The Could Have Been Presidency

     The election of 2008 seems like a life time ago, in light of everything that has happened the last four years. I remember unenthusiastically voting for John McCain and, even though I knew Barrack Obama was a radical leftist, somehow I thought maybe, just maybe the office of the presidency might temper him a bit. The seriousness and heft of being the leader of the free world had brought out the best in his predecessor, as well as other presidents throughout history. The difference between these other presidents and Barrack Obama is that the others respected the enormity of the office, and Barrack Obama only respects the enormity of himself. The last four years he has conducted himself  as though he was over-qualified and was just marking time until a position opened up that was more commensurate with his talents. He destroyed the opportunity he had to bring people together and make progress toward fixing some of the nation's important issues.
     From the beginning, he could have used the example of his election to show the enormous racial progress that the United States has made, especially in the last half century. But instead, he chose at every opportunity to imply and intimate that this country treats its minorities with disrespect, suspicion and derision. The Cambridge police, who the President said acted stupidly when they detained Barrack Obama's former professor Skip Gates as he tried to break into his own home, were motivated by Professor Gate's race, according to the President. At every turn, the President promoted the idea that people who look different (read: black or Hispanic) are discriminated against on a daily basis in this country. President Obama and his minions have actually proffered the idea that opposition to his policies are somehow motivated by his race. Instead of continuing the racial healing that his election could have been the impetus for, he chose instead to use his position to continue the divisiveness he practiced as a community organizer.
     In the area of the economy he used the same divisiveness to denigrate and demonize business. Once again he chose the path of a community organizer instead of the high road of a statesman and leader. Through his rhetoric and policy he insured a much more difficult path for businesses, thereby stagnating growth and leading to chronically high unemployment. President Obama could have insured not only his re-election, but a favorable place in history, had he put aside his radical ideology and allowed the economy to grow and prosper for the good of all. But this would have meant less dependence on his big government programs, which bring him and his party political power, now and into the future. At every turn, Barack Obama and his party governed against the will of the people, Obamacare is the most egregious example of this. To this day, almost seventy percent of the population of this country do not want Obamacare and think it should be repealed. This was another example where the President could have worked in a bi-partisan way to solve the problems that existed, without a huge government takeover of the best health care system in the world.
     So as we hopefully come to the end of the Barrack Obama presidency, I look back and see all the missed opportunities and the could-have-beens, and I am saddened for all those who have suffered. But I am also saddened for Barrack Obama, the President who could have been great, but chose to use his position and talents in the pursuit of petty political power instead of reinforcing the greatness of his country.