Vox - Barack Obama is officially one of the most consequential presidents in American history

[TomCADem]

Of course, almost all of the right, and a very small number on the left, diminish the magnitude of these accomplishments, and continuing to try to water them down, most notably the attacks on Dodd-Frank by the Republican Congress, but President Obama managed to push a fairly liberal agenda in the face of solid opposition by a Republican Congress and conservative court for a good portion of his tenure.

http://www.vox.com/2015/6/26/8849925/obama-obamacare-history-presidents

Love him or hate him, Barack Obama is one of the most consequential presidents in American history — and that he will be a particularly towering figure in the history of American progressivism.

He signed into law a comprehensive national health insurance bill, a goal that had eluded progressive presidents for a century. He got surprisingly tough reforms to Wall Street passed as well, not to mention a stimulus package that both blunted the recession and transformed education and energy policy.

He's put in place the toughest climate rules in American history and signed a major international climate accord. He opened the US to Cuba for the first time in more than half a century, and reached a peaceful settlement to the nuclear standoff with Iran.

You can celebrate or bemoan these accomplishments. Liberals hail them as moves toward a social democratic welfare state and a foreign policy more skeptical of military intervention; conservatives critique Obama's efforts to expand regulation and the government's reach, and accuse him of abdicating America's role as world hegemon.

[malthaussen]

1. "Officially," huh?

I wonder what body makes these designations? Seems like there must be a lot of officials around.

-- Mal