I’m not entirely sure whether this piece from Politico by John F. Harris is a book review of President Obama’s latest book or an analysis of his presidency. Whatever its intention this passage caught my attention:
It would be hard to argue—without being tendentiously ideological or partisan—that Obama was not at least a good president. He coolly handled an economic crisis that, if poorly handled, would have been catastrophic, followed through on his promise to expand health care access to millions of people, ordered the raid that killed Osama bin Laden.
It is not hard, though, to construct an argument that in historical terms he is something of a shrug. Of his signature achievement, it is at best a transition. Democrats are divided between believing the Affordable Care Act was only a good start and needs to be expanded significantly (Joe Biden) and those who believe it should be scrapped and replaced with Medicare for All (most progressives to Biden’s left). He was stymied in his plans to lead a far-reaching response to climate change, and went from calling in a major Prague speech in 2009 for the eventual abolition of nuclear weapons to witnessing an effective new Cold War with Russia, complete with an expensive new plan to modernize the nuclear arsenal. The unique circumstances of his multi-racial upbringing gave him special ability to understand America’s racial and class divisions. But these divisions seemed to become only more raw during his time. Far from transforming politics, he was succeeded by Donald Trump—his opposite in values, temperament and aspirations for the country and its place in the world.
My own view of the Obama presidency echoes the song lyrics:
You had one eye in the mirror
As you watched yourself gavotte
He was overly concerned about how he’d appear in the history books and not enough interest in the retail politics that is necessary to do the job of being president. When he left office the Democratic party was in disarray. An entire generation of Democratic politicians had been swept from office, particularly at the state level, a situation that persists today.
You haven’t forgotten the date nights in New York have you?
This is what the American left wanted, lusts for.
Even today, few interviews with Joe Biden, instead love fests with Obama as before. I’m nauseous.