How will Barack Obama be remembered?

[IslamabadUnited]

Now that president Barack Obama is going to leave office soon. I will always remember him as the first black president of the United States. Your opinions.

 

[ShahKhan007]

As a weak, divisive President who came into office with a lot of hope and high expectation and turned out to be the biggest let down of the modern political history. In summary a failure at home and abroad.

 

[CricketCartoons]

The man who became a president for being black, and won the nobel for his promises.

 

[Buffet]

Lofty speaker.

 

[Lurker_Ind]

People always expect a lot from the new President or PM of a country and they are always disappointed in the end.

Obama is no different from the previous Presidents. He can make you believe with his speeches about Change. But in the end, he is just a politician. Make promises and do nothing. At least he was free of controversies like Clinton and GWB.

 

[Yossarian]

Obama who?

 

[IslamabadUnited]

Obama who?

The president of the United States of America.

 

[Yossarian]

The president of the United States of America.

Obama is the President of the USA? Wow! He's keeping it very quiet for some reason. You thinks it's because he's not done anything 'Presidential' yet?

 

[IslamabadUnited]

Obama is the President of the USA? Wow! He's keeping it very quiet for some reason. You thinks it's because he's not done anything 'Presidential' yet?

I am sure he did something "presidential" at some point in his short career.

 

[Robert]

Someone who was dealt a rotten hand by his predecessor, and made things somewhat better at home and abroad.

 

[Yossarian]

I am sure he did something "presidential" at some point in his short career.

That sums it up perfectly, "something". In other words nothing that's likely to go down in the annals of history.

 

[Yossarian]

Someone who was dealt a rotten hand by his predecessor, and made things somewhat better at home and abroad.

Better abroad?
The Middle East is in an even bigger mess than when Bush left it. Bush only destroyed Iraq. Under Obama's watch we now have Syria (and I'll bet, clandestinely, the USA has had a lot to do with it with their earlier attempts to oust Assad by supporting, and even instigating, insurgencies against the Assad regime).

Under Obama's watch, Afghanistan isn't much better.
Libya - from being a relatively stable country that was starting to lean towards the West, to now on the verge of being Syria MarkII.
Yemen - enough said.
Russia - Why is Putin flexing his muscles (eg Ukraine)? - because he knows he can!

Iran - OK, I'll give him that one.

 

[Robert]

Better abroad?
The Middle East is in an even bigger mess than when Bush left it. Bush only destroyed Iraq. Under Obama's watch we now have Syria (and I'll bet, clandestinely, the USA has had a lot to do with it with their earlier attempts to oust Assad by supporting, and even instigating, insurgencies against the Assad regime).

Under Obama's watch, Afghanistan isn't much better.
Libya - from being a relatively stable country that was starting to lean towards the West, to now on the verge of being Syria MarkII.
Yemen - enough said.
Russia - Why is Putin flexing his muscles (eg Ukraine)? - because he knows he can!

Iran - OK, I'll give him that one.

What could he really have done to stop all those things?

 

[Sandeep]

First black president of United States; The man who brought shame to Nobel Peace Prize.

 

[Markhor]

I know some on internet forums can't be bothered to read more than two lines but I want to give a full analysis so bear with me people.

1) Obama inherited an economy on the brink of a second Great Depression. 800,000 jobs were being lost a month. Now we're seeing record private sector job growth, record corporate profits and deficit cut by two-thirds. IMO the income gains from the Obama recovery has gone excessively to the top 1%, he made 98% of Bush tax cuts permanent, median wages are stagant but economy definitely improved.

2) He inherited an appalling foreign policy mess from Bush and Cheney. Many events such as Arab Spring, Iraq/Syrian civil war and Ukraine were inevitable. Hillary, who's more hawkish than Obama, would've gotten deeper in the Syrian quagmire with a no-fly zone and heavier funding of the rebels. Glad he U-turned from bombing Syria in 2013 and did a peaceful settlement with Russia to remove the chemical weapons. Afghanistan surge and Libya are disasters. Got Bin Laden though unlike Bush who shut down the CIA unit responsible for catching him !

Escalated drone policy which IMO is too heavy handed and kills too many civilians. But do remember the military-industrial complex are the most powerful lobby in America and we all saw what happened to Kennedy when he took on the defence establishment. If you thought the first black President was going to defy a lobby that's accrued immeasurable power over decades you were hopelessly naive.

Iran nuclear deal and bringing Cuba back from the cold were excellent achievements, especially the former whereby he took on the Israeli lobby.

I'm angry he didn't prosecute Bush era officials for torture, saying "we look forwards not backwards" - I'd like to see a kid caught smoking weed try that defence ! Didn't like his handling of NSA scandal.

3) Thanks to Obamacare millions are now insured.

Overall, a good President. Best political orator I've seen (his "Amazing Grace" after Charleston shootings was exceptional). But not a great, transformative one like FDR. He wasted too much time trying to compromise with GOP who have been record breaking in obstructionism. Corporate/lobbyist influence over US politics is more entrenched than ever. Obama said in 2007 he was not going to "play the same old Washington game" but "change the game itself" - well Obama IMO failed to deliver that promise.

