Obama’s Reforms - Have High Hopes Been Dashed? After flying high for his first six months, Barack Obama has come crashing back to reality. The jubilation that greeted his election has faded, he’s losing popularity in the polls. The US president has to face up to the fact that there is a big difference between promising change and pushing it through.   Obama’s plans for healthcare reform, the centrepiece of his domestic policy, are under attack. Despite rising unemployment – which means more people with no health insurance – increasing numbers of Americans oppose the proposed government-run national health plan. Many are suspicious of it being a socialist system, but there is also widespread concern about how it can be financed in a crisis-ridden economy. Hopes of success for the Obama’s foreign policy are also plummeting. Critics point out there has been no full withdrawal of troops from Iraq, US troops in Afghanistan have been increased, the Guantanamo camp has not been shut down. His policy on Iran is seen as too soft and instead of fostering neighborly relations with Latin America, new military bases are being planned. The Obama euphoria has given way to disillusionment. The US president has to defend his position not only to his detractors, but also to his supporters. "Yes we can" could soon become "No, he can’t." We’re interested in your opinion on: Obama’s Reforms – Have High Hopes Been Dashed? Write to us at: quadriga@dw-world.de ----------------------------------------------------------- Our guests were: Olivia Schoeller studied political science at Bard College in New York State, from 1989 to 1992. Since 1998, she has worked as an editor at the daily "Berliner Zeitung" newspaper, initially on the foreign desk. Then from 2002 to the start of this year, she lived in Washington as a US correspondent. In February 2009, she returned to Berlin where she now writes for the "Berliner Zeitung’s" features page. Andrew Bulkeley has been a Berlin-b...