Do you agree President Obama is a class act?

[Anonymous]

Say what you want about his politics, but that man is a class act.

[nightdrot]

Actually, not really.

There was nothing about the Obama presidency that really makes one nostalgic for it. Indeed, the irony is that, whatever his personal popularity among Democrats, they actually should have little desire to renew his presidency either.

Fun fact: By the time Mr. Obama left office, 77% of all partisan elective offices across the Federal, state and local levels were in Republican hands. Whatever his charisma among partisan Democrats, it did not translate into votes. Mr. Obama's presidency left the Democratic party a shambles and at a post-WWII low in terms of the number of elective offices it held.

It also set the stage for the Trump presidency. The irony is that the assumption was that because Mr. Obama was the nation's first African-American President, that he would be a unifying force in terms of race relations and the culture generally.

In terms of the latter, and here the point of "class act," Mr. Obama's condescension - "clinging to guns and religion" - infuriated what had previously been a core constituency of the Democratic coalition, i. e., blue collar and lower middle income workers. At a time when the economy was transitioning from an manufacturing/extractions base to a service/high tech base, thereby putting pressure on that aforementioned demographic, Mr. Obama's dismissiveness of their concerns and culture drove them into the waiting arms of Mr. Trump. (Over 400 counties that had twice voted for Mr. Obama switched to Mr. Trump.)

Secondly, Mr. Obama was similarly tone deaf on race relations. Not for nothing did the nation's current spate of racial tensions begin on his watch. Ferguson, the ill-fated "beer summit" and all the rest. Mr. Obama did not make any real efforts to have each side understand the other and thus racial tensions festered during his term even as he allegedly embodied the post-racial era in American politics.

In policy terms, Obama was unremarkable, failing to really break with the dominant Reaganite consensus that, ironically, Mr. Trump seems to be bringing to an end. This is best seen in Obamacare.

Mr. Obama's biggest legislative accomplishment, Obamacare was not what he wanted - a national health care system. It was watered down, but then he could not even get - this out of a Democratically controlled Congress - "the government option." It then passed but was wildly unpopular - costing the Democrats their previously mentioned majority - until the GOP eliminated the government mandate, thereby further watering the law down. Only at that point did Obamacare become popular.

After that, Mr. Obama's accomplishments are pretty thin on the ground. Indeed, a study by CRS found that Mr. Obama ranks toward the bottom of post-WWII Presidents in terms of his ability to get legislation through Congress. Ahead of only George H. W. Bush, Carter and Ford.

In terms of foreign policy, Mr. Obama was shallow and feckless. The assassination of Osama bin Laden was something any President would have done and, in any case, was more cathartic than strategically consequential. The Iran deal so full of holes - not requiring inspection of Iranian military facilities, among other things - that Tehran had no trouble conforming to it. Beyond that, there were no accomplishments to speak of.

In terms of the economy, it grew under Mr. Obama, but well below historic norms. Indeed, Mr. Obama famously said that the nation would have to get used to 2% or less growth. The economy then grew 3% in the early part of the Trump presidency. (Note: I am no fan of Mr. Trump. I merely relay the data.)

Add it all up, and Mr. Obama was merely one in a line of largely inconsequential presidencies than began with Mr. Clinton's. He was a mediocre figure who was less than the sum of his parts and who did not fundamentally change the country in any positive way and, indeed, was on balance, a net subtraction in terms of fostering better race relations. In short, Obama's reputation far exceeds the reality of his time in the WH.

[Anonymous]

I would not call a man a "class act" if he knowigly tells lies for political gain.

[Anonymous]

Didn't he order two us citizens executed without trial?

[Anonymous]

Yes, the last good president that shithole ever had.

[exitseven]

He is many things but a class act is not one of them. He spent his whole life taking advantage of every Affirmative Action program he could find. Nobody has ever seen his college transcripts because you would probably find his grades were not good enough if he were white

He never held a real job in his whole life. He went from running a community activist scam to running the biggest scam of all, politics. He was the first Affirmative Action president. He spent his time disrespecting law enforcement and the military and going on an Apology Tour to many foreign countries to apologize for the racist policies of the United States. The only good thing you can say about him is that he is not as bad as Biden

[slatyb]

Very, and Michelle is too. The last president with that much class was Carter, and before that it was Eisenhower.

[FunkyMonkee]

Not even close!! I wouldn't even let him shine my shoes!! He'd probably steal them!!

[Varanus]

Hard to disagree with that. I didn't agree with everything Obama did, but overall he was a fantastic president.

[pers0n]

Very few people agree with you. Usually the more educated the stronger they disagree.

[Hispanic-Cool-Guy]

He is. The man definitely knows how to conduct himself aright.

[call_me_scar]

Maybe at basketball and doing speeches but a liar is not someone I'd call class act

[sage2021]

He has a lot of class, but it's all low.

[exitseven]

Hahahaha

[Fuentes]

Lol ofc he is

[Revvl6pro]

He's an establishment hack.

[joeldalton]

nope. He’s a piece of shit.