 

[Yossarian]

What could he really have done to stop all those things?

Syria - figure out in advance the potential consequences of supporting/instigating insurgencies to topple Assad, especially in view of the possibility of Syria becoming a proxy battleground for Iran & Saudi Arabia?

Libya - Just as Bush/Blair didn't have a viable plan as to what comes after Saddam gets toppled, similarly Obama/Cameron didn't give any thought to what happens after Gaddafi gets toppled. In fact worse, since they should have learnt from the lessons in Iraq. And please none of this 'it was the Libyans themselves who revolted against Gaddafi'. We all know how these 'spontaneous insurgencies' get started.

Yemen - Have a word with the Saudi's before they start playing warfare with U.S. supplied military hardware. Does anyone seriously think that the Saudis even have the capability without not just the nod from the USA, but also actively running the show in the background?

Egypt - The Arab Spring? You want democracy? OK then... But hey wait, we never said you can choose your own leadership and government! OK Sisi/ Military dictatorship, Welcome back! (And we'll ignore that little law we have about giving/continuing military aid to regimes toppling elected civilian governments)

Russia - Putin, don't get upset now. You can have The Crimea anytime you want. Oh, you've taken it already? Oh well, it's not worth arguing over.

 

[CricketCartoons]

He deserves all the praise and the nobel he got, because he is a great orator and looks good on television.

 

[Markhor]

Syria - figure out in advance the potential consequences of supporting/instigating insurgencies to topple Assad, especially in view of the possibility of Syria becoming a proxy battleground for Iran & Saudi Arabia?

Libya - Just as Bush/Blair didn't have a viable plan as to what comes after Saddam gets toppled, similarly Obama/Cameron didn't give any thought to what happens after Gaddafi gets toppled. In fact worse, since they should have learnt from the lessons in Iraq. And please none of this 'it was the Libyans themselves who revolted against Gaddafi'. We all know how these 'spontaneous insurgencies' get started.

Yemen - Have a word with the Saudi's before they start playing warfare with U.S. supplied military hardware. Does anyone seriously think that the Saudis even have the capability without not just the nod from the USA, but also actively running the show in the background?

Egypt - The Arab Spring? You want democracy? OK then... But hey wait, we never said you can choose your own leadership and government! OK Sisi/ Military dictatorship, Welcome back! (And we'll ignore that little law we have about giving/continuing military aid to regimes toppling elected civilian governments)

Russia - Putin, don't get upset now. You can have The Crimea anytime you want. Oh, you've taken it already? Oh well, it's not worth arguing over.

Syria: Its the Gulf countries and Turkey who've been doing most of the heavy lifting. I agree US military aid has been a disaster with very little success for the CIA trained rebels but see #18, if Hillary had her way we'd be in a bigger disaster. Syria is not an easy conflict to resolve for any President, with so many armed factions and rival regional interests.

Libya: Agreed. Obama recently called it a "sh!t show" which is accurate ! However don't forget Cameron and Sarkozy who were driving that intervention very forcefully.

Saudi Arabia are more culpable for the Egypt mess, they backed the coup and have bankrolled Sisi regime extensively.

On Crimea, what could have Obama done short of declaring war ?

Its funny how Republicans accuse Obama of being soft on Putin and how Russian troops attacking an ally would never happen on their watch when Georgia was attacked under...George W Bush.

 

[Yossarian]

Syria: Its the Gulf countries and Turkey who've been doing most of the heavy lifting. I agree US military aid has been a disaster with very little success for the CIA trained rebels but see #18, if Hillary had her way we'd be in a bigger disaster. Syria is not an easy conflict to resolve for any President, with so many armed factions and rival regional interests.

The point I was making is that when Obama came to power, Syria was, relatively speaking in comparison to it's neighbour and many others in the region, relatively stable. In fact, the Assad regime was quietly collaborating with the USA in trying to stabilise Iraq as well as slow down Al Qaeda. But no, Obama and his backers thought they'd remove Assad by creating and/or supporting a few 'insurgencies'. As for Hilary Clinton wanting to bomb Syria, ultimately Obama was/is the President and Commander-in-Chief. Hilary was just the mouthpiece to Obama's policies.

Libya: Agreed. Obama recently called it a "sh!t show" which is accurate ! However don't forget Cameron and Sarkozy who were driving that intervention very forcefully.

Cameron wouldn't have done zilch without a green light from Obama. Sarkozy and Cameron were just there to give credence to the notion that it was the Europeans (and Arabs), and not the Americans, who were driving it all.

Saudi Arabia are more culpable for the Egypt mess, they backed the coup and have bankrolled Sisi regime extensively.

Agreed. But why did Obama ignore the American law that bans military or financial assistance "to the government of any country whose duly elected head of government is deposed by military coup or decree." ?

In fact, how did he get away with 'breaking' that U.S.law?

On Crimea, what could have Obama done short of declaring war ?
Agreed. Not much.

Its funny how Republicans accuse Obama of being soft on Putin and how Russian troops attacking an ally would never happen on their watch when Georgia was attacked under...George W Bush.

.

 

[Slog]

Obamacare

Being first black president

Iran nuclear deal

Pulling out of Iraq

 

[Deosai]

Lifting embargo off Cuba.

