The Obama presidency, I feel, will be regarded historically as quite successful. I don’t think his administration has touted his success very well, and I don’t think the media lifts up his successes well either; that doesn’t sell as well as negatives, but let’s look at his record so far.
Other accomplishments include: ending “don’t ask, don’t tell” and other civil rights issues, improved fuel efficiency standards, more children were insured (4 million – SCHIP), we have improved student loans, a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was created and Wall Street reforms were passed, the torture programs that began under Bush were stopped, our image with other countries were vastly improved, the START treaty with Russia was created, educational programs ie. Race to the Top Incentive Program was implemented, sanctions on Iran were made, support to veterans wee significantly increased, two Supreme Court Justices were appointed, significant investments in green energy were made and the list goes on. For a big list, 319 documented accomplishments, you can go here .
It is tempting to compare the Obama presidency to the FDR presidency and from that standpoint, I don’t think Obama would fare well. His progressive agenda is not as extensive and not nearly as deeply systemic as the reforms made by FDR. Let me take two major examples, health care and education.
For years presidents have been trying to pass health care reforms. We certainly have models for good healthcare reforms in European countries, especially the Scandinavian countries. During the Clinton administration Hilary Clinton tried to get a more progressive health plan passed and failed. So, kudos go to Obama but it really does not solve the problem of the cost of health care. It does provide health care for more people as it should but the ridiculously high costs remain to the delight of insurance companies. We need a single payer system for these to come down. Obama, I think is a realist, he got what he could get in today political climate. It was not great but it was a step forward.
The same is true in education. More has been done in education, especially higher education than most people realize. There is a lot of money available in government programs for college education that is not applied for. But the real problem, like health cares remains, the incredibly high costs of education. In years past, as when I was in college, anyone could afford to go to college. You could work your way through or take out moderate loans that could be paid off without undue duress. Today’s costs are making college education something available only to upper classes.
The problems of the Obama presidency are the problems of our society. Obama is a realistic and has tailored his presidency pragmatically to our times where the wealthy essentially control the economy and the political arena. He has worked around that oligarchical system to produce some progressive movements, but they are not long-term solutions. We still have an infrastructure that is falling apart and an educational and health system that best serves the wealthy. We have a system that creates a crumbling middle class and poor folk in dire straits with little hope. People are mad, but manipulated media bought and paid for by the wealthy they often are mad at the wrong folk and do little to improve their own lot.
One hopes that the populace will become sufficiently well educated to seize control of the structure of a democracy and make a progressive agenda that works for the people viable again. That was what happened during the time of FDR. The vision of social reform was laid before the people, the political vision was shared, it was fought against, but it won out and the country flourished and grew. It is a vision best captured and shared today by Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. Warren isn’t running and pundits say Sanders can’t win. Can it happen again? One can hope.
