I want to be a minion!!!! Proud to be a minion!!!! I don't think we qualify as sheep anymore though do we? There are new sheeples in town!!!!!

 

You may not be a sheep, but your still a donkey. Hahaha

As we move farther from the Obama presidency, his already high approval ratings will only go up. He will end up ranked among the near great presidents. If you want to include me as one of his "minions" or any other pejorative you wish to use, feel free. Proud to be included.

 

Obamacare will prevent him from ever achieving that. It's a failure. Many cannot afford this affordable insurance and those with health insurance have seen higher premiums and less coverage.

 

While he has had a role in our economic rebound, he's also overseen the division of America along racial and religious grounds. While not his fault, the truly great presidents have united the country in difficult times. Even Lincoln, though many didn't realize it at the time and hated him.

 

Obama is far from the worst president we've had but in my opinion he cannot objectively be mentioned with the likes of Washington, Lincoln, either Roosevelt, Wilson, Truman, etc.

 

To me Obama is in a tier with Presidents such as LBJ, Reagan, McKinley or Taft. Presidents with some excellent qualities but limitations, failures or other reasons they missed out on greatness. To me his LBJ 2.0. A decent mix of good with bad in terms of policy (not comparing war with bad insurance btw).

I do think Obama is a genuinely good person and wanted to do well for Americans. I hope he focuses on the positive impact he can have on the world post-presidency. He's a heck of a speaker and a great role model.

I do think Obama is a genuinely good person and wanted to do well for Americans. I hope he focuses on the positive impact he can have on the world post-presidency. He's a heck of a speaker and a great role model.

 

Agree.

I thought his tone was positive about the future of the country and positive towards President Trump.

For so many, his legacy really just comes down to the debacle that is Obamacare. Will always be hard for me to think of his legacy without that being the first thing in my mind.

I do think Obama is a genuinely good person and wanted to do well for Americans. I hope he focuses on the positive impact he can have on the world post-presidency. He's a heck of a speaker and a great role model.

 

I agree with this statement, and I felt the same way about Jimmy Carter.

 

I am struggling with those who label themselves as "progressive" and liberal. Those terms as defined don't necessarily peacefully coexist with each other. In fact, I think most of these people are liberals...they want the government to do more and spend the money it takes. From a social perspective, I don't believe liberals or conservatives generally have any difference in opinion of the fact that they want Americans to have healthy and better lives. The difference is in how to go about it and who is responsible.

 

Obama's ascendancy was reminiscent to me of Jimmy Carter's...Carter came in as an unknown but rode a wave of anti-Nixon sentiment following Watergate. Obama rode a wave of anti-Bush sentiment following Iraq. Also, Obama wore the flag of the first potential black President. He was smart, articulate, but especially well-supported to play the part. He is exactly what the rest of the world wanted in an American President as many countries were intimidated by our unilateral decisions to invade Iraq against their interests.....eg. Germany, France. He and his minions also seems to fashion a better America if we are more like Europe. I will ask the self proclaimed minions on BGP...DO YOU KNOW HOW MISERABLE THESE PEOPLE ARE?!? Why would we want to be like that? I worked for a German/Global company for 20 years...almost EVERY ex-pat that came to the US wanted or did stay permanently. Doesn't that tell you anything?

But I digress this Friday AM....

 

Unfortunately, he was not prepared to excel at the role.

For so many, his legacy really just comes down to the debacle that is Obamacare. Will always be hard for me to think of his legacy without that being the first thing in my mind.

 

Which is interesting because I am old enough to remember the Iran Contra scandal/Noriega/War on Drugs with Reagan. I remember Monica Lewinsky and the facade of the Clintons. I remember 9/11, the takeover of Iraq and never finding weapons of mass destruction or Osama bin Laden. If Obama's stained legacy is because of Obamacare then I consider that a pretty damn successful 8 years compared to the presidents of my lifetime.

 

I'll also say that Donald Trump makes me miss George W. Bush. Hell, he makes me miss Mitt Romney and John McCain. Never thought that would be possible.

I agree with this statement, and I felt the same way about Jimmy Carter.

 

I am struggling with those who label themselves as "progressive" and liberal. Those terms as defined don't necessarily peacefully coexist with each other. In fact, I think most of these people are liberals...they want the government to do more and spend the money it takes. From a social perspective, I don't believe liberals or conservatives generally have any difference in opinion of the fact that they want Americans to have healthy and better lives. The difference is in how to go about it and who is responsible.

 

Obama's ascendancy was reminiscent to me of Jimmy Carter's...Carter came in as an unknown but rode a wave of anti-Nixon sentiment following Watergate. Obama rode a wave of anti-Bush sentiment following Iraq. Also, Obama wore the flag of the first potential black President. He was smart, articulate, but especially well-supported to play the part. He is exactly what the rest of the world wanted in an American President as many countries were intimidated by our unilateral decisions to invade Iraq against their interests.....eg. Germany, France. He and his minions also seems to fashion a better America if we are more like Europe. I will ask the self proclaimed minions on BGP...DO YOU KNOW HOW MISERABLE THESE PEOPLE ARE?!? Why would we want to be like that? I worked for a German/Global company for 20 years...almost EVERY ex-pat that came to the US wanted or did stay permanently. Doesn't that tell you anything?

But I digress this Friday AM....

 

Unfortunately, he was not prepared to excel at the role.

 

Yes.

 

It tells me we are in the greatest country in the world and no matter how hard those on the right try to believe otherwise we are still the greatest country in the world.

