2300: Yes We Can! (With 30,000 More Troops)

As I opened my internet browser, the Yahoo! Home page had a picture with Obama and the heading, “Obama orders Afghanistan troop boost.” The caption underneath stated, “U.S. forces will expand by 30,000, but troop withdrawal will begin in 18 months. Our security is at stake.” The 30,000 troops triples the force that existed when he took office. A new survey by the Gallup organization showed only 35 percent of Americans approve of Obama's handling of the war; 55 percent disapprove. Obama had arguably one the greatest campaigns for the oval office. His approval ratings and support were phenomenal. Yet now that he is in office, people are realizing that “Change” is not an instant act, and everything will not be fixed in a few months by one man. His approval ratings are dropping and he is receiving more and more criticism.

How do you fix this from a PR stand point? At what point does PR become ineffective when there are not real results? What’s more, there is not much Obama or any president could do in these situations. It’s nearly impossible to control foreign countries and their policies. People are extremely impatient. When Obama promised change, they wanted to see the fruits within a few months of his presidency. Now that it’s not working out like some people hoped, they have quickly changed their loyalties. Government PR is difficult because so much is uncertain and left up to people’s opinions. I don’t envy the people that try to keep the line of communication clear between Washington D.C. and the general public. It seems to be a nearly impossible task.