Obama’s bleak political legacy

Obama’s bleak political legacy


George Hook

Carry me to my grave on a shield of my victories and leave my failures far behind. On humble grounds I will meet my maker and eye to eye I will plead my case. And should He deem me fit to pass, I will rise as tall as mountains. For a man must stand on where he has been and not the path he should have taken.  
I wonder if Barack Obama will find refuge in retirement or sanctuary in life after the presidency. It has been a difficult few years for the man who would be king; a journey of self examination, full of challenges, but with pitfalls, with obstacles at every turn. Now his political journey is almost at an end.
Where will history place the first African American President of the United States of America? Will the road behind him bare the proud scars of battles hard fought, or will he glance back, over his shoulder with the sting of bitter regret?
The irony of power in the political minefield of the United States is not lost on Obama. I remember gazing into the reflected pool in Washington DC in 2009 as America turned its lowly eyes to one of the great orators of political debate, and I became emotional at the enormity of the occasion.
Against the odds, Obama had faced down the might of the Clinton machine and triumphed. The pull of his dulcet tones wrapped in beautiful visions of grandeur and hope for a better world swallowed the electorate like a giant chocolate river. America dived in head first and history was made in the White House. A nation held its breath for change.
But change was slow in coming. The greatest disappointments in life arise out of high expectations. Were the 44th president just another Joe Democrat or John Republican; male, Caucasian with a family steeped in American politics, few would have invested so much with scant evidence of any meaningful return.
Maybe that was Americas biggest mistake. A giddy nation threw itself on the momentum of a young, charming black man who had campaigned on the promise of the possible. Soon after taking office, however, and the limitations of one mans dreams in a minefield of negativity and obstruction became all too clear.
Obama was as powerful and powerless as all who had gone before him. In just a few short months, America’s saviour was stripped bare in full view of the public gallery and his ambitious journey to a better future was shackled before it even began.
In a country where excuses are the refuge of the weak, sympathy was in short supply. The President had sold his term on an ability to solve the problems of a nation and Americans cared little for Obama’s excuses. A nation notoriously intolerant of procrastination began to grow tired of White House apologies and empty promises of economic recovery. All the while, Republicans dug in their heels and threw stone after stone at an increasingly disgruntled president.  
Obama’s popularity has slumped dramatically in recent times. The latest approval ratings to hit the front page of the Wall Street Journal would not have made for comfortable reading in Washington.
The current administration is at an all time low in the eyes of the American electorate. Obama is vying for the wooden spoon with one of the biggest political spoons of all time; George W Bush. Seven years ago, at that historic and emotional inauguration, these poll results would have been almost impossible to predict. Now, they are a stark and difficult reality for a President under pressure.
I have some sympathy for the man. Any office that relies on its enemies for tangible progress must make for a difficult working environment. Obama’s disdain towards the disobedient Republicans is understandable, but his is the most powerful job in the world. It is incumbent on him to find a way forward.
So far, his term in office reflects poorly on his early promises. Obama has shied away from taking on the NRA on the issue of gun control and as things stand, American society is as open to random terror attacks from within its own ranks as it ever has been.
Schools and colleges continue to be targeted by disgruntled gun loons and it is as easy to purchase a firearm in America today as ever before. With each innocent life stolen through random violence, Obama reacts with the stricken horror of a man burdened by a nagging conscience. Deep down, he knows he should have done more to stop gun violence in America. Now it is too late.
As it stands, Obama’s legacy rests with health care reform and the colour of his skin; the latter a bitter pill to swallow for a man who dreamed of destroying racial barriers and building a better future for his country. Obamacare may prove to be a brilliant move in years to come, but for a president who promised so much, health care reform should have been but a footnote in a glowing dossier. Alas, the current résumé is closer to a blank canvas.