The Obama Legacy and Moving Forward

Every incoming President wants to form his or her own legacy. Every exiting President leaves behind a legacy, and this legacy is seen in different lights by different people. For example, George Bush left office in 2008, in the midst of two overseas war and a massive recession. Supporters see his legacy as being a strong President, who wanted to spread democracy and keep America safe from the ever-present threat of terrorism. Opponents see his legacy as being a foolish buffoon, who led us into two unnecessary wars over oil and caused the recession of 2008. Obviously, there are fence sitters, who lie somewhere in between those two extremes, but the example is a good one to prepare for the differences in of opinion for Barack Obama’s legacy. With the end of his Presidency hitting and the incoming of President Donald Trump. It is a good time to begin to draw some conclusions on the Obama Legacy and how that connects to the new administration. Before any predictions for the new administration can be made, an examining of the Obama legacy must be made. In my humble opinion, his legacy can best be described as bipolar. Like any other president, Barack Obama is both acclaimed and demonized by the public, and for good reasons. Under the Obama administration, the American people received a defunct health care system, increased taxation, and racial tensions are on the quick rise (who is to blame for this isn’t quite clear, but Obama will be remembered for this as happening during his administration). This administration was in power during the rise of ISIS and the collapse of any shred of government left in Northern African countries like Libya. Weak foreign and trade policies have led to the destabilization of the middle east, rising tensions with Russia and China, and a general distaste for American culture and values overseas. Considering this it is not impossible to see how someone like Donald Trump wins the election. A candidate with a tough exterior, preaching about bringing jobs home and taking a harder stance on international relations and security would seem appealing to a class of people who have been mostly neglected over the past 8 years. On the other hand, The Obama administration is seen as being actually progressive in some areas. Under his administration, marriage equality came to the forefront of political discussion and was finally granted their constitutional right to equality. Despite rising again, gas prices have almost been split in half, and unemployment is decreasing (once again the cause of this is unclear, but will ultimately be attributed to President Obama). One thing that is extremely notable with the Obama Administration is his ability to appeal to young people. Most young people have never experienced a relatable president. It is not only the job of the commander in chief to protect and serve the people but also to relate and connect to them. For years, the Oval Office has been occupied by old men, who are essentially clueless on how to communicate with younger people. Even to a traditional conservative like myself, Bush Senior, Bush Junior, and even Ronald Reagan, sometimes seem out of touch with the views of the largest generation of Americans. Despite being against mostly every Obama policy, I cannot say I didn’t enjoy seeing a more human side of the Head of State, while he was playing basketball, drinking a beer in the rose garden, or slow jamming the news on Jimmy Fallon. I have never been a fan of the Obama Administration. Many of the choices made by the last President were ill-informed and extremely detrimental; however, there are good things that President Trump can take from Obama. It is very important that Trump connects with the young generation that despises him. By doing this he will be more favored, more empowered, and ultimately more successful.