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Honestly, I think the one problem with Obama that NEVER gets discussed is that he likely suffers from deep-rooted self-esteem issues. Yes, he projects as a narcissist (even a Narcissistic Personality Disorder type), but deep down, he has to deal with the reality that his "family" was incredibly dysfunctional for the early 1960's.
I believe that's the demon that haunts Obama, permeates his every waking moment. Sure, there was the "first black president" thing, but let's face it, Obama's a BICO -- Black In Color Only. He had virtually NO black influence in his family life, because he was raised by a white family. It's pretty bad when a guy as dysfunctional as Barack Obama Sr. decides his life would be better off without you, other wife or not.
As such, I believe his formative years made him into an introverted loner. Loners don't make good leaders.
I think you make a very good point. I, too, have given this some thought several times over the past 6 years. What confirmed it for me is when Obama actually called historians to the White House to guide him on building a legacy. A true, experienced leader would care less about the opinions of others because the nature of leadership and a true leader is someone who is confident in his decisions and the projected outcome. A competent leader will not be concerned about his legacy because he knows that his decisions will have led to a positive outcome. That's why leaders are considered leaders.
When Obama started carving a path to a legacy by asking how to craft that legacy, I knew then and there that he's not a very confident leader.
"Barack Obama knows he’s a man running out of time. Reflecting on his presidential legacy in a long interview with the New Yorker’s David Remnick, Obama said, “at the end of the day we’re part of a long-running story. We just try to get our paragraph right.” For Presidents' Day, Politico Magazine asked a panel of distinguished historians to take up the obvious question this raises: How will Obama’s paragraph read? Did he get it right? What will be his place in history? Here’s what they told us, with some smart framing thoughts from Stephen Sestanovich, a scholar at the Council on Foreign Relations and Columbia University:"
Sorry libs.....Barack Obama just wasn't Mr. Hope and Change after all. Even the far left historians from the nation's elite universities won't give him much more than a mediocre ranking after 6 years........which is astonishing considering what they expected he would be able to accomplish being a well-spoken man of high ambition and even higher rhetoric.
It just didn't work out as planned. A lost opportunity for the first black President, indeed.
Did we read the same Politico article?
The one I read said the jury was still out.
Since our President still has 2 years left in his term, I agree with the article. No historian who is actually a historian would risk his professional reputation at this point.
Is he running out of time? Maybe. That could be seen in several different ways. But is he a great President? The honest assessments will come in the next decade to come. If he is seen as only middling successful, or goes down in history as one of the greats, whatever the outcome is will be weighted against the chaos Bush terms.
This is always the way it is. Whatever the promises are in the campaign never turn out to be greater than how the great Presidents did when they took office. Our best were always the most controversial in their time, and only were seen as being the best long after they left office.
Hurricane Sandy shed billions from our economy as well. Conservatives dont like hurricanes, but we are not bothered by a government shutdown. Liberals and Democrats disapprove of Republicans. What else is new?
That's why Boehner worked so hard to keep a govt. shutdown from happening again.
I will be glad when the word "Obama" in only mentioned as a Jeopardy question. He is a "fad" like the "pet rock".
Quote:
Originally Posted by AeroGuyDC
Yep. He will fade into history as just not that remarkable of a President.
My pet rock has a higher IQ.
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