Iran nuclear deal

First black Pres of USA.

 

[pakistanigoneaussie]

an incredibly charismatic person who more less kept with the status quo

 

[Markhor]

On a lighter note, we'll always have this moment.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lsGbM-HWRa8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Somebody hand the GOP some ice for that BURN.

 

[Suleiman]

As a legend.

Most chillest president ever. Better than that Canadian pretender Trudleau currently.

 

[anakin]

1. First black President
2. Recovery from Economic Recession
3. Obamacare
4. Landmark judgements under his Presidentship (His nominees to Supreme Court)
5. Killing of Osama
6. Iran Deal

and this Epic...

 

[CricketCartoons]

If not for white guilt, he would never have become a president.

 

[Finisher]

Another in the line of puppets.

 

[Yossarian]

Will be remembered in history for ...... being (half) black. Not much else though.

 

[Markhor]

If not for white guilt, he would never have become a president.

If George "my job is to keep expectations low" Bush didn't preside over the worst terrorist attack on US soil despite multiple CIA briefings warning him about OBL, p!ss away Clinton's surplus to give tax cuts to the rich, make an almighty mess of the Middle East including lying about Iraq and WMDs to launch an illegal invasion, and leave behind a trillion dollar deficit plus the world's biggest financial crash since the Great Depression....

...yeah maybe Obama wouldn't have become President.

 

[confused_amoeba]

If not for white guilt, he would never have become a president.

Not really. Jessie Jackson ran for President before him and barely got anywhere. He got elected at a moment in American history when a fresh young hopeful face seemed better than the same old same old. Lots of people were still skeptical about him being so new to politics and governing but the economic crisis and McCain's clueless response to it just a few months before the elections and obviously the horrible VP pick, tilted things in his favor. Plus, he raised a tons of money and had the best modern social media political network at his disposal. "White guilt" had likely very little to do with anything considering the voting process is anonymous.

 

[confused_amoeba]

As for Obama's legacy...

I think history has always been kinder to American Presidents. Just look at how Nixon is being remembered, a lot more sympathetically than one could have ever imagined.

 

[anakin]

As for Obama's legacy...

I think history has always been kinder to American Presidents. Just look at how Nixon is being remembered, a lot more sympathetically than one could have ever imagined.

How is Nixon being remembered??
He is still rated as one of the worst President in the US history.

 

[confused_amoeba]

How is Nixon being remembered??
He is still rated as one of the worst President in the US history.

No I don't think so. There has been several books written about him recently, last prominent one being "Nixon and Kissinger: Partners in Power", in which he is hailed and rightfully so for his foreign policy chops especially the détente with China which is now widely considered as one of most important foreign policy achievement in modern US history. In contemporary culture, the description of him in the movie "Nixon" by Oliver Stone who is an avowed liberal is very much sympathetic to him and does a great job in humanizing him. Compared to George W.'s careless interventionism and Obama's tepid and short sighted prudence, when it comes to foreign policy decisions, Nixon looks like a genius.

 

[anakin]

No I don't think so. There has been several books written about him recently, last prominent one being "Nixon and Kissinger: Partners in Power", in which he is hailed and rightfully so for his foreign policy chops especially the détente with China which is now widely considered as one of most important foreign policy achievement in modern US history. In contemporary culture, the description of him in the movie "Nixon" by Oliver Stone who is an avowed liberal is very much sympathetic to him and does a great job in humanizing him. Compared to George W.'s careless interventionism and Obama's tepid and short sighted prudence, when it comes to foreign policy decisions, Nixon looks like a genius.

Nixon did achieve a lot in foreign policy which still affects the world and will continue to leave a lasting legacy in World Politics. He should be rightly recognised for that.
But his name will always be linked to political scandal with suffix -gate being used in all political scandals of the world.

and again, He is still rated as one of the worst US presidents!!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_rankings_of_Presidents_of_the_United_States

Btw: Its his name on the Plaque on the moon

 

[rashidumair007]

Obamacare

Being first black president

Iran nuclear deal

Pulling out of Iraq

First Mixed Race

Sent from my SM-G361H using Tapatalk

 

[anuk]

The black guy who was the president before Donald Trump.

 

[Markhor]

How is Nixon being remembered??
He is still rated as one of the worst President in the US history.

[MENTION=44367]anakin[/MENTION]

Rightfully so. The right wing have tried to rewrite history, lamenting how he's "misunderstood". Nixon was a criminal who abused his power to subvert the law. He was a remarkably paranoid and spiteful individual. The word "Machiavellian" is truly meant for this man.

Before the 1968 election, Nixon's campaign secretly conspired with the South Vietnamese government to get elected, asking them to scuttle the peace talks, promising them better terms in return. Nixon also started the War on Drugs which has destroyed countless lives. As his policy chief John Erlichman now admits, Nixon's two main political opponents were blacks and the left, and the "war" was meant to crush both.

When Arthur Bremer attempted to assassinate George Wallace before the 1972 election, Nixon wanted to plant McGovern campaign literature in Bremer's apartment ! George McGovern being his Democratic opponent.

