The idea that Obama could have somehow behaved in some fashion, done something different, or taken a different approach that would have made a difference is a very hard sell and perhaps a bit naïve, considering that Obama had, from the very beginning, tried everything he could to reach out to republicans. Furthermore, Obama essentially went above and beyond to satisfy almost every single demographic, except for black people. And lets keep in mind that the republicans controlled the house and basically blocked every Obama move, except when it came to foreign policy. Its not out of the realm of possibilities that Obamas presidency may eventually go down in history as perhaps the most accomplished presidency, given the huge obstructionism he had to deal with. If Obama did indeed make any mistakes, its simply too hard to tell whether they were reactions to the obstructionism that he faced or simply part of his overall governing philosophy. No other president had to deal with what he had to deal with. He literally had to govern constantly in ad hoc mode, always reacting to the vagaries of the republicans and the uneasiness of a country desperately trying to process the idea of a black man occupying the white house. This was new territory for everybody. In order to fully gauge Obamas presidency, we need different paradigms, and only the long view of history can provide them. Sometimes it take a few decades and even centuries before someones legacy can be properly contextualized. And nowhere is this more true than in Obamas case.
Posted on: Wed, 05 Nov 2014 15:23:03 +0000
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