What exactly has Barack Obama done that is so awful?
By John Welford
@indexer (4852)
Leicester, England
October 22, 2015 9:27am CST
Many of us in the United Kingdom are frankly astonished at the opprobrium that is being heaped on the head of President Barack Obama by a large number of American citizens. I have even seen the word "criminal" used to describe him.
When he leaves office, his record will surely be one of positive achievement, although admittedly he has not gone as far down the right roads as he originally promised.
He has worked hard to disengage America from the disastrous wars instituted by his predecessor, he has been instrumental in reaching an important agreement to make the world safe from Iranian nuclear ambitions, he has said and done some sensible things on climate change, and he has made important steps towards giving every American decent health care.
What's not to like about his record, apart from - as I said above - not doing more of the same?
Maybe somebody can explain what it is that so many Americans don't like about their President?
7 people like this
10 responses
@EllaSpringtime (198)
• Israel
22 Oct 15
I think Americans are going to miss him. You always appreciate things after you don't have them anymore.
2 people like this
@indexer (4852)
• Leicester, England
22 Oct 15
I suppose that depends on who comes next. If it's Donald Trump, then you have to be right!
@TiarasOceanView (70035)
• United States
22 Oct 15
It is called racism. It permeates over here. It matters not to me what color he is, but it matters an awful lot to a lot of people.
1 person likes this
@Rosekitty (19368)
• San Marcos, Texas
22 Oct 15
@TiarasOceanView...color of skin shouldn't have anything to do with it as you say, but what i don't understand is Obamacare
1 person likes this
@TiarasOceanView (70035)
• United States
22 Oct 15
@Rosekitty Yeah a lot of people dont understand it Rose..I do as since it was passed I am now able to get to doctors that I could not before. Works for me.
1 person likes this
@indexer (4852)
• Leicester, England
22 Oct 15
The racial thing does surprise me, because Obama is not black - he is mixed race with a black father and white mother. Surely that should have been a uniting factor in that all whites and all blacks would see he that he is "one of them"?
2 people like this
@rahulvsmokiee (3110)
• Thiruvananthapuram, India
22 Oct 15
The first thing is that he allowed gay marriage. Is nt it too bad for a country. Did he think of the future generation of Americans. Its really terrible my friend.
1 person likes this
@xfahctor (14118)
• Lancaster, New Hampshire
22 Oct 15
@rahulvsmokiee @indexer No, he didn't. The Supreme Court did. The president does not have that authority. Marriage licensing in the U.S. is done at the state level through local government. The Supreme court ruled that it should be allowed nation wide based on the "equal protection" clause in our constitution. In other words, you cannot make laws that apply to some people, or offer protection to some people, but not others. It was the proper ruling on the matter.
5 people like this
@xfahctor (14118)
• Lancaster, New Hampshire
22 Oct 15
It depends who you ask. For me, it was a myriad of things. For example, sticking our noses in to Libya and Syria. After campaigning on a platform of non intervention, he turns around and follows in GW's foot steps and launches 2 more wars, with out congressional approval. There are those who split hairs and say things like "it isn't a war, we're just giving air support!!" Sorry, if you are dropping bombs on someone, it's a friggin war. Calling it by another name doesn't change it. When Japan launched their airstrike on Pearl Harbor, did anyone come out and claim "it was just a limited air strike with no boots on the ground"? No, it was called an "act of war "
.
Then there is GTMO, still open, still detaining people with out trial. Or perhaps assassinating United States citizens with out a trial, including an American teenager.
His idiotic appointments (a supreme court judge who was never a judge, an ambassador to Norway who knows nothing about Norway, a pentagon chief of staff with no military experience, etc etc etc) that congress has gone along with like the drooling, ball-less idiots they are.
His hyper partisanship, something he rightfully railed against in his campaign. The list goes on and on. I would be glad to answer to any specifics you may have.
For clarity and context, my political affiliation can be best described as classic liberalism. I am an avid supporter of the Libertarian party. Republicans hate us because we are liberal, Democrats hate us because we're better at it than they are.
@xfahctor (14118)
• Lancaster, New Hampshire
22 Oct 15
@indexer Agreed. Other presidents have indeed committed similar transgressions. It is a systemic problem. But the sins of one do not excuse those of another. I was just as opposed to much of the Bush administration's actions on the same issues. I didn't vote for Obama, I campaigned for and voted for the Libertarian party candidate, governor Gary Johnson. But I had at least hoped when Obama was elected that some of the things going on would cease. Obama turned out in many ways to be Bush's 3rd and 4th terms.
@indexer (4852)
• Leicester, England
22 Oct 15
With some of these points you would have compare the actions of different Presidents to see if one is any more blameworthy than another.
You would have - for example - to ask how many ambassadors are appointed who do and do not have have specific knowledge of the countries in question. You would also have to ask if Obama has made any other similar appointments of which this complaint could be made.
Indeed - does it matter at all? You will find many cases of appointments made in the public and private domains where people are shoe-horned in because of their known managerial and administrative skills and not because of any connection to the sphere of interest involved. This happens all the time, and in countries all round the world.
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
22 Oct 15
I wouldn't say he has done anything awful but I fail to see what he has done that is so great either. He is okay, neither terrible or great and I think history will judge accordingly.
