The Post-Partisan President

     Many seem to have forgotten that when Senator-for-a-minute Barack Obama was campaigning for his current position, he promised to be a post-partisan president. He waxed eloquent about bridging the divide between Republicants and Democrats and ushering into existence a new era of cooperation. Or some such hooey. But almost immediately after being elected to the presidency of the United States of America, he was marking his territory with the scent of his victory. Remember the novice president telling Republicants, "I'll consider all points of view but I won the election."?
     In the little over five years of his presidency, Barack Obama has stated that, "I could get a whole lot more done if I didn't have Republicans in congress obstructing my agenda." He also has lamented several times how, "The Founders made real change difficult." And of course who could forget the famous, or infamous, statement, "If Congress won't act, I have a pen and a phone and I will use them to enact change." He also touched John Boehner's arm during one of their early negotiations and said, "John, I have complete confidence in my ability to sway the American people."
     These statements of despotic hubris solidly in evidence, Barack Obama has been anything but non-partisan. And it would actually be a herculean task to make the case he has even been constitutional. It really is a shame, because with the gift he obviously has for communication, he could have ushered in a new age of cooperation between parties with varying visions for the country. But to Barack Obama nothing is more important than destroying his political enemies, not compromising with them.
     The "Affordable" Care Act is illustrative of the unwillingness, and even the overwhelming desire, by this president to rule by dictate and eliminate any policy or issue debates with disagreeing parties. The fact that Barack Obama would not incorporate even one Republicant idea into the new health care law to secure a bi-partisan bill, illustrates not partisanship, but despotism. It was the first time in American history that such legislation was passed with only the votes of a single party.
     Although maybe that is the point, that the state of a post-partisan America can be achieved by eliminating the part that disagrees with Barack Obama, leaving only the unity of thought that is autocracy. Maybe partisanship is part and parcel to the rigorous tension of opposing ideas that the Founders built into this nation's soul.
     The principles of partisanship are the linchpins that secure freedom and liberty through vigorous debate and a saturation of political thought. It can not, nor should not, be lead to the gallows of post-partisanship. Post-partisanship supplies the building stones of tyranny and oppression, and is what we have had for the last five years under President Obama. So I guess in a way he has fulfilled his promise of a post-partisan society, along with post-prosperous, post-liberty, post-employment, post-independence, and post-constitutional.