He ordered the surveillance of the antiwar movement and civil rights campaigners, having their mail read without a warrant. Repubs like to cry about Obama's IRS scandal yet Nixon ordered the IRS to dig up the tax returns of Democratic candidates to find dirt.

When the Watergate burglars were set to reveal all to the cops, Nixon asked his aide John Dean to offer to bribe the burglars so that they would lie to the cops.

 

[chacha kashmiri]

 

[anakin]

[MENTION=44367]anakin[/MENTION]

Rightfully so. The right wing have tried to rewrite history, lamenting how he's "misunderstood". Nixon was a criminal who abused his power to subvert the law. He was a remarkably paranoid and spiteful individual. The word "Machiavellian" is truly meant for this man.

Before the 1968 election, Nixon's campaign secretly conspired with the South Vietnamese government to get elected, asking them to scuttle the peace talks, promising them better terms in return. Nixon also started the War on Drugs which has destroyed countless lives. As his policy chief John Erlichman now admits, Nixon's two main political opponents were blacks and the left, and the "war" was meant to crush both.

When Arthur Bremer attempted to assassinate George Wallace before the 1972 election, Nixon wanted to plant McGovern campaign literature in Bremer's apartment ! George McGovern being his Democratic opponent.

He ordered the surveillance of the antiwar movement and civil rights campaigners, having their mail read without a warrant. Repubs like to cry about Obama's IRS scandal yet Nixon ordered the IRS to dig up the tax returns of Democratic candidates to find dirt.

When the Watergate burglars were set to reveal all to the cops, Nixon asked his aide John Dean to offer to bribe the burglars so that they would lie to the cops.

For good or bad, Nixon will be remembered more than many of the other Presidents of USA.
Rest is a matter of perspective.

 

[Markhor]

For good or bad, Nixon will be remembered more than many of the other Presidents of USA.
Rest is a matter of perspective.

Remembered for all the wrong reasons ! Who is he going to be remembered more favourably than in a list of 20th Century Presidents ?

FDR, Teddy Roosevelt, Eisenhower, JFK, LBJ, Reagan, Clinton and Bush I are all ahead of him in polling.

That being said, even he'd be too centrist for the modern day GOP. He introduced the Clean Air Act and set up the EPA, which Repubs now want to shut down.

 

[Markhor]

BTW [MENTION=44367]anakin[/MENTION] its not a "matter of perspective" what Nixon did. Bribery and manipulation of evidence is not a matter of perspective. Ordering a massive coverup into the biggest political scandal in 20th century America was criminal, not a matter of opinion. He abused executive powers in ways that'd make even Bush II and Cheney appear like shrinking violets in comparison.

Its a matter of law which Nixon had no regard for, domestic or international. One only has to look at his support for coups that toppled democratic Latin American governments. Or a brutal bombing campaign in Southeast Asia that saw the deaths of millions on his watch including civilians for whom he had no regard for, being an unrepetant racist.

The carpet bombing of Cambodia, where more bombs were dropped than during the entirety of WW2, was hidden by Nixon from both the public AND Congress. It was so destablising it enabled the Khmer Rouge to take power and embark upon their own genocidal reign of terror. Today still people die from unexploded ordnance, STILL paying the price of Nixon's legacy.

Nixon and Kissinger broke every law in the book and deserved to spend the rest of their days behind bars.

 

[anakin]

BTW [MENTION=44367]anakin[/MENTION] its not a "matter of perspective" what Nixon did. Bribery and manipulation of evidence is not a matter of perspective. Ordering a massive coverup into the biggest political scandal in 20th century America was criminal, not a matter of opinion. He abused executive powers in ways that'd make even Bush II and Cheney appear like shrinking violets in comparison.

Its a matter of law which Nixon had no regard for, domestic or international. One only has to look at his support for coups that toppled democratic Latin American governments. Or a brutal bombing campaign in Southeast Asia that saw the deaths of millions on his watch including civilians for whom he had no regard for, being an unrepetant racist.

The carpet bombing of Cambodia, where more bombs were dropped than during the entirety of WW2, was hidden by Nixon from both the public AND Congress. It was so destablising it enabled the Khmer Rouge to take power and embark upon their own genocidal reign of terror. Today still people die from unexploded ordnance, STILL paying the price of Nixon's legacy.

Nixon and Kissinger broke every law in the book and deserved to spend the rest of their days behind bars.

Not Denying the facts at hand!! Its a matter of perspective at what actions do you recognise a political figure of the past.

How are the European Imperialists seen by Europeans and compare that to Asia and Africa?
How is Gandhi seen by India and compare that to Pakistan?
Same goes for Jinnah.

Historical facts don't change, but the reasoning of their actions do change with perspective. Perspective will make people focus on different actions carried out by the political figures of the past.

You can analyse the threads about where [MENTION=7774]Robert[/MENTION] and [MENTION=132373]Convict[/MENTION] end up defending their heritage against the Asian point of view repeatedly. It all boils down to what you wish to focus on.

People of America cheer Washington and Jefferson as their heroes or we can call them a bunch of rich slave owners or how slaves were counted as 3/5th of a person.

