The time has come. The Presidency of Barrack Hussein Obama ends tomorrow at noon, and with it America has passed another milestone. The country's first African American President has completed two terms in office. I'll admit that I was concerned that we might not see this day, that some nut with a gun might be able to assassinate this President. But to America's credit (and the United States Secret Service), there was not even an attempt that we know about to take the President's life. Given the untimely assassinations of so many African American leaders, (Malcolm X, Dr Martin Luther King, and Medgar Evers to name a few), the fact that President Obama survived two terms without incident is a sign of progress in itself. But as President Obama prepares to vacate the White House tomorrow and transfer power to President Elect Trump, I can't help but reflect on the fact that despite his imperfections, he was the perfect person to be the first African American President of the United States.
Usually I love to cite facts, but I won't do that in this post. It would just be long and boring. I'm content to let history judge President Obama's Presidency. I'll just remind you that when he took office
- the world economy was on the brink of collapse,
- we were fighting two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan,
- Osama Bin Laden was still alive,
- same sex couples could not legally marry,
- health insurance companies could deny coverage for pre-existing conditions,
- 20 million less Americans had health insurance coverage
- the American automobile industry was on the verge of collapse,
- the U.S. economy was losing 200,000 jobs a month, and
- the unemployment rate was 7.8%.
Again, let's just say I think history will be kind to him. But that's not to say that President Obama has been perfect. He's done a lot of things I disagreed with over the past 8 years. I think his signature accomplishment, the Affordable Care Act, should have included a public option. I think his use of drones to drop bombs on suspected terrorists produced collateral damage that could come back to haunt us for decades in the form of generations of Afghans who will grow up hating America. I think he was a little too reluctant to tackle some racial issues head on and I think he caved to Republican pressure when he was considering making Susan Rice Secretary of State. Finally, I think drawing the red line in Syria and not following through was a mistake in judgment.
So I'll freely admit that President Obama wasn't a perfect President, but I have no doubt that he was the perfect man to be the first African American President. Because American history has taught us that the first African American to do anything has to be perfect. President Obama has spent 8 years in the nation's capital and no matter how much you disagree with his policies, unless you are a complete imbecile there is no way you can't appreciate the decency of this man. He has an amazing wife and amazing children, and he never passes an opportunity to talk about his love for them. There has not been one hint of a scandal in his White House in 8 years. With the advent of social media he has had more hatred hurled in his direction than any President in my lifetime without doubt, and he has retained his composure and dignity until his very last day in office.
President Obama's Presidency reminds me of the story that's often told about Jackie Robinson when Dodgers owner Branch Rickey was thinking of making Robinson the first African American player in the major leagues. By most accounts Robinson wasn't the best African American player of his time, but Rickey rightfully assessed that he was the perfect person to break the Major League color barrier because he definitely had the skill, he had the temperament, and he had the class and dignity to handle all the ugliness that was sure to come his way. In like manner, Barrack Hussein Obama may not have been the best African American politician of his time, but he was the perfect person to break the White House's color barrier. He definitely had the skill, he had the temperament, and he had the class and dignity to handle all the ugliness that came his way.
The Obama Presidency may have been imperfect, but as for as representing the African American community in this country it was perfection. I thank the Obamas for their service, and wish them many years of health, peace and prosperity. Well done Barrack and Michelle. You made us proud.
