Barack Obama. Once upon a time, that name brought so many positives images to many people of this nation. Thinking back to Obama’s election, you see a man being held up by a majority of Americans as a hero. Words such as “change” and “hope” were constantly declared and repeated with smiles shining brighter than the future these citizens thought they had ahead of them. However, as days within his term passing, the gleam of the Golden Boy that has been Obama is beginning to tarnish.
For many, it all started when he seemed to be more involved in taking the presidential transportation on family trips. While the nation fought to keep its head above water financially, his travels seemed to have nothing to do with the citizens’ legislative needs; not to mention the fact that it was the people’s tax dollars paying for the trips and having nothing to show for it.
As more time passes, those same faces of hope are now showing anger, confusion and more importantly, regret. Every statement the current president made during his campaign seems to be forgotten not only by his democratic majority but more importantly, by the man himself. With promises of an honest and transparent government that would act upon only the needs of the American people, Obama seems farther from his promises with every misstep.
Suddenly, Obama seemed to begin working on one of his top objectives: health care. He created a bill he called “health care reform.” However, after reviewing the bill, Americans saw higher debts and larger governmental control over their lives and revolted. While many would assume the “People’s President” would react with starting over, instead he has shown the complete opposite. Obviously missing the classes on the Constitution in high school, college or law school, Obama practically sold off his administration for ObamaCare. Making backroom deals and giving away rides on Air Force One and Executive Orders like they were candy, this president has proven to be an increasing danger to our way of life.
Almost immediately after its passing, mainstream media, otherwise known as the Obama Fan Club, began to realize that his most highly publicized bill will do more harm than good. Something even the most unknown citizen has been screaming from their phones, e-mails and Facebook pages.
Suddenly, as a diversion to show that he does know what America needs, he attempts to steal the phrase “Drill Baby Drill!” from his opponents announcing the removal of a 20-year moratorium on exploration for off-shore drilling locations. Although he thinks he did something good, Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) dubbed it best when he calls it a “Smokescreen” which will result in nothing other than lawyers getting work and creating a waiting game for the nation while our reliance on international sources for oil continues to threaten our national security. The reality of this is that nothing will be done, if at all, until 2012, and it infringes on already approved locations such as the West Coast. Further, calling this anywhere near a “jobs bill” is like calling ObamaCare, which has already resulted in layoffs, an employment stimulus. His halfhearted flip-flop only bolsters the arguments of his critics and creates more reasonable doubts in the minds of his supporters.
Despite all of this, Obama is not completely to blame for the tragic comedy of errors that is his presidency. This is a man who has literally months of legislative training on his belt and was pretty much thrown in by a party of “We know best” because quite frankly he was popular and they needed the votes he would carry. Many realized how much of a newbie to the political world he was when he stayed on vacation after the Christmas Bomber, not to mention attacking the Supreme Court during the State of the Union address.
Bottom line: The once-called hero is now seen as a villain to the nation he had pledged to protect. Despite that, however, we are still left with a former hero now turned power hungry leader until 2012. What scares me most is the fact that even with so much force against it on a public level he did not listen to the American people and stop ObamaCare before it hurt so many lives. One has to wonder, if he is capable of so much backroom deals and rule breaking, what will he do next?
Heather Bachman is a political commentator and broadcaster and a New Jersey native. More information can be found at HeatherBachman.com.