Farewell Barack Obama (If you can't say something nice...)

[Guard Dog]

So we have entered the last 48 hours of the Obama Administration. Over the past eight years I have written thousands of words of text criticizing his politics, his philosophy, his utter disregard for things more important that life, etc. And all with good reason. Many of you have as well. There have also been thousands of words of gushing praise from some over the same things.

 

But in this thread I want to do something different. Nothing in life is entirely good or evil, successful or unsuccessful, you get the idea. So I'm opening this discussion to everyone but in particular Obama's harshest critics. Can you think of anything he has done that you agree with? Has there been a policy, law signed, executive order issued, pardon or commutation that left you thinking "good job"?

 

I'd rather this not devolve into a general political thread... if it does so be it. Some folks can't help themselves I realize.

 

For me the greatest achievement was rooted in something he did I didn't agree with. In 2010 he cut funding for NASA's Constellation program and cancelled the Shuttle Program. After all the years taking a major part in leading the human race into space the American Manned Space Program came to a unceremonious end. But following that he did something I did not expect considering his antipathy towards private enterprise. He encouraged and removed the long standing roadblocks to private spaceflight and went even further by contacting out actual spaceflight operations. Because of that we have companies like SpaceX, Orbital Mechanics, Virgin Galactic (although they are not doing government work I'm including them). The Falcon 9 is closer to being a reusable heavy lift  vehicle that the Space Shuttle ever was at a fraction of the cost. So, well done Mr. President.

 

Any others?

[Meshugger]

His restraint from putting boots on the ground in Libya and Syria. That alone made sure that a bad situation didn't escalate into a catastrophe. 

[Hurlshort]

This was a pretty fantastic appearance: 

 

 

I'm a big fan of the work that has been done with Cuba. 

[Raithe]

I have friends who wouldn't have been able to get the medicine their kids need if not for Obamacare. So without knowing and living the joys of the American Health Care system myself, they've always been damned grateful that came into existence.

 

Edit: Also, his attempts to push science and get kids interested in science and engineering more. Which was in large part why he did the Mythbusters appearance and related things.

Edited January 18, 2017 by Raithe

[Keyrock]

Obama was neither the agent of change he promised to be when I supported him during the run to his first term, nor the devil his harshest critics claim he was. He was, in a nutshell, business as usual. He changed nothing except my insurance costs almost twice as much as it used to.

Edited January 18, 2017 by Keyrock

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

...

[Hurlshort]

Obama was neither the agent of change he promised to be when I supported him during the run to his first term, nor the devil his harshest critics claim he was. He was, in a nutshell, business as usual. He changed nothing except my insurance costs almost twice as much as it used to.

 

Eh, your insurance would probably cost twice as much anyways, since insurance rates had been rising terribly well before Obamacare came into play. He failed to stem the tide, for sure, although I do give credit to the pre-existing conditions work done.

 

edit: You folks are missing the point of the thread.  

Edited January 18, 2017 by Hurlshot

[Keyrock]

Insurance rates were rising before Obamacare, yes, but not at the rate they rose after. The jump in rate from just before Obamacare to right after it went into effect was staggering.

[Hurlshort]

Insurance rates were rising before Obamacare, yes, but not at the rate they rose after. The jump in rate from just before Obamacare to right after it went into effect was staggering.

 

Every state and plan is different, so it's hard to generalize, but the bulk of my rates raised before Obamacare. That being said, I put the blame on the insurance industry above all others here. The government deserves a heaping too, but they are down the list a bit.

 

http://www.factcheck.org/2014/11/the-great-premium-debate-continues/

[HoonDing]

Can't imagine Trump visiting Hiroshima or bowing to people.

[Volourn]

He is trash. The guy is the only President that I know of that allowed a  foreign power to hack a US election. Any 'good' he may have done is washed way by that.

 

I'll say one good thing for him. He didn't cheat on his wife. Good on him for that.

[Wrath of Dagon]

How do you know?

[HoonDing]

Didn't he bang Beyonce?

[Guard Dog]

One other thing. He has pardoned or commuted nearly 2000 non-violent drug offenders so far and is suggesting more to come tomorrow. I'm all in favor of that. Locking someone up for 30 years for a victim-less crime offends my sense of justice and it should yours too. Most of those folks did not deserve the punishment they received.

[Hurlshort]

I don't think people are getting it, GD.  

[Malcador]

Thought we were aiming for the zenith of passive aggressiveness.

