I have been wrestling with this post for some days because the list of Pres. Obama's practical achievements is so long, I have not known just which ones to lift up in a short post. Here is one fairly current list, of many.
And the list itself is only half the story. Obama has succeeded as a practical reformer. He is not the radical that either extreme paints him to be - and never was.
He campaigned and government as a practical reformer. And in his first term, especially in his first two-year Congress, he had a list of achievements that only Roosevelt and Johnson can compare to in the past century. In his second two-year Congress he has continued to achieve practical good, especially in foreign affairs, despite an opposition party that is publicly committed to opposing him no matter what effect that has on the country.
Jonathan Chait makes the practical, moderate case for Obama very well. I particularly like this summary:
"Obama can boast a record of accomplishment that bests any president
since Roosevelt, and has fewer demerits on his record than any of them,
including Roosevelt."
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3 comments:
It seems about half the country disagrees with you and your list. I guess they are extremists.
Some of them are extremists, on both sides. Most, though, disagree with president on a few policies, or prefer Gov. Romney, or are just committed Republicans.
Most voters do not make their presidential voting choice on the basis of detailed analysis of policies or achievements. When you ask voters about how they feel about specific policies, majorities support most of the particular policies that the Obama administration has been able to achieve.
You can spin Obama's presidency any way you please, but he wasted two years forcing through a health care reform law that does nothing to reform health care. He ignored the economy to that end, and the American people put an effective stop to his plans in the election of 2010. The "Republican" House that he blames for everything was elected by the people.
I don't even try to reply any more to your love notes to bureaucracy and an over-reaching central government. The ivy tower suits you, and that's fine. But, Professor, you remind me of nothing so much as an ol' Texas hoot owl--the more light you shine in his eyes, the blinder he gets.
Next Tuesday will be interesting, no matter how it turns out.
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