In truth, though, according to aides to Mr. Obama and outside analysts, the amount of time he has to deliver on promises and deal with problems varies with the problem and the promise. For obvious reasons, he probably has a good deal of breathing room on the economy. That is also true with health care, given the long and tortured history of attempts to change the system.
But given the crispness and certitude of the campaign promise Mr. Obama made to bring all combat troops out of Iraq in 16 months, it seems fair to say that the public at large (and his Democratic base in particular) will not be quite as tolerant of delays on that front. The fact that Mr. Obama and his aides have not done anything to really walk back that promise, as opposed to some others, suggest that he understands that.
Mr. Obama may also find it difficult to delay for too long closing the Guantánamo Bay detention camp. He has walked a careful line on this issue since the election, raising all the complications in closing it while at the same time making clear that it will be closed eventually.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member