Lame duck on world tour: Obama to fly abroad at least six times to ‘secure’ his legacy…(As Many Vets Homeless!!)
President Obama will be spending a good chunk of time outside the United States during his last year in office
Not only will he be avoiding the presidential election, he’ll use the opportunities to strengthen policies like the Iran deal
Obama’s travel plans include Japan, Poland, China and probably Vietnam and Peru – with a trip to Cuba likely in the works too
By Nikki Schwab, U.s. Political Reporter
Dailymail.com
29 December 2015
Americans can expect to play a game of ‘Where in the World is President Obama?’ all through 2016 as the White House is working to line up at least six trips abroad for the lame duck leader.
Politico is reporting that the only continents the president has ruled out are Antarctica and Australia, and while Africa won’t be a solo destination, there’s a chance Obama could swing through his father’s home continent as part of another trip.
He’s making the trips to secure his foreign policy legacy – working on issues like the Trans-Pacific Partnership and ridding the world of the Islamic State – while the presidential election will be sucking up most of the political oxygen back home.
So far on the docket, there’s a G-7 meeting in Japan in June.
A month after, Obama needs to be in Poland for the NATO summit.
In September, the president will head to China for the G-20 meeting.
And after the presidential election, Obama will likely, according to Politico, head to Peru for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation.
Vietnam is reportedly an option for a visit, when Obama is doing one of his Asia swings.
There will also surely be more travel through Europe and to the Middle East too.
And then he’s done come January 2017.
That end date will might impact how much influence Obama has abroad.
‘Travel early on in a presidency has the value of investing in the relationship, when the president could be around for anther three or seven years,’ Council on Foreign Relations president Richard Haass told Politico. ‘Traveling at the end of the presidency is very different. They’re no longer looking toward the future.’
The White House’s Ben Rhodes countered that claim, insisting that Obama’s lame duck status gives him great flexibility.
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