When Barack Obama was elected the 44th President of the United States the country was electrified because “change” was coming. America was battling two wars while the country was in the midst of a financial meltdown. There were last minute negotiations on the viability of a Wall Street Bailout. Many Americans were facing rapid depreciations of their home values. Many Americans were losing their jobs and their homes.
The President managed to push and get his healthcare package passed as promised, although looking back, many thought it would have been wiser to push for big Jobs bills instead. He got a Latina woman appointed to the US Supreme court. The President was instrumental in repealing “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.” the President scaled back the troops in Iraq as promised and announced the official end of combat as set for the end of 2011. President Obama diverted more resources to the war in Afghanistan because he believed that the “war on terrorism” needed to happen in Al-Qaeda’s backyard. Eventually, the President with the coordinated special forces, captured the most wanted man alive, Osama Bin Laden! This was a tremendous victory for Americans and for the President. The immediate victims of “911” and their families could feel some sense of vindication. The President’s foreign policy acumen and decisions has improved America’s image throughout the World. America is no longer seen as an arrogant self-absorbed nation, but one that wants to work with its neighbors to improve the global community as a whole. One by one, nations had a say in who led them. We saw, as a result of Obama’s foreign policy decisions, Egypt’s revolution without deployment of the American Army; we saw the same in Libya. All of these accomplishments, I know I missed a few, were materialized in less than three years!
When Americans look back at the impact of President Barack Obama, they will see an American, yes an American; an American, that like all of us was not perfect, who accomplished a lot for his country and his fellow Americans. However, when Americans look at the Republican/Tea Party Congress, they will see a group of well-paid politicians, with great health coverage and benefits, who did very little to help the American condition. They will look at the Tea Party members of Congress and see that the focus was on obstructionism and not building a better America.
President Obama has made numerous efforts to compromise with the Republican Congress as well as the Tea Party members. The president was so determined to compromise with the “opposition,” that he lost “political points” as a result. Members of his own Party were getting impatient with him. The Republicans’ primary goal as stated early in Barack Obama’s term was to make him a “one term president.” Pretty much every action they have taken has been along that course. So, the thinking has been, “If people get back to work and the economy bounces back, then Obama gets reelected.” So the goal of the Republican Congress is to keep people out of work and keep the American economy in “limbo.” How will that “play out” in the history books if they, indeed, get their way?
There is a lot of honor in compromising so that many will benefit (altruism). Although many Americans are out of work, in need of shelter, in need of food and in need of security, Congress is content on playing political games. It is clear that “the people” have long been factored out of this equation. The people whose votes put these politicians in office, don’t matter any more. So, we see more and more games being played, while more and more Americans suffer.
Perhaps, the Republicans will get their way and keep America from moving forward to further their political agenda. Perhaps they will succeed in keeping more Americans out of work. Perhaps they will even continue to succeed in giving more tax breaks to the rich and the super rich. Perhaps the Republicans will even succeed in keeping a great American President from being reelected? At the end of all of it, where will America be? Will we be able to undo the “deep” damage to our ideals, our economy, and our dwindling “faith” in people and government? Where will America be if the Republican Congress succeeds in this destructive course of action?
The question for all Americans in November 2012 needs to be “Who repeatedly fought to move America forward?” Who will put Americans and America FIRST? The answer should be simple.