Presidents in their second terms often apply old-fashioned American pragmatism to tough issues, which they often cannot do during their first terms, when reelection is their first priority. Obama’s infamous open-mike remark to Russian Prime Minister Dimitri Medvedev that he would have more flexibility after the election may have shocked some, but, for most foreign-policy experts, he was stating the obvious.
第二任期总统通常会使用典型的美国范式来处理棘手问题，而在第一个任期中他们无法这样做，因为连任才是第一要务。奥巴马曾有过漏嘴，对俄罗斯总统梅德韦杰夫表示大选后他将会有更大的周旋余地，这让他名声受损，哑铃不少人感到震惊，但对大部分外交政策专家来说，他无非是在表述一个显而易见的事实。奥巴马的挑战是快速利用新获得的行动自由，必须抢在人们觉得他碌碌无为（注定会如此）之前。