Monday, February 20, 2017

Obama — the 12th of never?

obama-messianic-parade-compressed

They say that the “12th of never” is about a date that never arrives, as Johnny Mathis sang years ago:
You ask me how much I need you, must I explain?
I need you, oh my darling, like roses need rain
You ask how long I’ll love you, I’ll tell you true
Until the Twelfth of Never, I’ll still be loving you…
President Obama ranking # 12 in presidential rankings? Sorry, but we have to file this ranking under some historians loving Obama like roses need rain.
Before we go any further, let’s say a couple of things.     
First, President Obama was given the Nobel Peace Prize for winning the election. He now ranks # 12 for serving as president. And these people wonder why we think that they are in the tank for Obama? 
Second, Harry Truman is #6 and I can guarantee that he was way down when he took that train to Missouri in 1953. Lyndon B. Johnson is #10 and that was not the perception when he flew back to Texas in 1969.   
In other words, it is foolish to include a guy who left office a month ago in any ranking. Give him five years and then start thinking about it. Again, some historians will love him as long as roses need rain.
Yes, President Obama was the first black president. But can we look beyond that please?
Let’s look at some measurements:
1) The economy: He ranks # 8 on economic management. I guess that this is the theory that he inherited the worst economy in the history of the world and then saved us from another Great Depression. Sorry — not even close! Yes, it was rough when he came in, but let’s not overdo it. We’re forgetting that almost every program put in place to battle the recession was started by George W. Bush — Obama merely inherited them, and in many cases, expanded them.
Furthermore, Am I the only one who missed the growth? Did anyone see a GDP over 3%, because I did not?
2) Foreign policy: President Obama ranks # 24. This is a joke. He inherited a stable Iraq and turned it into a mess. The red line threat projected weakness. Does any serious person think that we are safer today than in 2009? Or more respected?
3) Leadership: Do we need a ranking to determine this? President Obama tanked his party and was forced to come out the back end of Air Force One in China. Sorry — the leadership debate ended that day in China!
4)  Ability to work with Congress: Can you say executive orders? Also, let’s not forget that he had Democrat Senate for six of eight years.    
My friend Don Surber adds a few thoughts:
For example, he ranks third in “Pursued Equal Justice For All,” ahead of Grant (reconstruction and the Civil Rights Act of 1875), Coolidge (gave Indians citizenship), Eisenhower (sent the 101st to enforce school desegregation and the Civil Rights Act of 1957), and Truman (desegregated the military). Frankly, I can find nothing in Obama’s portfolio that speaks to equal justice for all. The court legalized gay marriage without him. A gentleman’s C puts him at 22.
Eighth in economic management? He added $9 trillion to the national debt and we never recovered from the recession he inherited. Bottom 10 in that category.
Twenty-fourth in international relations? He bombed countries without provocation, armed the Islamic State, and let Iran develop nuclear weapons. Bottom 10 in that category.
His domestic policy consisted of Obamacare, which elected a Republican House in 2010, a Republican Senate in 2014, and a Republican president in 2016.
Obama leaves the White House having achieved nothing positive on the economic front, nothing positive on the international front, and nothing positive on the domestic front.
So # 12 is just an emotional reaction and further indication that the historians are still in the tank. Eventually, they will get out, dry up and figure out that they love President Obama too much for their professional reputation.
P.S. You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.    We discussed this topic on Sunday’s show:
Silvio Canto, Jr. @SCantojr
The week in review with Bill Katz, the editor of Urgent Agenda.........Listen in now at http://tobtr.com/s/9827891 . 
6:43 PM - 19 Feb 2017



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