Lecture & Discussion

Essen: »Lessons for Obama – the opposition of the older generation, of all people, put him in an awkward position«

with Klaus Jürgen Haller, Radio journalist and freelance author

President Obama, the luminous winner of the 2008 elections, cannot be sure of his re-election in November of next year. When congress was elected in November 2010, the nearly forgotten Republicans received two-thirds of the independent votes. In Washington, Republicans are part of the government by virtue of the majority in the House of Representatives. Also state-level-wise, Republicans have pursued a wider front. The reallocation of the mandates to the states, which is due upon the census every ten years, will require at least 17 states to re-measure the electoral districts. In summary, the Republicans may benefit.

The Republicans’ chances next year to overtake the Senate are bigger than the Democrats to recapture the House of Representatives. However, the uncompromising Tea Party movement could emerge as a long-term risk for the Republicans. Either the leadership of the Republicans in congress integrates them or overtakes the party.

The total debt amount of over 14 billion dollars is America’s urgent problem. Here, the Republicans also have more leverage. Congress needs to increase the debt threshold no later than the beginning of July. If congress refuses, the United States would be bankrupt. The Republicans will need to agree that the Democratic-controlled Senate and the White House vote for drastic spending cuts. Whoever passes the debt on to another at the end might lose the next election.

Klaus-Jürgen Haller, who studied German language and literature, philosophy and history, decided to become a reporter through his academic studies. The stages of his journalistic career led him from WDR-Radio in Germany to America where he was acting as the long-term correspondent and head of WDR/NDR radio studios in Washington. He demonstrated his areas of expertise, i.e. foreign and security policy of the USA, during his time as the chief reporter of WDR radio studio in Bonn.

As a moderator with a Wuppertaler accent, he became popular to a broad audience through his legendary opener of WDR 2 Noon magazine, “Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, good morning, students!” Based on his own experience in the USA, Mr. Haller analyzed why the older generation, of all people, put President Obama in an awkward position and could harm his candidacy for a second term in office.