[Sarex]

I'm just sitting here watching his last few week of presidency and laughing my ass off. He is trying **** over trump as much as he can before he leaves the office.

[redneckdevil]

Legalizing gay marriage

[Gfted1]

Lets see, if I squint real hard, while astride my unicorn on the way to my yurt, I can say I'm warming to the concept of UHC. So, thanks Obama.

[BruceVC]

So we have entered the last 48 hours of the Obama Administration. Over the past eight years I have written thousands of words of text criticizing his politics, his philosophy, his utter disregard for things more important that life, etc. And all with good reason. Many of you have as well. There have also been thousands of words of gushing praise from some over the same things.

 

But in this thread I want to do something different. Nothing in life is entirely good or evil, successful or unsuccessful, you get the idea. So I'm opening this discussion to everyone but in particular Obama's harshest critics. Can you think of anything he has done that you agree with? Has there been a policy, law signed, executive order issued, pardon or commutation that left you thinking "good job"?

 

I'd rather this not devolve into a general political thread... if it does so be it. Some folks can't help themselves I realize.

 

For me the greatest achievement was rooted in something he did I didn't agree with. In 2010 he cut funding for NASA's Constellation program and cancelled the Shuttle Program. After all the years taking a major part in leading the human race into space the American Manned Space Program came to a unceremonious end. But following that he did something I did not expect considering his antipathy towards private enterprise. He encouraged and removed the long standing roadblocks to private spaceflight and went even further by contacting out actual spaceflight operations. Because of that we have companies like SpaceX, Orbital Mechanics, Virgin Galactic (although they are not doing government work I'm including them). The Falcon 9 is closer to being a reusable heavy lift  vehicle that the Space Shuttle ever was at a fraction of the cost. So, well done Mr. President.

 

Any others?

He did many positive things and ensured the USA didnt go into  a deep recession in 2008 

 

He has one of the highest popularity rates considering the normal view people have after 2 terms

 

The space program? That is the first time anyone has mentioned that.....dont you think the cost wasnt worth the other pressing issues the USA faced in 2008?

[Gromnir]

 

 

The space program? That is the first time anyone has mentioned that.....dont you think the cost wasnt worth the other pressing issues the USA faced in 2008?

 

we have. numerous times. given the tone o' the thread, this is not the place for us to discuss our feelings regarding obama's gutting of nasa.

 

in the spirit o' the thread, we will observe how obama deserves credit for killing the absolute asinine don't ask, don't tell policy o' the us military.

Edited January 19, 2017 by Gromnir

[Guard Dog]

Legalizing gay marriage

It's a bit of a stretch to credit him for this. He was a pretty vocal opponent of same sex marriage all the up until the tide of public opinion could not be ignored. Jumping on the bandwagon long after it got rolling does not strike me as particularly virtuous. Now the US Solicitor General did argue on behalf of the Plaintiffs in Obgerfell so there is that. But the real credit here goes to the five justices who listened to the Equal Protection argument..

[Gorgon]

I guess the feeling in Europe is that he achieved some long overdue reforms that would essentially make the US a bit more like Europe which we naturally think of as a good thing.

 

Now it's all being unraveled and we are getting another moron populist. We have enough of those over here to know how destructive they can be. 

[redneckdevil]

 

Legalizing gay marriage

It's a bit of a stretch to credit him for this. He was a pretty vocal opponent of same sex marriage all the up until the tide of public opinion could not be ignored. Jumping on the bandwagon long after it got rolling does not strike me as particularly virtuous. Now the US Solicitor General did argue on behalf of the Plaintiffs in Obgerfell so there is that. But the real credit here goes to the five justices who listened to the Equal Protection argument..

It happened during his presidency so to be fair, I will chalk it up to him just like if good/bad things happened during someone else's turn I'd blame/cheer them. I do understand it WASNT him personally, but dammit i tried to say something good about him and I had to settle with something that happened during his term instead lol.

[Zoraptor]

If I had to write positives on Obama I'd say that he came across as the most genuinely well intentioned President I've seen, and he didn't feel that he had to double down repeatedly on the mistakes he did make. Which sounds like faint praise but is actually one of the most important characteristics a leader can have; you cannot reasonably expect there to be no mistakes made but you can minimise the damage done by them and not make them worse trying to protect your pride.

 

There's obviously a lot of negatives as well, but that's the nature of leading a powerful country- or being a powerful country for that matter.