Analyzing Obama
Three faculty experts discuss new president's early accomplishments and ambitions
by Kelsie Johnson | Special to The TCU Magazine
TCU faculty members (left to right) Jim Riddlesperger (political science), Paulette Burns (nursing) and O. Homer Erekson '74 (business) tell an alumni audience that while popular, President Obama may not be able to accomplish his ambitious agenda.
While a consistent upturn in the economy could be as close as a year away based on U.S. financial history, there is no way to know when or how the slump will be over, three TCU faculty members told a crowd of 50 alumni Tuesday night.
“We simply don’t know because the economy is so complex,” said O. Homer Erekson ’74, John V. Roach dean of the Neeley School of Business. “It’s wobbling, and we’re not yet at the bottom.”
Erekson was joined by Paulette Burns, dean of the Harris College of Nursing and Health Sciences, and Jim Riddlesperger, professor of political science, on an Alumni Relations panel discussion titled “What does the Obama Administration mean for Joe the Horned Frog?” In addition to the economy, the trio addressed topics such as health care and foreign and domestic policy, while taking audience questions through three Alumni moderators - Roger McInnis, ’67, Jodye Newton, ’83 and Meghana Mathew ’08.
The U.S. is in the process of creating a “new definition of a healthy economy and a new definition of a healthy country,” Riddlesperger said. “Predicting what the ‘new’ will look like is incredibly difficult.”
America also will no longer be the elite global financial capital, Erekson said.
“In the financial world, the U.S. and London have been the standard bearers for generations. That’s probably gone now,” he said.
Business and industry will also face trust and transparency issues, while the roles of boards of directors and executives will continue to garner headlines, he said.
With an estimated 45 million Americans without access to consistent medical attention, health care reform is an Obama priority and will likely see sweeping legislation by the end of the summer, Burns said.
“Eighty percent of those are working families,” Burns said. “With the H1N1 virus, we are seeing that we are one step away from a catastrophic diagnosis.”
Expect reform to focus on improving accessibility and affordability through coordinating medicines, digitizing medical records and promoting healthy lifestyles, she said. The U.S. spends $7,000 per person on health care, which leads the world.
“The sad thing is that we’re not seeing dividends,” she said. “We’re 29th in infant mortality and 45th in life expectancy.”
Obama’s plan is ambitious, but he and Congress have enough muscle to push added transparency in costs and affordability, she said.
The president’s popularity is unquestioned among TCU students, Riddlesperger said. According to his own research, Obama earned favorable marks from 69.2 percent of all students. Among Republican Horned Frogs, almost 60 percent have a positive impression of the president.
When the question was asked, “How does investing in renewable energy work for long-term economic growth?” Riddlesperger answered that it is “kind of like magic.” Renewable energy is meant for long-term growth, and because the U.S. is an easily distracted society, it will be difficult to stay focused on renewable energy long enough to see the benefits.
One question struck a cord with many audience members. McInnis, ’67, asked the panel, “Is Obama taking over rather than leading?”
Ereckson said Obama might be making too many television appearances, suggesting he might see diminishing returns the more he makes public addresses.
“In other words,” Ereckson said, “people who talk less are usually listened to more.”
Kelsie Johnson is a junior Strategic Communication and Political Science double major from Fort Worth and wrote this article for Dr. Maggie Thomas’ Writing for Strategic Communication class.