President Barack Obama gave his last State of the Union address on Tuesday night and it of course came with mixed opinions from supporters and critics.
Obama’s legacy will depend on what the ratios are regarding his successes and failures. Unlike any other president, Obama had the unrelentless assault by Republicans that held both Congress and the Senate and did whatever they could to block, stonewall and defeat anything supported by Obama. Through all that he did have his victories considering he had to clean up the mess the Republicans and the G.W. Bush administration had left the country in.
He had two wars to handle and ended both and as of present, is winning in two military actions in Syria and Iraq against the forces of ISIL/ISIS a relatively newly formed militant terrorist group that has spread like wildfire in the past few years. He’s had legislation passed regarding health care and in some areas the economy has been roaring ahead.
His problems are those of the groups who on an ideological, religious, and philosophical opposed Obama’s own and attacked him at every opportunity.
Obama succeeded in getting legislation and rights passed and upholded regarding the LGBT community, much to the chagrin of major religions and almost half the American population.
With just under a year to go, Obama has to finish what he’s started and keep good on the issues he’d promised to address. The one issue of corruption in government and industry have escaped him or been ignored for whatever reasons only he and his inner team can fathom, again, much to the chagrin of the American public who feel that they cannot trust government and industry.
His family has remained unscathed with no absurd scandals and public exhibits of an embarrassing nature unlike presidents before him and that’s a good tribute. In 2016 he’ll have to keep up the drive to squash ISIL/ISIS once and for all and so far just within the past month ISIL/ISIS leaders have been getting blasted off the planet at ever turn thus leading to disarray among their ranks and leaving them open to final destruction which the president mentioned during his address.
Obama’s people know they have to win the big ticket problems and hope the public doesn’t pay attention to the neglected and smaller issues that he couldn’t or wouldn’t address.
It’s unlikely the Republicans will lighten up their attacks with the White House in the balance during Obama’s final year. It’s a good bet they’ll look for any and every opportunity to undermine Obama so that the Republicans look good. They’ve already started with Donald Trump’s fear mongering and race bating and the same old tired Republican rhetoric that appeals to the Republican rank and file they spew at every election.
Obama’s in the final stretch and if he plays his cards right, he’ll exit the presidency with historic valor.
Do you think President Obama will succeed this coming year? Add your comments below.
