I watched President Obama's extremely moving speech in Chicago tonight and I miss him already. He will go down as a top five president. I guarantee it.
You have to judge someone, and especially a President, on the cards he was dealt. President Bush and VP Cheney did tremendous damage to the country by starting wars on lies, tax cuts for the rich, driving the economy into the ditch and raising taxes without paying for them. My generation will never recover from what Bush/Cheney did to America.
As The Onion said when Barrack Obama was elected President:
"Black Man Given Nation's Worst Job"
He also had to deal with the worst rated congress, whose goal was NOT to do what was best for America, but to make sure President Obama was a one-term President.
As President Obama listed tonight:
Here are just some of his many, many accomplishments:
- Reverse THE great recession
- The United States was losing 750,000 jobs a month when he took office and when he left we had the longest continuous streak of job growth (80 months) EVER
- Unemployment was 10% and it dropped to a low of 4.6% in November 2016
- Reboot our auto industry
- Unleash the longest stretch of job creation in our history
- We would open up a new chapter with the Cuban people
- Shut down Iran’s nuclear weapons program without firing a shot
- Take out the mastermind of 9/11
- We would win marriage equality
- Would make it that people of all sexual preferences can open serve their country
- Secure the right to health insurance for another 20 million of our fellow citizens
- The economy is growing again
- Wages, incomes, home values, and retirement accounts are rising again
- Poverty is falling again
- The wealthy are paying a fairer share of taxes even as the stock market shatters records.
- The unemployment rate is near a ten-year low.
- The uninsured rate has never, EVER been lower.
- Health care costs are rising at the slowest rate in fifty years. And if anyone can put together a plan that is demonstrably better than the improvements we’ve made to our health care system – that covers as many people at less cost – I will publicly support it.
- Leave with a 60% job approval rating
- Did all of this in the classic "No Drama Obama" mode
- There were NO attacks on the homeland during his presidency
He believes in FACTS when he stated:
"Take the challenge of climate change. In just eight years, we’ve halved our dependence on foreign oil, doubled our renewable energy, and led the world to an agreement that has the promise to save this planet. But without bolder action, our children won’t have time to debate the existence of climate change; they’ll be busy dealing with its effects: environmental disasters, economic disruptions, and waves of climate refugees seeking sanctuary.
Now, we can and should argue about the best approach to the problem. But to simply deny the problem not only betrays future generations; it betrays the essential spirit of innovation and practical problem-solving that guided our Founders.
It’s that spirit, born of the Enlightenment, that made us an economic powerhouse – the spirit that took flight at Kitty Hawk and Cape Canaveral; the spirit that that cures disease and put a computer in every pocket.
It’s that spirit – a faith in reason, and enterprise, and the primacy of right over might, that allowed us to resist the lure of fascism and tyranny during the Great Depression, and build a post-World War II order with other democracies, an order based not just on military power or national affiliations but on principles – the rule of law, human rights, freedoms of religion, speech, assembly, and an independent press."
He did all of that and more with intelligence, class, style, integrity and humor.
President Obama will go down as as the most talented and funniest command in Chief as well.
Most importantly, he was and is a role model for all of us. Did we EVER have to worry that President Obama would say, do or tweet something that would embarrass the country? Of course not.
Thank you President Obama.
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