President Barack Obama has been referred to as the Abe Lincoln of the 21st century, due to the fact that he is both the most beloved and hated president of his time. His philanthropic work and success as a president is owed greatly to the fact he himself has identified with the minorities in America, becoming the first black president of the United States, and overcoming many obstacles on his way to the Oval Office. A GOP Congress blocked almost every bill he presented while viciously attacking him. His supporters, however, are very strongly suited to the belief that he, in fact, was an amazing president.
If you look at the statistics, he is the best president we have seen since Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Not only has he brought us out of a recession, he has maneuvered us through war, social struggles, and international conflict as well. From race, to religion, to sexuality and gender, Barack Obama has made America a safer, securer, and better place to be. Institutional racism is being exposed, gender equality is up, and gay rights have never seen a more colorful presence. In fact, the actual order in a time lapse will go: Franklin D. Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt, Lyndon Johnson, Woodrow Wilson, Harry Truman, John F. Kennedy, Dwight Eisenhower, Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, and Barack Obama.
Obama has won many times. But we need to give him credit for the top 10 times he was the best president ever.
1. Eliminated Osama Bin Laden: In 2011, ordered special forces raid of secret compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, in which the terrorist leader was killed and a trove of al-Qaeda documents was discovered. This was one of the greatest military maneuvers of the 21st century. Obama sat in the Situation Room with Biden and Clinton as they took out the mastermind, as well as many accomplices.
2. Repealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”: Ended 1990s-era restriction and formalized new policy allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military for the first time. This was the first major move on Obama’s part to integrate LGBT rights into a major American institution. It has been hailed as one of the best advances in LGBT rights in American history.
3. Reversed Bush torture policies: Two days after taking office, nullified Bush-era rulings that had allowed detainees in U.S. custody to undergo certain “enhanced” interrogation techniques considered inhumane under the Geneva Conventions. Also released the secret Bush legal rulings supporting the use of these techniques. Bush’s egregious policies were a violation of human rights and the Geneva Conventions, and are currently being investigated by the United Nations as well as the FBI.
4. Ended the war in Iraq: One of the biggest mistakes in U.S. history was the war in Iraq, the phony, useless war started by one of our favorite airheads, George W. Bush. His stupidity left the next administration with enough crap to fill a landfill. The end of this war in 2011 was not only a step in destroying the blood for oil battles, but ushered in an unprecedented time of calm for the U.S.
5. That time he won the Noble Peace Prize: Winning the Noble Prize is such an accomplishment, I don’t think there is a parallel to it. Through valiant efforts, this controversial, yet in the end, deserving award was given to the former senator for his climate change propositions, being a civil rights icon, and for his plans.
6. Passed healthcare reform: After five presidents over the course of a century failed to create universal health insurance, signed the Affordable Care Act (2010). It covered 32 million uninsured Americans beginning in 2014 and mandated a suite of experimental measures to cut healthcare cost growth, the number-one cause of America’s long-term fiscal problems. This was a monumental success, and helped improve the lives of millions of Americans.
7. Passed Wall Street reform: Signed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (2010) to re-regulate the financial sector after its practices caused the Great Recession. The new law tightens capital requirements on large banks and other financial institutions, requires derivatives to be sold on clearinghouses and exchanges, mandates that large banks provide “living wills” to avoid chaotic bankruptcies, limits their ability to trade with customers’ money for their own profit, and creates the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (now headed by Richard Cordray) to crack down on abusive lending products and companies.
So whether you think he's a good or bad president, the state of the nation is well, thanks to his decisive leadership, peaceful goals, and a legacy that will live through every democratic president, onward.
