The defeat is also a personal setback for Obama
Republicans have taken over the US Congress in the just-held mid-term election, altering the political dynamics in Washington DC. The electoral rebuff is certain to lead to a legislative gridlock, making President Barack Obama the lamest of all ducks.
The election, accompanied by a collapse in President Obama’s approval ratings, is partly a reflection of the US electorate’s unease with his Democratic party’s handling of the threat from jihadists who want the establishment of an Islamic Caliphate. America’s problem of stagnancy, no doubt, played a role too.
That the Obama magic has lost its sheen is now more than evident, as his party has not been able to convince the electorate that it can steer the economy back to its former form and strengthen the security apparatus. Declining unemployment and cheaper oil prices did not come to the aid of the White House. The defeat is also a personal setback for Obama. He now bears the ignominy of being a president with the most mid-term defeats.
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