Obama entangled in internal rifts

TEHRAN,Nov.26(MNA)--Barack Obama was reelected as president of the United States not because of his good record in running the country over the past four years but because of Republican challenger Mitt Romney’s inability to formulate a plan offering concrete and practical solutions to the country’s problems, especially ones that would help the country extricate itself from the dire economic straits it is currently in. Obama’s economic and social agenda was again successful in winning the majority of the votes of the working and middle classes, and he also won over the immigrants and minority ethnic groups, while Romney’s rhetoric only pleased the wealthier citizens. Romney’s insistence on the need to rescind Obama’s non-deportation policy and his flawed economic plans were heavily criticized, and this significantly boosted Obama’s prospects. However, the first Black president will face numerous challenges over the next four years, the acutest of them being the internal rift between the country’s political elites. The Republicans still have a majority in the House of Representatives, and they will continue to try to block the plans of Obama and his Democratic government, especially when it comes to creating changes in U.S. foreign policy. Over the past four years, the infighting between the two major political parties has caused many problems for Obama, and this situation will probably not change in the future. Obama’s approach to the Middle East in his second term will be a major issue, as he has repeatedly elaborated on the need to change U.S. foreign policy toward the countries of the region. Three factors are expected to play a role in shaping Obama’s new approach. The first is the wave of political developments in the Middle East, which over the past 20 months has seriously altered political equations in the region. The second is the possibility of changes in the State Department, both in its leadership and its strategies. The third and the most important factor will be Israel, which has always played a decisive role in shaping U.S. policy on the region. Many believe that Obama will wait until Israel’s parliamentary election is over and then will formulate new plans for the region based on who becomes the leader of the Zionist regime. Over the past few years, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has used every means at his disposal to counter Obama’s peace plans. Obama’s approach toward Iran will also be influenced by some internal and external elements. The Zionist lobby will continue to be a major impediment to Obama’s efforts to begin direct engagement with Iran. The rift between the Democrats and the Republicans and their disagreement on how to deal with Iran are other obstacles. And the U.S. government’s inability to devise a comprehensive framework to address Iran’s nuclear program is another factor which Obama is expected to correct. Otherwise, finding common ground with Iran will not be an easy task for Obama. Mohammad Jamshidi is the director of the Foreign Policy Department of the Research Center of the Iranian parliament. (By Mohammad Jamshidi )