 

[anakin]

Remembered for all the wrong reasons ! Who is he going to be remembered more favourably than in a list of 20th Century Presidents ?

FDR, Teddy Roosevelt, Eisenhower, JFK, LBJ, Reagan, Clinton and Bush I are all ahead of him in polling.

That being said, even he'd be too centrist for the modern day GOP. He introduced the Clean Air Act and set up the EPA, which Repubs now want to shut down.

Did I say favourably?? I just said remembered, for good or bad.

As a non-citizen, I will be hearing more about the suffix -gate everytime their is a political scandal than any of the things done or achieved by the other US Presidents. FDR can be excluded for World War 2, but even that might pass. Do we remember who was US President during World War 1?

 

[Markhor]

Labor Department report 75 consecutive months of job growth with 156,000 jobs created last month.

That's the longest consecutive streak of job creation since 1939.

 

[Arham_PakFan]

For erasing a lot of debt his predecessors built up,as well as being the first black president.

 

[Black Zero]

He will be remembered as a false hope.
Failed on almost every front.

Lost congress and Senate.
Did nothing for blacks except some statements.

Interfered in Libya, Syria and Ukraine. After Libya, Putin put Obama to his rightful place.

 

[JaDed]

He atleast made sure a disaster like Clinton for Liberals didn't occur,but right now with globalization Liberals and their policies are disliked across.

He was good for America and although he should had been harder on Wall street,but he took middle ground and atleast pushed for tech advancements which would probably change the world in next decade and hopefully not be like the dot com bubble created during Clinton's time or recession setup during Bush's.

 

[Markhor]

He will be remembered as a false hope.
Failed on almost every front.

Lost congress and Senate.
Did nothing for blacks except some statements.

Interfered in Libya, Syria and Ukraine. After Libya, Putin put Obama to his rightful place.

Fsir to say its a mixed record. Wouldn't say failed on every front - the economy has been much improved with two thirds of the deficit cut. Longest consecutive streak of job creation since 1939. Affordable Care Act is another achievement, though he dropped the public option too early. Number of uninsured Americans is down to record lows. ACA lets young adults stay on their parents’ plan until 26 and its stopped insurance companies from denying coverage or charging people more based on preexisting health conditions.

I mentioned his foreign policy record in #15 - again its a mixed bag. Libya is a debacle but he did do in 2 years what Bush failed to do in 7 years which is get OBL and also the Iran nuclear deal was an example of him standing up to Israeli/Gulf lobby.

Let's not forget how unbelievably obstructionist the Republicans have been in Congress, breaking the filibuster record ! Only 3 Republicans voted for the stimulus bill yet the likes of Paul Ryan who dismissed it as "wasteful spending" hypocritically take credit in their constituencies for any job growth !

However Obama failed to do enough Party building at state level - Republicans control 67 out of 98 state legislature. He also failed to do any serious campaign finance reform so US politics remains beholden to donors and special interests.

 

[JaDed]

[MENTION=53290]Markhor[/MENTION]

There 1939 debate if its based on numbers is not good enough as there is a lot of difference in population,if its %wise then its fine,also in the theory that Obama added jobs is correct but an overall picture is presented in the article below.

Also the sectors(manufacturing) and wage rise are issues that weren't tackled greatly by Obama,good in comparisons but nothing big as such.

http://www.businessinsider.in/THE-VERDICT-A-comprehensive-look-back-at-Obamas-jobs-record/Overall-Obama-took-over-a-jobs-market-in-crisis-and-ended-up-growing-the-labor-market-better-than-most-of-the-modern-US-presidents-/slideshow/56381378.cms

 

[Black Zero]

Fsir to say its a mixed record. Wouldn't say failed on every front - the economy has been much improved with two thirds of the deficit cut. Longest consecutive streak of job creation since 1939. Affordable Care Act is another achievement, though he dropped the public option too early. Number of uninsured Americans is down to record lows. ACA lets young adults stay on their parents’ plan until 26 and its stopped insurance companies from denying coverage or charging people more based on preexisting health conditions.

I mentioned his foreign policy record in #15 - again its a mixed bag. Libya is a debacle but he did do in 2 years what Bush failed to do in 7 years which is get OBL and also the Iran nuclear deal was an example of him standing up to Israeli/Gulf lobby.

Let's not forget how unbelievably obstructionist the Republicans have been in Congress, breaking the filibuster record ! Only 3 Republicans voted for the stimulus bill yet the likes of Paul Ryan who dismissed it as "wasteful spending" hypocritically take credit in their constituencies for any job growth !

However Obama failed to do enough Party building at state level - Republicans control 67 out of 98 state legislature. He also failed to do any serious campaign finance reform so US politics remains beholden to donors and special interests.

IMO, POTUS does not have much leverage regarding economy, anyway, if i recall correctly, stimulus package started under Bush.
Plus, capitalism based economy corrects itself so we see regular ups and down.

