There are two views of President Obama.
He is one of the greatest Presidents in modern history.
He is the worst President in modern history.
Here’s my view on Obama:
Thinks lectures are a “good time”.
Gets paid by the word.
Decided regulation is just what the economy needed.
Realized we needed to be “knocked down a peg”.
Views Jimmy Carter as a role model.
Felt our race relations could use some “stirring up”.
Got the Good Cop/Bad Cop thing all mixed up.
Confused “Constitution” with “Legislation”.
Took the phrase “King for a Day” way too far.
Thought National Security was an oxymoron.
Was told “If you spend it they will pay” is fiscally sound policy.
Thinks Checks and Balances is a cool board game.
Believes there are no terrorists – just some guys who could use a shower.
Really, really thought Hillary was going to win.
Okay – so I’m having a little fun – but I am sadly serious as well. As I think you can probably tell.
I always thought Obama’s famous phrase “I have a pen and a phone” was foolhardy. My guess is he thought it slightly heroic.
With that simple statement Obama accomplished several things.
He told Congress to go pound sand – and drew a line in it.
He placed a crown upon his head – a thin one but still a crown.
He showed complete disregard for the Constitution.
He ensnared himself with Clinton Inc.
He ensured his legacy was built on a foundation of sand.
In other words gambled with both his money and the house’s. We paid the immediate bill. His was to be presented upon exit.
How many Executive Orders has he issued?
256 Executive Orders and counting.
You can find them here – and there are 26 pages worth of titles alone (the language in the titles themselves is stupefying). Obama also added a special twist to his orders. They are more onerous and restrictive – using more legal and binding language such as “shall” and “must”. They are also much longer in terms of number of pages than past presidents.
So, Executive Orders are timely, efficient (depending on your view) and get around a pesky and stubborn Congress.
There’s just one small problem. Executive Orders can be just as easily undone by the next president. Obama was banking (literally) on Hillary Clinton getting elected. His hope was:
- Hillary would leave his Executive Orders in place.
- By the time she left office his orders would be so firmly entrenched in the bureaucracy they would be all but impossible to remove by a following president.
He failed to factor in a construction worker and part-time reality television star from New York. And it’s going to cost him. Everything.
Obama had a pen and a phone. So does Trump. And Trump’s pen comes with an eraser. A big one.
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