Obama's Spectacular Presidency

[babylonsister]

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/07/14/1402352/-Obama-s-Spectacular-Presidency?detail=facebook#

Tue Jul 14, 2015 at 04:53 PM PDT
Obama's Spectacular Presidency

by PCalith


I just wanted this to get some air. Obama is officially the best President the U.S. has had in a long, looong time. From finally cracking the health insurance nut, to getting the Iran deal, his Presidency has been one of cool, clear headed forward thinking. Follow below squiggle for a quick roundup of his achievements, courtesy of Vox.

From the article: Barack Obama is officially one of the most consequential presidents in American history

On the Iran deal and Obama's focus on diplomacy:

Obama has reestablished productive diplomacy as the central task of a progressive foreign policy, and as a viable alternative approach to dealing with countries the GOP foreign policy establishment would rather bomb. He established a viable alternative to the liberal hawks that dominated Democratic thinking during the Bush years, and held positions of influence on Hillary Clinton's 2008 campaign.

In comparison to the foreign policy wins of yesteryear:

Obama, by contrast, achieved two huge openings to countries the US had previously counted as enemies for decades. They are achievements more like Nixon's opening to China than, say, the SALT accords. And, of course, Obama has a major Russian arms control deal under his belt in the form of New START, as well.

On Obamacare

Brian Steensland, a sociologist who studies American social policy at Indiana University in Indianapolis, agrees. "The main thing it does, I think, is establish the expectation in the public’s mind that access to basic health care is a right," he says. "It’s going to be hard to go back to a time when access to health insurance, and the subsidies to help pay for it, wasn’t near-universal."

To pay for it all, the Affordable Care Act cut back on Medicare spending and hiked taxes on rich people's investment income and health plans. It effected a massive downward redistribution of income. It's one of the most startlingly progressive laws this country has ever enacted.

And on and on and on

He used executive action to enact bold regulations to curb greenhouse gas emissions, and to protect nearly 6 million undocumented immigrants from deportation. He ended the ban on gay and lesbian service in the military, made it easier for women and minorities to fight wage discrimination, cut out wasteful private sector involvement in student loans, and hiked the top income tax rate. He reprofessionalized the Department of Justice and refashioned the National Labor Relations Board and the Wage and Hour Division of the Labor Department into highly effective forces for workers' rights.

His presidency holds massive symbolic value as proof that the reign of white men over American government can be halted and America as a whole can be represented. And while he was too slow in announcing support for same-sex marriage, he appointed two of the justices behind the Supreme Court's historic decision legalizing it nationwide, and enlisted his Justice Department on the side of the plaintiffs.

We've never had anyone like him - and I would be very surprised if we ever did again. No man has carried the office, through joy and struggle, as well and as dutifully as President Obama.

There are definite points of disagreement I have with him, but it's still a damn shame we can't get a third term out of him.

[Aristus]

1. Proud to have vote for him...

TWICE!

[Tarheel_Dem]

2. Best POTUS of my lifetime. Hands down.

[Lil Missy]

3. Definately the best President in my lifetime, and I'm old! Imagine .....

Just imagine how much more he could have accomplished with a truly bipartisan Congress.

[LonePirate]

4. Spectacular may be an understatement

You might be able to make a case for his inclusion in the Top 5.

[lobodons]

22. Especially considering the GOP Treason Dinner

Especially considering the Treason Dinner the GOP leaders held on the night of Obama's first inaugural to plan agenda to stop Obama at all costs and make sure he was a one term President.

[shenmue]

5. Bravissimo!

[sheshe2]

6. This President,

Has lead us with dignity and grace. He is absolutely the best President of my lifetime.

Thank you bsis, awesome Op.

[flamingdem]

7. true dat

[BumRushDaShow]

8. Huge K&R

[lovemydog]

9. Agree. I like what he's talking about now with prison reform too.

He said today that for what we spend keeping people locked up for one year, we could provide free tuition for everyone to attend college. I'm glad he's shining a spotlight on this national disgrace and waste of money and resources and human potential. Obviously we want to keep violent and incorrigible people away from the rest of society. But President is correct that we need to release nonviolent criminals, starting with drug offenders, from prison.

[angrychair]

10. what?!?

PBO is invading Texas with ninjas as we speak to secure his third term.

[Mr.Bill]

11. And he's done it with more dedicated resistance

and vile hatred from the opposition than any president in modern history. I don't know any one who could begin to function in that kind of environment, much less have great achievements.

[hibbing]

12. Yes

The monumental resistance from the opposition in Congress and the outright racism he had to face has had to have taken a toll on him.

Peace

[SmittynMo]

13. And he's not done yet

No lame duck here. I look forward to the next 16 months.

[Hekate]

14. Most certainly he is. Yet those who never liked Obama are surprised every time, aren't they?

They just keep moving the goalposts and he just keeps plugging along. Those folks are making like the prison visit came out of nowhere, and despite being absolutely unprecedented, they talk like it's nothing but a photo op.

Here's my take on the prison visit: I would bet you anything that it's been in the works for a long time. And I'd add to that a bet that there is a carefully crafted further move in the works.

After all, President Obama has former President Bill Clinton on his side. You think those gracious mea culpas come out of nowhere? I think Bill is going to help Obama get as much in the way of reform as possible done now, and I think that Barack and Bill are positioning Hillary to make major reforms if she takes the office.

[santafe52]

15. You got that right!

Yeah, I'm 62 and I've only recently become aware that THIS GUY is easily the BEST PRESIDENT IN MY LIFETIME! He's more than just a president. He's the LEADER that every generation hopes for and few receive.