Iran deal was best for all parties as they knew that USA cannot start war with Iran and if Israel actually strike Iran, Iran would go nuclear. As per reports, Obama requested Hassan Rouhani to have a face to face meeting, but Rouhani respectfully declined. Iran deal + lifting of sanction on Cuba are welcome steps.

overall, he had a failed foreign policy, he could only visit Afghanistan, when Karzai was not in his country .
He could not visit to Pakistan. USA lost most of it's leverage on Pakistan. USA could not get a doctor from Pakistan.
He had to take U-Turn on Sisis, he was embarrassed on Crimea.
Pentagon advised him not to provide weapon to rebels in syria, but he went against advise and we know what happened.
Drone program extended.

And when he had nothing to lose, he abstained from voting against Israel.. did noting for 8 years ...

He was such a pathetic, gutless president.

Anyway, he is a good talker. Cause, when he was young, his mother gave him book about great speeches.

 

[Robert]

How is Nixon being remembered??
He is still rated as one of the worst President in the US history.

Got America out of Vietnam
Opened relations with China
Detente and ABM treaty with Soviets
Devolved power from DC to the States
Enforced desegregation of schools in the South

My pick for worst President would be Buchanan, who dithered as the Union broke up into civil war.

 

[jaguarjack]

kinda like Misbah IMO... a very decent human being being but ultimately an incompetent leader. just like how Misbah looks better when compared to his team mates, BO looks like Washington when pitted against his contemporaries..

 

[Black Zero]

Got America out of Vietnam
Opened relations with China
Detente and ABM treaty with Soviets
Devolved power from DC to the States
Enforced desegregation of schools in the South

My pick for worst President would be Buchanan, who dithered as the Union broke up into civil war.

It is practically impossible for anyone esp president of usa, not to achieve anything. There are always several things in pipe line in addition to the things that you would have to react to on day to day basis. You would do something right eventually.

 

[Markhor]

IMO, POTUS does not have much leverage regarding economy, anyway, if i recall correctly, stimulus package started under Bush.
Plus, capitalism based economy corrects itself so we see regular ups and down.

Iran deal was best for all parties as they knew that USA cannot start war with Iran and if Israel actually strike Iran, Iran would go nuclear. As per reports, Obama requested Hassan Rouhani to have a face to face meeting, but Rouhani respectfully declined. Iran deal + lifting of sanction on Cuba are welcome steps.

overall, he had a failed foreign policy, he could only visit Afghanistan, when Karzai was not in his country .
He could not visit to Pakistan. USA lost most of it's leverage on Pakistan. USA could not get a doctor from Pakistan.
He had to take U-Turn on Sisis, he was embarrassed on Crimea.
Pentagon advised him not to provide weapon to rebels in syria, but he went against advise and we know what happened.
Drone program extended.

And when he had nothing to lose, he abstained from voting against Israel.. did noting for 8 years ...

He was such a pathetic, gutless president.

Anyway, he is a good talker. Cause, when he was young, his mother gave him book about great speeches.

It is true Presidents have limited ability to shape the economy. Congress controls tax and spend, and Federal Reserve sets monetary policy. However the fact is the US economy was shedding 800,000 jobs a month in the latter years of the Bush administration. The 3.1% decline in unemployment over Obama's eight years ties with Clinton for the biggest drop during a presidency since WW2.

There was a $150bn stimulus under Bush called Economic Stimulus Act of 2008. Then there was a program to buy the bank's toxic assets called TARP. However there was a $787bn stimulus under Obama in 2009. IMO he watered the stimulus down too much hence the resulting sluggish growth.

He did sanction the auto bailout. 640,000 auto industry jobs have been created since then and the record sales were reported by the industry in 2015. This is despite Mitt Romney saying "If General Motors, Ford and Chrysler get the bailout that their chief executives asked for, you can kiss the American automotive industry goodbye."

I agree he's had major foreign policy failings. Surge in Afghanistan has failed, though he inherited that war. Regarding Syria, even if Obama didn't supply a single weapon - the Turks and GCC would have stepped in and they have.

Crimea - what should have Obama done ? Declare war on Russia ? He imposed sanctions which have crippled Russia's economy - which explains why Putin was so keen to have a pliable client installed in November. People are quick to criticise but never mention what alternatives were on the table.

 

[Markhor]

He was such a pathetic, gutless president.

And yet 55% approval rating and won two terms. Republicans must've failed hard if they couldn't beat a such a "pathetic and gutless" president.

 

[captain.hansolo]

He will be remembered for the single greatest improvement of the American Healthcare system and its access since the establishment of Medicare.

He will also be remembered for being the first president under the Citizens United era of american politics where special interest groups would come to dictate state and local politics.

He will likely also be a precedent for Republican obstructionism and the first president to face the wrath of the Senate filibuster.

He will almost certainly be remembered as the first and last time America voted for a non-white male president till the eventual demographics of the country make this is a majority-minority state.

He will also be remembered for presiding over the period of highest american oil production that led to the eventual economic destruction of the persian oil states.

Oh yeah and drones.

 

[captain.hansolo]

Got America out of Vietnam
Opened relations with China
Detente and ABM treaty with Soviets
Devolved power from DC to the States
Enforced desegregation of schools in the South

My pick for worst President would be Buchanan, who dithered as the Union broke up into civil war.

Clean Air Act.

