The World from Berlin: Will Obama Be the 'Jimmy Carter of the 21st Century'? - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News - International

Can US President Barack Obama lead America away from fossil fuel dependency? German commentators don't think so. Some say he is in danger of turning into an idealistic, one-term president like Jimmy Carter.

The center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung writes:
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"But how cautious he seems, and how vague his suggestions. In 1961 President Kennedy declared a national mission to place a man on the moon by the end of the decade. Obama has chosen not to name concrete goals. No numbers, no time frame. He doesn't dare mention how things will have to change to favor the climate. Professor Obama waits for new ideas and looks forward to a public debate. He doesn't dare push the Senate to settle on a climate-change bill. This president won't lead America out of a crisis this way -- and he certainly won't usher in a new era."