A hundred years from now, in discussions of politics, there will be much deserved accolades for Lincoln, Roosevelt, Kennedy and OBAMA!

Glad to be part of it.

[Schema Thing]

17. welcome, santafe52! It's cool innit?

[Aristus]

24. Welcome to DU!

We've been here for 15 years. Where have you been all this time?

[ailsagirl]

16. He's the first president I ever really cared about

I think he's exceptional-- and I'm so fortunate I was/am able to experience him as our President!!

[rury]

18. Amen, babylonsister!!

[bucolic_frolic]

19. He always kept his eye on the long term

but paid for it with deals that had Democrats rolling their eyes,
referring to him as the 'caver-in-chief' and someone who compromises
too soon

Budget deals, Social Security deals, tax deals to avoid shutdowns,
drilling permits, a mixed environmental record at best,

Lest we forget.

Yet he has accomplished a lot, and has outshone Congressional Republicans
ninety-fold. All their grandstanding and rigidity, and moralizing, and thinly
veiled racism, and investigations that stopped Congress, and stonewalling
that prevented jobs legislation, and efforts to support voter suppression.

They have been small-minded, and Obama has emerged through diligence and
hard work - you really do get the sense the man puts in 18 hour days and
simply has no quit in him - as the grandest mind of his age, at least for now.

[dpatbrown]

20. I agree

with you 100%. And to think he accomplished so much with a despicable opposition is truly remarkable.

[sorechasm]

21. But wait...there's more...and more...

Reposted from

jeff61b from November 2014...so some of the following stats are a bit out of date, some are much better...

Obama - Get the truth out

The big picture, Obama reality the obstructionist GOP won't admit:

The economy has recovered from the Bush/GOP disastrous incompetence
Obama has been at least as good as Reagan for the economy. In fact, U.S. has now had 63 straight months of job expansion, including 54 consecutive weeks of private sector growth.
Obama’s administration has created more jobs in five years than Bush managed in all eight.
The ebullient stock market reflects BO/Dem leadership.
The Federal Budget Deficit has Shrunk by 2/3 since 2009

The Obama administration is the most honest, scandal free in history. Government Spending has only gone up 1.4 percent under Obama, the lowest spending has increased since Eisenhower, “The Last Actual Republican.” Government spending increased 8.1 percent under Bush, and 8.7 percent under Reagan.
Taxes have only increased on those making $400,000 a year or more, the richest 2 percent of Americans.
For approx. 95 percent of us , taxes have actually gone down.


Bin Laden is dead.There have been no significant foreign attacks on American soil.
U.S. dependence on foreign oil is at a record low due to domestic oil production and higher fuel efficiency standards

The dollar is KING and there has been no appreciable inflation.
The U.S. under BO is the envy of the world.

Obamacare is working. Approximately 10 million Americans who didn’t have health insurance before have it now. Rates haven’t gone up across the board as predicted by GOP critics mainly because healthcare costs are now rising slower than they have at any point since 1960 and in many cases going down. The success of Obamacare has extended the projected solvency of Medicare out to 2030. Seniors have saved $Billions on prescriptions and millions of Americans have received refunds from their health insurance companies thanks to provisions of ACA.

Just the indisputable facts....

*Blogger jeff61b compiled and published many of these stats which I'm passing along and suggest you pass along too.

[AikenYankee]

23. K&R!! nt

[lostnfound]

25. Agreed. Doing a wonderful job.

Best one of my lifetime. I love his calm, cool demeanor; his forward-thinking, forgiving, even-handed attitudes. His inclusiveness, sense of the office, style, intelligence, dignity, respect for others. And most of his order of priorities.

[Cha]

26. Obamacare.. "It's one of the most startlingly progressive laws this country has ever enacted."

It's why the gop hate it so much.. it saves lives and money!

Mahalo babylonsistah!

[Surya Gayatri]

27. Best I've seen in my lifetime, all things considered.

And, I'm pushing 70.

JFK was a great inspiration, but sadly had little time to implement any lasting legislation, although his handling of the Cuban crisis was laudable.

LBJ's legislative record was exceptional, but he bought the MIC's 'WAR IS GOOD' line, and his personality could be repugnant on occasion.

Carter was an honorable man, hamstrung by the post-Vietnam 'petrol-dollar crisis' and a staff that had little idea how to get things done in Washington, making him appear, albeit unfairly, as weak and ineffectual.

Clinton was the 'great empathizer' and presided over economic 'goodtimes', but he signed some destructive legislation (whose nefarious effects are still apparent) and he appeared not to be in control of his own libido.

BHO has the inspirational quality of Kennedy, has avoided the siren song of all-out war, while managing to get some truly landmark legislation signed. He's been accused of being 'weak and ineffectual', but exhibits a steely and graceful resolve under an unprecedented RW and LW assault. He has his finger on the nation's pulse and can 'empathize' along with the best.

And, all of this without the least whisper of scandal within his administraton.

History will be kind to him and his presidency.

[ginnyinWI]

28. "Cool, clear headed forward thinking."

That sums it all up. Wonder where we can find another candidate this good?

[treestar]

29. Yeah I recall a post where a mean DUer

laughed at me that I was going to be sad on Jan. 20, 2017. Maybe not sad (unless the swearing in is of a Repuke) but definitely thinking one great era is over. Hillary or whoever will be good but it won't be quite the same. Obama is a hard act to follow.

[Tarheel_Dem]

30. ^^^^^ THIS ^^^^^