 

[captain.hansolo]

Got America out of Vietnam
Opened relations with China
Detente and ABM treaty with Soviets
Devolved power from DC to the States
Enforced desegregation of schools in the South

My pick for worst President would be Buchanan, who dithered as the Union broke up into civil war.

Good choice on Buchanan, I felt Hoover or Coolidge would be right up there, not because of what they were, but what they should have been. Hoover and Coolidge presided over periods which needed a strong central government that directed economic policy to avoid the recession that was looming at the horizon and both failed to do so.

i think a president who does not evolve to meet a crisis is not a worthy leader.

 

[sweep_shot]

Former US President Barack Obama has challenged "woke" culture telling young people: "The world is messy."

He made the comments at the Obama Foundation's annual summit in Chicago on Tuesday.

Mr Obama said that calling people out on social media did not bring about change, and that change was complex.

"Woke" is described as being alert to racial or social discrimination and injustice, along with being aware of what's going on in the community.

Mr Obama told the audience: "I get a sense among certain young people on social media that the way of making change is to be as judgemental as possible about other people.

"If I tweet or hashtag about how you didn't do something right or used the wrong verb, then I can sit back and feel pretty good about myself because 'Man did you see how woke I was? I called you out!'"

Skip Twitter post by @thehillEnd of Twitter post by @thehill
"That's enough," he said. "If all you're doing is casting stones, you are probably not going to get that far."

Mr Obama added that "people who do really good stuff have flaws".

His comments come as Democrats prepare for the 2020 presidential nomination race. So far, there has been a focus on how "woke" candidates are, with a number apologising for past incidents.

Before withdrawing from the race, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand went on television to apologise for using the term "illegal alien" in the past. Elizabeth Warren has apologised for identifying as Native American, while Pete Buttigieg has apologised for his use of the phrase "all lives matter".

Last April, he told a crowd at an Obama Foundation event in Berlin: "One of the things I do worry about among progressives in the United States, maybe it's true here as well, is a certain kind of rigidity where we say 'Uh, I'm sorry, this is how it's going to be' and then we start sometimes creating what's called a 'circular firing squad', where you start shooting at your allies because one of them has strayed from purity on the issues."

Jen Psaki, former Obama White House communications director, told CNN that she believed Mr Obama's most recent comments were a message for the Democratic Party and those running for election.

"If we are launching purity tests, we are going to have such a small party and will not be able to win. Governing is not about saying: 'You don't agree with me, then you can't be part of the conversation.'"

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-50239261.

 

[Abdullah719]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Obama killed more Pakistanis than any US president, with deliberate strikes on funerals and civilian rescuers. As for this eulogy, he tiptoed around race as president, broke all deportation records, and then (as Mishra put it) bailed out his future paymasters on Wall Street.</p>— Asad Rahim Khan (@AsadRahim) <a href="https://twitter.com/AsadRahim/status/1289085450657898497?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

A Pakistani POV.

 

[Technics 1210]

Obama will be remembered for being the man who paved the way for Trump.

 

[sweep_shot]

He has done well with the economy but his foreign policy was a disaster.

 

[coy0607]

Iconic as in the first black president.

Outside of that, he was very forgetful. His crowning achievement was Obamacare, which is already outdated, and relatively meaningless.
Probably the second biggest accomplishment is getting Bin Laden - which says a lot about his lack of accomplishments.

Of course it didn't help that he was president in extremely divisive times where the Republican strategy was to literally block everything Obama wanted to do. He also did a poor job grooming the next generation of democrats.

Ultimately I guess a good manager, who held things together well (compared to Trump who burning down the country, and even Bush who oversaw one of the worst global economic crashes ever).

Haven been such a young president, he has a great opportunity to built on his legacy over the next 25+ years.

 

[moghul]

As a failed and spineless president.

Responsible for bringing Trump in power due his failed policies.

Messed up middle east , had a golden opportunity to resolve long standing ME issues, Israel-Palestine in particular. Did not try, wanted to keep his presidency intact.

Delayed American troops pull out from Afghanistan .

Did not do anything even for blacks.

Added record debt to US loans.

Most anti-Pakistan president ever.

Overall , the worst president in 100 years, Trump might beat him though.

 

[coy0607]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Obama killed more Pakistanis than any US president, with deliberate strikes on funerals and civilian rescuers. As for this eulogy, he tiptoed around race as president, broke all deportation records, and then (as Mishra put it) bailed out his future paymasters on Wall Street.</p>— Asad Rahim Khan (@AsadRahim) <a href="https://twitter.com/AsadRahim/status/1289085450657898497?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

A Pakistani POV.

Kind of puts things into perspective seeing everything listed together

 

[Napa]

Kind of puts things into perspective seeing everything listed together

Why only Pakistan? The Obama Admin also had a hand in starting the Syrian, Libyan, Yemen and Ukraine wars.

The Nobel Peace Prize is a big joke.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timber_Sycamore

 

[waheed_sofi]

This has also been mentioned in the book of The Spy Chronicles

 

[MenInG]

Michelle Obama says the "hypocrisy" of Donald Trump's government and racial tensions in the US have contributed to her suffering "low-grade depression".

Speaking on her new podcast, the former first lady opened up about lacking motivation and feeling low during the coronavirus lockdown.

