The Barack Obama presidency ends in a few hours. He leaves the White House with a 60% approval rating while Donald Trump enters the White House with a 38% approval rating. Character matters, as does the lack of it. As I wrote earlier, I’m not an ideologue, not even close. I’m more what I’d describe as a pragmatic survivor who thinks things like character and honesty still somewhat matter. In my adult voting life, I’ve voted in eleven presidential elections. Six times I’ve voted for a Republican, four times for a Democrat, one time for an Independent. Of the four votes for a Democrat, two went for Barack Obama, and the truth be known, he would have gotten my vote a third time if the constitution had allowed given that the GOP nominated Caligula Lite as their nominee.
As time passes, historians will view Barack Obama favorably in spite of what transpired in Syria and in spite of the world being a complete mess. U.S. foreign policy has been a mess since Bush 41 left the White House in 1992 as America has struggled with its own role after ‘winning’ the Cold War. Maybe there’s something to be said for actually being qualified to assume the office as surely Bush 41 was given his resume included two terms as vice-president, a stinct as ambassador to China, and head of the CIA before ever ascending to the White House. Before I continue further with Barack Obama, pray for George Bush senior, he and his family could use our prayers right now. And, yes, Bush 41 got my vote twice. I told you I wasn’t an ideologue. Character matters.
Now back to Barack Obama’s legacy. There was not a single scandal, but instead genuine grace and dignity displayed by the First Family. He didn’t sleep with any White House interns and to date he hasn’t surfaced on any videos with Billy Bush. Not one single time was the country plagued with the thought of a special prosecutor as was the case with Nixon and Bill Clinton. Conversely, who amongst us thinks Hillary Clinton if elected or Donald Trump now elected would/will escape the examination of a special prosecutor tearing the country apart even further.
Barack Obama, Michelle, and their two daughters were always available to the country and to the country as role models white America should strive to emulate. The press corps were never asked to be moved from the White House. There was complete access when things were going well and when things weren’t going well.
To me at least, the contrast in Barack Obama and Donald Trump is simple. Barack Obama entered the White during the darkest period of American history in my adult life. He inherited two tragically misguided wars.Even Donald Trump said as much towards the Bush family in the GOP primaries. He inherited an economy which was losing 800,000 job a month as he entered the White House. He inherited a Dow down in the 6,000s. He inherited a U.S. auto industry on the virtual edge of collapse. And he inherited a health care system which was already broken and in need of new ideas on how health care should be addressed in this country. Keep in mind, during those years of complete Republican rule from 2000-06 none of this was addressed. Not once can I recall the remembrance of Cheneycare. Not once, even though even then health care in America was already in need of new ideas.
So here’s how Obama leaves office in just about two hours…. he leaves with the unemployment rate at 4.5% instead of 10%. He leaves with the Dow at 19,000 and change instead of in total freefall as it was when John McCain literally suspended his presidential run in September of 2008 because of the worldwide economic meltdown. He leaves with the U.S. auto industry still here and Donald Trump actually being able to deal with Ford on keeping more jobs in the U.S. He leaves with the legacy of seriously addressing health care even though the Affordable Health Care Act will probably be repealed if indeed the Koch Brothers have a replacement plan and tell McConnell and Ryan to go ahead and repeal Obamacare.
He leaves with the U.S. being the world leader in addressing climate change instead of ignoring it. He leaves with Bin Laden dead. He leaves being the president who had the compassion to recognize gay marriage and treat all people with equal compassion. But most of all he leaves with his character intact.
So what was Donald Trump doing during this tumultuous period of American history when our country was groping (no pun intended) to rise to all of these challenges? Again, I repeat, what was Donald Trump doing to help the America he now says he wants to make great again?
This is what he was doing. He wasn’t paying any individual federal income tax because of a carryover loss mechanism loophole which isn’t even allowed any longer. But most of all he was being a Birther for almost five years. Let’s be clear, this in no way was an intention to help America, but rather another example of Donald Trump being divisive and at the same time pandering to the segment of our white population which still lives in the year 1957 instead of 2017. That’s pretty much what he was doing and he now becomes president in two hours. How ironic and sad for our country. How sad for some of those who voted for Trump, yet have been hit the hardest by globalization and tragically will be the hardest hit by what his presidency will be mostly about.
My family will be fine. We’ll be okay, but I worry about the significant part of America who maybe won’t be okay. Pray for Donald Trump and the hope that possibly the weight of the office will change him in some way as a human being. Pray hard, America. Pray hard.