Change You Can Believe In

[erpowers]

Whether people like it or not this country has gotten a great deal of change from President Obama and his Administration. I have thought for some time that history will judge President Obama positively. Republicans will most likely try to tarnish is reputation, but I think they will be unsuccessful. History will say he was a good President.

[zipplewrath]

1. It will depend upon the times

Jackson is still on the money, but otherwise history doesn't particularly treat him well. Adams was a one term president, and history these days is fairly kind. Carter looks better today, but for decades was often at the bottom of all lists. Lyndon moves around depending upon the subject of the day. Clinton's legacy moves around depending upon whether the subject is DADT or the deficit.

Most presidents end up being fairly inconsequential, mostly a "victim" of their times. No one would remember Lincoln without the war he did not want. No one would remember FDR if the economy came back in 4 years. Teddy is on Mount Rushmore, but today most people wonder why he is there with Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln.

Obama won't have much upon which to hang his hat, especially if the ACA falls into disrepair from congressional neglect. It was hugely imperfect upon passage and there are still many things that Obama and others would like to "fix", not to mention "improve". Without that it may get worse instead of better, and currently there isn't a lot of interest in EITHER party in doing much more than dismantling it (mostly by the GOP). If any party gets around to doing something, it will most likely be to replace it with something along the lines of "single payer" (which may actually not be single payer, but merely government controlled health care).

Other than that, like so many presidents including recent ones, many of their more significant accomplishments don't long out live their administrations, unless they come back to haunt them. What's Bush I's legacy? How about Ford? Clinton's is often more about things that his own party wants to eliminate (DADT, DOMA, NAFTA, etc.). Really, the last real "legacy" administration is Reagan, and mostly about things he never really did. Before that you probably get LBJ and that's a truly "high and low" kinda reputation.

And God forgive Obama if anything comes out about him covering for torturers that make him look complicit in some way.