I think he will. This is a personal rant so apologies, but I felt genuine emotion when he got elected and put his less than inspiring first 4 years to not wanting to be too much too soon. Im watching his SotU address here and he’s been dithering from the off. He just looks like a hollow man who thought by copying the likes of genuine men of substance(Clinton, Kenneddy) he could do greatness but he’s done fookall, on the world stage and in the US his approval ratings have never been lower.
Obviously the nature of politics as it is maybe it’s no surprise he’s not forged a genuine connection with the world, either the US or beyond, but I genuinely thought there was something different on the horizon when Obama got elected, that this man more than any other could generate a true inspiration and enthusiasm among other people. More fool me. And the less folk are inspired and motivated by who they are voting for(or against) the more likely they are to tune out altogether. It’s just a case of the same old drones saying the same old shit and so long as you’re not bothered directly why would you be arsed? Honest to Christ he still waxing on as I type and I’ve heard more enhancing sermonizing at Fine Gael Ard Fheis’
Given the mess he inherited from the thing before him, the worst president in American history, he never had a hope really. If he was in the situation of following on from what Clinton left behind him, then Obama could have been one of America’s great presidents. But look at the shit he had to deal with. Two insane wars. The worst financial crisis since the 1920’s, massive unemployment, inequality on a grand scale, a congress so feral they are prepared to eat their own rather than do anything progressive. Nice bloke, his wife’s a cracker, but it will be a case of Barack we never knew you. He hadn’t a hope. It could be interesting what he does afterwards, when the shackles are off so to speak.
Not really related, but been meaning to post this - I was reading a thing about how thousands of Americans went on FB on new years eve to celebrate the earth turning 2014. “Happy birthday earth, can’t believe you’re 2014 years old” read one of them. I’m not kidding. Who’d be president of that lot?
Kennedy did fuckall.
LBJ did 10 times more for the Kennedy legacy… now there was a real fucking politician. The Democrats did control both the House and Senate for 8 years of Kennedy/LBJ, but you have to keep in mind the Southern Democrats back then were more conservative (and racist ) than the Republicans are now.
Clinton got shit done, and did so with both houses against him. One of the finest politicians the US has ever known.
While you can make the argument that Obama is longer on style than substance, in fairness to him he has been shackled by the most vitriolic opposition ever seen in American politics. The Tea party cunts will not compromise on anything. They are intent on trying to take him down, even at the expense of the country as a whole. A bigger shower of cunts you will never meet.
Yet more lies about America. @Fitzy this was actually on Twitter and the young girl who posted this was actually taking the piss. It got taken at face value by a bunch of liberal idiots.
Obama has achieved not a lot. In last year’s speech he promised action on immigration, gun control and the environment. He has done nothing on any of them. What about the ‘red line’ on Syria? He has disengaged America from being the world’s policeman and pointed US foreign policy towards the pacific, however.
Obama doesn’t have desire to change things all that much. Has done fook all to move centre ground leftwards and on foreign policy he has been a awful. That’s not cause he hasn’t been able to. It is because he hasn’t wanted to. At least Ed Miliband will go down having tried something if he isn’t elected.
Plenty of promise in that election campaign but has delivered next to nothing in terms of meaningful change. The opposition haven’t helped (though in some respects it should have been an advantage to have extremist and splintered opposition) but his second term in particular has been a huge disappointment. His speech last week (or the week before) about the “reforms” of the NSA was indicative of just how little he wants to change anything. In his first term it seemed to be all about protecting his chances for a second term. In his second term it seems to be all about protecting his legacy as an after-dinner speaker. He seems utterly afraid of delivering on any of his change agenda.
A very disappointing presidency. I forgave him to an extent in that he took over in the biggest economic crisis in 60 years and faced the biggest shower of spastics in opposition that anyone has ever had to face. However the NSA bugging thing has been a real low point for me. He’s just the same as all the rest, a servant to the overlords
Don’t forget his drone strikes. As of July 2013 the Bureau of Investigative Journalism estimates that total strikes under the Bush Administration was 52 compared to 318 under the Obama Administration. (Thank you Wikipedia).
He’ll go down as a disappointment because people were expecting miracles out of him.
At the end of the day, he’s the president of a massively polarized electoral and political system in which it is damn near impossible to get anything meaningful or worthwhile done.
Change? Impossible without massive popular upheaval, war or natural disaster.
In the words of Randy Marsh, ‘where’s my tv and where are my pants. Obama sucks’
Yes, he brought the world to the brink of Nuclear annihilation. Good shit there.
Besides creating the Peace Corps and banging Marilyn Monroe, he didn’t do much else of note.
You need to take off the “Oh Begorrah, sure wasn’t he one of our own” tinted glasses. If ever the charge of style over substance could be leveled at a US president, then JFK is the man.
His successor is the man who got shit done… LBJ accomplishments-> Civil Rights Bill, War on Poverty, Clean Air Act, National Endowment for the Arts, the Voting Rights Act. Those are things that had, and still have to this day, a profound effect on the US. His legacy dwarfs that of JFK.