She said she had been feeling "out of body, out of mind" and that her sleep had been "off".

"I know that I am dealing with some form of low-grade depression," said Mrs Obama.

"Not just because of the quarantine, but because of the racial strife, and just seeing this administration, watching the hypocrisy of it, day in and day out, is dispiriting."

Protesters hold signs as they gather to protest police brutality and racism in the US, with the recent deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, in Boston, Massachusetts, on May 29, 2020. -

Speaking on the podcast to journalist Michele Norris, she said she'd tried to improve her mood by exercising but that often she felt "too low" to do it.

"Spiritually, these are not... fulfilling times," added Mrs Obama.

She said a regular routine - such as for family meal times - and getting outside had been vital in helping improve her mood.

The 56-year-old also gave a glimpse into how the Obamas have been dealing with being cooped up together, including tackling 1000-piece jigsaws together and setting up a "vicious" card tournament.

Mrs Obama said usually they all go off into their own spaces during the day: "Barack's in his office, making calls, working on his book. I'm in my room, the girls are on their computers...

"But right around five o'clock, everybody comes out of their nooks, and, we like, do an activity, like, puzzles have become big, just just sitting and doing these thousand piece puzzles.

"The girls are just like into 'em, and we're all sitting on the floor, around a table where the puzzle is now permanently set up."

After dinner, she said they get out the playing cards.

"The girls and Barack, and, another friend there, they've got a spades tournament. So Barack has taught the girls spades, so now there's this vicious competition," said Mrs Obama.

"They wouldn't have sat down, but for this quarantine, to learn how to play a card game with their dad. They wouldn't."

The Michelle Obama Podcast began on Spotify last week, with the first episode featuring her husband and former president Barack Obama.

https://news.sky.com/story/michelle-obama-suffering-depression-over-trumps-hypocrisy-12043307

 

[MenInG]

Former US President Barack Obama has announced the publication date of the first half of his memoirs.

Mr Obama - the first black president and husband of Michelle Obama - said the book would "try to provide an honest account of my presidency".

A Promised Land is set for release on 17 November, just two weeks after the US presidential election.

The Democratic leader won two elections and served as president between 2009 and 2017.

Joe Biden - his vice-president for those two terms - is challenging Mr Obama's successor, Republican leader Donald Trump, for the presidency on 3 November.

"There's no feeling like finishing a book, and I'm proud of this one," Mr Obama wrote on Twitter.

The 768-page memoir will be simultaneously issued in 25 languages, according to publisher Penguin Random House.

Mr Obama writes about the response to the global financial crisis, his landmark healthcare reform legislation known as the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare, and the 2011 US raid in Pakistan that killed al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden.

The 44th president of the US has written three previous books, including Dreams From My father and The Audacity of Hope as well as the children's book Of Thee I Sing.

His wife, lawyer and former First Lady Michelle Obama, has published her own memoir. Within five months of publication Becoming had sold more than 10 million copies.

Mr Obama may struggle to outshine his wife, but this would not be the first time spouses have bested presidents. Both Nancy Reagan and Betty Ford's memoirs outsold their husbands' works.

President Ronald Reagan however may not have minded. Hs work, An American Life, was ghost written by the journalist Robert Lindsey. At the book's launch Mr Reagan said: "I hear it's a terrific book. One of these days I'm going to read it myself."

There were rumours in the 19th century that the Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S Grant by the post-Civil War president was in fact penned by the famous US writer Mark Twain, whose company published the work.

Mr Twain however denied the allegation, and editors of Mr Grant's papers have dismissed the claim as "completely baseless", as much of what was published still survives as notes handwritten by Mr Grant himself.

President Grant's 584-page tome eventually became one of the highest-selling books of the 19th century.

But for those looking for a lighter read, the record for shortest memoir goes to President Calvin Coolidge. The famously laconic leader's work is a succinct 247 pages.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-54192747

 

[Firebat]

Obama and Jordan basketball vests sell for record sums

Two basketball vests - one worn by the NBA superstar Michael Jordan and the other by former US president Barack Obama - sold for record sums at a Los Angeles auction on Friday.

Jordan's number 23 vest, which he wore when he signed for the Chicago Bulls in 1984, sold for $320,000 (£235,000).

Mr Obama's vest, worn with his Punahou School team, went for $192,000 - a record for a high-school sports shirt.

Last year, another one of his high-school vests fetched $120,000.

Julien's Auctions in Beverly Hills said Mr Obama wore his shirt - also number 23 - in 1979, when he helped his team win the Hawaii basketball state championship.

The ex-president's love of the game has followed him through life. In his new memoir, A Promised Land, he said he had to stop coaching his daughter Sasha's basketball team after parents from a rival team complained that he was giving them an unfair advantage.

Michael Jordan - the first billionaire athlete - was at the centre of the Chicago Bulls team that won six NBA championships in the 1990s. A documentary series, The Last Dance, about the team's standout successes was a hit on Netflix earlier this year.

President Obama appeared as one of the show's interviewees, saying: "Michael Jordan and the Bulls changed the culture."

The previous record sum for a Jordan "number 23" shirt was $288,000 in an auction in July.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55197745