Obama v osama

In his first Presidential year, Obama had been named as the Nobel Peace Prize laureate. And he did indeed end the American mission in Iraq. This, however, was no pacifist President.In 2011, he ordered the revenge killing of the architect of 9 11, Osama Bin Laden. And partly through the controversial use of drone attacks, Obama would come close to strategically defeating al Qaeda. His intervention in Libya, unlike Bushs, had international support, and again unlike Bush, relied on air power rather than boots on the ground. It directly led to the fall of Gaddafi.But American elections are largely decided on domestic issues, not foreign. His support of gay marriage won over many of his supporters but further alienated many Republicans. And despite inheriting the worst economic crisis since the 1929 Depression, many thought it would be the stagnating economy that would lose him the 2012 election.