time
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Company%20Profile
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The specs
A4 35 TFSI
Engine: 2.0-litre, four-cylinder
Transmission: seven-speed S-tronic automatic
Power: 150bhp
Torque: 270Nm
Price: Dh150,000 (estimate)
On sale: First Q 2020
A4 S4 TDI
Engine: 3.0-litre V6 turbo diesel
Transmission: eight-speed PDK automatic
Power: 350bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh165,000 (estimate)
On sale: First Q 2020
Shooting Ghosts: A U.S. Marine, a Combat Photographer, and Their Journey Back from War by Thomas J. Brennan and Finbarr O’Reilly
The specs: 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk
Price, base: Dh399,999
Engine: Supercharged 6.2-litre V8
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 707hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 875Nm @ 4,800rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 16.8L / 100km (estimate)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
SERIE A FIXTURES
Friday (UAE kick-off times)
Sassuolo v Bologna (11.45pm)
Saturday
Brescia v Torino (6pm)
Inter Milan v Verona (9pm)
Napoli v Genoa (11.45pm)
Sunday
Cagliari v Verona (3.30pm)
Udinese v SPAL (6pm)
Sampdoria v Atalanta (6pm)
Lazio v Lecce (6pm)
Parma v Roma (9pm)
Juventus v Milan (11.45pm)
Three trading apps to try
Sharad Nair recommends three investment apps for UAE residents:
- For beginners or people who want to start investing with limited capital, Mr Nair suggests eToro. “The low fees and low minimum balance requirements make the platform more accessible,” he says. “The user interface is straightforward to understand and operate, while its social element may help ease beginners into the idea of investing money by looking to a virtual community.”
- If you’re an experienced investor, and have $10,000 or more to invest, consider Saxo Bank. “Saxo Bank offers a more comprehensive trading platform with advanced features and insight for more experienced users. It offers a more personalised approach to opening and operating an account on their platform,” he says.
- Finally, StashAway could work for those who want a hands-off approach to their investing. “It removes one of the biggest challenges for novice traders: picking the securities in their portfolio,” Mr Nair says. “A goal-based approach or view towards investing can help motivate residents who may usually shy away from investment platforms.”
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
The%20specs
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Could%20We%20Be%20More
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Company%20profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
The%20specs
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The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
Company%20Profile
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
Results:
2.15pm: Handicap (PA) Dh60,000 1,200m.
Winner: AZ Dhabyan, Adam McLean (jockey), Saleha Al Ghurair (trainer).
2.45pm: Maiden (PA) Dh60,000 1,200m.
Winner: Ashton Tourettes, Sam Hitchcott, Ibrahim Aseel.
3.15pm: Conditions (PA) Dh60,000 2,000m.
Winner: Hareer Al Reef, Gerald Avranche, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
3.45pm: Maiden (PA) Dh60,000 1,700m.
Winner: Kenz Al Reef, Gerald Avranche, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
4.15pm: Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Cup (TB) Dh 200,000 1,700m.
Winner: Mystique Moon, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson.
4.45pm: The Crown Prince Of Sharjah Cup Prestige (PA) Dh200,000 1,200m.
Winner: ES Ajeeb, Sam Hitchcott, Ibrahim Aseel.
The specs: 2018 Mazda CX-5
Price, base / as tested: Dh89,000 / Dh130,000
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder
Power: 188hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 251Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.1L / 100km