 

I'll also add that there is nothing wrong with incorporating bits and pieces from other countries to possibly make ours even better. I guess we'll find out soon when our kids start learning Russian in elementary school.

Yes.

 

It tells me we are in the greatest country in the world and no matter how hard those on the right try to believe otherwise we are still the greatest country in the world. I'll also add that there is nothing wrong with incorporating bits and pieces from other countries to possibly make ours even better. I guess we'll find out soon when our kids start learning Russian in elementary school.

 

Agreed. However, "might makes right" and our technological advantages are slipping as too many of our populace eschew the virtues of education, our number of engineers graduating compared to many other countries is scary. Fortunately, many of the well-educated people from other countries want to live here too. This is where I am at odds with the liberal/socialist philosophies that neutralize the rewards and motivations for people to educate and better themselves. I am also at odds with our post-secondary education costs and how they are financed. I think we can do better which will preserve our future as a great nation for our children and grandchildren.

Which is interesting because I am old enough to remember the Iran Contra scandal/Noriega/War on Drugs with Reagan. I remember Monica Lewinsky and the facade of the Clintons. I remember 9/11, the takeover of Iraq and never finding weapons of mass destruction or Osama bin Laden. If Obama's stained legacy is because of Obamacare then I consider that a pretty damn successful 8 years compared to the presidents of my lifetime.

 

I guess I'll disagree with you. But take that with a grain of salt because I wasn't really an adult for any of that, so its really hard for me to comment.

 

But Bill Clinton getting some play on the side didn't take a lot of extra money out of my pocket and completely screw up my retired 80 year old father's insurance coverage.

I guess I'll disagree with you. But take that with a grain of salt because I wasn't really an adult for any of that, so its really hard for me to comment.

 

But Bill Clinton getting some play on the side didn't take a lot of extra money out of my pocket and completely screw up my retired 80 year old father's insurance coverage.

 

Nah but Bill Clinton played a large part in making prisons a private enterprise and he made sure he kept them filled up for all of his buddies to profit off of. The whole Clinton presidency was a facade. It was fake. They duped us all. At the end of the day he wasn't who we thought he was and we didn't find out until it was too late. The damage had been done. With Obamacare we all knew what Obama wanted to do. He never hid it. He campaigned on it. It was at the top of the list of things he wanted to accomplish. The worst part about Obamacare is that when he wanted to do it he got no support from the right and all they said was no. Now they want to repeal and replace it when the fact is this....they could have gotten it right the first time with Obama but they chose not to. Obama is at fault for Obamacare but so is the rest of the government and so are the folks who claim they can fix it now. They should have fixed it four years ago. Together. At least folks have a scapegoat now when TrumpCare doesn't work either.

 

As I said, I'll take ObamaCare and folks waiting on TrumpCare over the Iran Contra scandal, the War on Drugs(which is still failing us in 2017....looking at you, Chicago), COINTELPRO, the Clintons, the private prison industry, the insanely unfair drug sentencing laws, 9/11, Iraq, Guantanamo Bay, Weapons of Mass Destruction, Osama Bin Laden.

 

Yeah, I'll take ObamaCare all day long.

President Obama has been an okay President IMO. Lots of stuff he's done that I disagree with (chiefly the ACA), and plenty of things he's done that I approve of.

 

I think it'll be interesting 15-20 years from now (I think you have to allow a minimum of a decade to pass before truly judging a Presidency) to see how history views his tenure.

President Obama has been an okay President IMO. Lots of stuff he's done that I disagree with (chiefly the ACA), and plenty of things he's done that I approve of.

 

I think it'll be interesting 15-20 years from now (I think you have to allow a minimum of a decade to pass before truly judging a Presidency) to see how history views his tenure.

 

Very true. Look what it did to Bill Clinton.

Nah but Bill Clinton played a large part in making prisons a private enterprise and he made sure he kept them filled up for all of his buddies to profit off of. The whole Clinton presidency was a facade. It was fake. They duped us all. At the end of the day he wasn't who we thought he was and we didn't find out until it was too late. The damage had been done. With Obamacare we all knew what Obama wanted to do. He never hid it. He campaigned on it. It was at the top of the list of things he wanted to accomplish. The worst part about Obamacare is that when he wanted to do it he got no support from the right and all they said was no. Now they want to repeal and replace it when the fact is this....they could have gotten it right the first time with Obama but they chose not to. Obama is at fault for Obamacare but so is the rest of the government and so are the folks who claim they can fix it now. They should have fixed it four years ago. Together. At least folks have a scapegoat now when TrumpCare doesn't work either.

 

As I said, I'll take ObamaCare and folks waiting on TrumpCare over the Iran Contra scandal, the War on Drugs(which is still failing us in 2017....looking at you, Chicago), COINTELPRO, the Clintons, the private prison industry, the insanely unfair drug sentencing laws, 9/11, Iraq, Guantanamo Bay, Weapons of Mass Destruction, Osama Bin Laden.

 

Yeah, I'll take ObamaCare all day long.

 

I could be called a few names for it, but when it comes to politics, I often look at how does it affect me, my friends, and my family personally. Probably more out there like me than we want to admit. So that's why I feel the way I feel about Obamacare.

 

I don't think I'd really have any quarrels with him if it wasn't for that. But I just can't get passed how that came to be, the lies, and the way its affected my wallet and people like my dad.

 

In the end, it doesn't change my original statement, that Obamacare is his legacy. Many people like me will point to it as a major downside. Others that disagree with me, will point to it as a major positive change. But I thoroughly believe that many years down the road when we are all @mcpapa's age, when someone says Obama, we will be quick to think two things:

 

1) First Black President

2) Obamacare