Inching toward the exit
LARRY ANDERSON
Larry Anderson
When George W. Bush left the presidency in 2009, he went with dignity and grace, as a statesman should. There was no recrimination or expressions of regret, even though there had to be some.
There always is.
No presidency is perfect. Bush did things I didn’t like, but he conducted himself in office with maturity and concern. He defended America and democracy.
Our rights were foremost.
When Bush left office, he did not attempt to influence the country’s direction from the sidelines. He was not an open critic of the opposition, even as the Left, led by Barack Obama, blamed him for everything, including the fallout of their own political behaviors that contributed to a severe downturn in the economy.
My first response to Barack Obama was curiosity, but it didn’t take long for me to realize what we had— a far Left ideologue with a long list of social changes that would be forced any way they could and were.
Obama is the most liberal president in our history, and I am certain he is proud of that fact.
His perspective as a liberal has left no room for cooperation with conservatives as evidenced by his perfunctory attitude toward Congress as the lawmaking body. Laws traditionally won through wide support have been replaced by executive orders and activism through the bureaucracies and judiciary.
Obama’s brand of governing has done significant damage to our system.
Our democracy isn’t ideal and never will be, but it is the best devised when individual freedom is factored as the basis for its design, not the advancement of governmental power and utility.
Socialism washes away the underpinnings of individualism and freedom.
Humans are too flawed and complex for a perfect system; therefore, the challenge is to make the one we have function the best way possible within its design. In my opinion, Obama cares little for the design, faulting instead those times when it wasn’t absolutely fair.
Understand, forced impartiality isn’t social justice, but the willful work of one who is indifferent to consequences.
Forced reform supplies resentment if people aren’t clear about the purpose. Much of Barack Obama’s changes had to do with leveraged politics, not social urgency. Now he is backed up with resentment.
True social justice occurs when a population’s raised awareness leads to moral and attitudinal change. This was the practice of Dr. King and many others.
In a few months, Obama will be replaced by either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton.
HRC’s and Trump’s campaigns have been media magnets and have overshadowed even Obama’s presidential output. Now Barry is working beaver-like on his socialist agenda behind the election cover.
One important question is what will Obama do between election day and the inauguration? He will still have all his presidential powers, but no political risk for himself or his party, no matter who wins.
If Hillary triumphs, nothing Obama does will hurt her. If Trump wins, everything Obama does could potentially damage Trump’s early days in office, a desirable objective for the amoral Left.
So, what will Barry do in the interim? Here’s a bit of what I expect:
If Trump wins, Obama could send signals to Mexico and Central America that illegal immigrants need to flood the border immediately as a protest to Trump’s border wall proposal and to get as many illegals into the country as possible. Immigrants are a targeted electoral demographic for the Left, and liberals care nothing about laws that interfere with their objectives.
Obama may issue as many executive orders pertaining to social and governmental matters as possible, recognizing that it will be difficult to repeal them all under Republican leadership.
He will entrench as many Leftist bureaucrats as possible.
He will issue hundreds, if not thousands, of pardons to cronies, those convicted of drug felonies, and those whose crime forgiveness may be politically connected to their deep pockets. Obama has already begun this, but it will accelerate.
If Clinton wins, Obama could throw a blanket amnesty over millions of illegal immigrants. Such an action would not harm Hillary since she isn’t the one doing it, and Obama is leaving office anyway.
Barry treasures a Leftist legacy the way a miser cherishes gold.
Obama could take the high road and follow the example of George W. Bush when exiting the White House with a wisdom born of an experience few will ever have. He could be a quiet, reserved statesman.
I can’t see that happening, not with this man, this personality, this ego.
Obama will be a player, a de facto authority to whom the Left and the media will turn.
