What to expect from Obama's second term

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-- -- -- first President Obama will publicly celebrate his second inauguration so what should we expect in the next term until after decide where to go big and where -- elect well.

Presidential historian Douglas Brinkley joins us to.

-- history may provide us about a second Obama term welcome to the shout.

Well thank you happy new years do that you as well asking you AA history we've had plenty of two term presidents did they give us any clue as to.

-- up presidents feel the second time around are they more emboldens our -- feeling less obligated to certain voting -- how they perform.

Well they perform differently because they don't have that burden of ever running for office again in most cases.

I have argued that I thought Dwight Eisenhower's second term was quite incredible last was Ronald Reagan's -- -- Nixon's went up in flames so so there's not a a golden rule to -- Clinton had a good second term by triangular -- working with the Republicans we don't see Barack Obama taking.

That stance he's setting up a second term -- -- a firewall.

For the progressive movement I represent the new -- great society all progressive achievements and I'm gonna hold this line no matter what meaning.

Social Security Medicaid Medicare and all the other so called entitlement programs that don't Democrats have fought for for decades.

As you mentioned he won't have to ever us face the voters again -- so in that case there are a number of things that -- he has promised some in his first term now still left over into his second term.

Issues like immigration he says he'll make that a top priority of course recent events make gun control issues -- laws.

Another top issue for him but he's taken a lot of heat from those who thought he didn't do enough the first time around.

Is some you know pushing him on issues -- gay marriage the environment.

Which of those do you think he'll -- the most attention -- and will he feel the freedom as he has had in his first term.

In many ways to act -- legislatively with executive orders with regulations.

Do you think -- beef up his efforts on those fronts.

Well you just had congressman Dennis Kucinich on -- he was mentioning those ten million unemployed people it's the same old story how do we get people.

On employee how do we get jobs in this country in -- no really easy answers for that and I think this budget issue whether or whatever -- gonna happen with the fiscal clip.

You know in the next three or four years we're gonna have five or six more showdowns like this.

So that's gonna -- group to present so he needs to do some break out things that they can foreign affairs.

On the the idea of trying to improve relations between the United States and China.

And so in trading relationships that it's more favorable for the US could be important.

He may raise the Specter of climate.

Issue on that there's no it's not a good one when you're running for office climate but it's what's one that may look good in history fifty years from now law.

Trying to -- you know post say -- how do you picture there you're.

Hands around working on this problem and a global way.

And I think you'll see -- -- executive borders more and more.

Well if -- I doubt you're gonna -- get -- outstanding legislative second term agenda there's too much gridlock.

So he really just wants -- Obama care place he cannot afford in history to have -- worded it's his signature domestic achievement.

Probably can't read their minds how much does that thinking ahead to their legacy do you think impact presidents in their second term.

Gigantic they all -- presidential biographies.

They that's what they do that's as a hobby and they start.

And matching help people are going to look at them.

All in feel that I -- on sometimes conservation I mean former secretary returner Bruce Babbitt once showed bill.

Clinton a new card and said Theodore Roosevelt's national parks and monuments and it went on this laundry list of them and on the other card -- said Bill Clinton's and -- like to.

-- Clinton -- I wanna have a TR conservation legacy so immediately -- -- executive borders upgrading all sorts of national monuments around the country.

All of you starting every field whether it's dealing with their environment whether you're dealing with here where the role of big business will check -- these off.

A President Obama gets it is already had two Supreme Court justices put -- Probably will have a third and maybe a fourth which means the inputs on the supreme court of Barack Obama could be be with us for generations.

All right Douglas Brinkley always nice to have you visit with us and activists and historical -- think you.

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What to expect from Obama's second term

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