During the 2008 election, in comments distressingly similar to Hillary’s “Deplorables” speech, then candidate Obama maligned large numbers of Americans opposing his election as those bitter as a result of unwelcome changes to America, and as clinging to their guns and religion as a result. Known as the “Bitter Clingers” statement, the condescension and antipathy inherent in his remarks then, and Hillary’s Deplorables speech more recently, reflect the extent to which the increasingly dogmatic, intolerant, elitist Left truly despises large number of Americans, including those who just elected Trump.
Obama’s reaction to Trump’s election has been marked by considerable bitterness directed against those who he blames for the election loss, rather than trying to understand the reasons why fully two thirds of the public thought that the country was on the wrong track on the eve of the election. Obama’s reaction to the election has also been marked by his clinging to the prerogatives of the Presidency, through the increasingly frenetic – and excessive – exercise of power in the waning days of his Presidency. In a clear case of becoming what you hate, Obama’s conduct since the election has revealed him to be a true Bitter Clinger.
Obama’s recent exercise of power has been largely directed towards two goals: The de-legitimization of President Elect Trump, and the safeguarding of what he believes is “his” legacy through the use – and abuse – of the power to enact last minute administrative regulations, issue executive orders, file lawsuits, and allow the UN to take action contrary to the best interests of America and its allies. That none of this is in the best interests of America appears to be acceptable collateral damage to Obama, since his main goal appears avoiding responsibility for his failures (and with it the results of the election), and of securing “his” legacy. Or, perhaps it is simply part of the continuing and more straightforward political goal of delegitimizing President Elect Trump, which if successful, will make it more difficult for a President Trump to correct the mistakes of the last eight years. Either way, it is a lose – lose proposition for America.
The attempt by Obama to undermine the incoming Trump Administration is without precedent in the last 150 plus years (and stands in stark contrast with the way in which Bush handled the Bush – Obama transition). The present author made that point in an article published on December 12, 2016, and entitled “Playing With Fire”. That article noted that the continuing efforts by the Left to contest the results of the election, and in particular to demonize and de-legitimize President Elect Trump were a potential threat to America’s political stability. Having lost in the state recounts, and in the Electoral College, the Left, with Obama in the vanguard, is now claiming that Russia “stole” the election from Hillary in an effort to elect Trump.
The way in which Russia is alleged to have done so is truly unique: That the Russians released true information about the National Democratic Party in general and Hillary in particular, and that the public, recognizing who and what they really were decided to elect the other guy. Under normal circumstances that would have been the job of an American Press that was largely missing in action in objectively reporting on Hillary, and which as a whole proved to be as corrupt as both the National Democratic Party and Hillary. And, simply having the opportunity and the motive is simply not sufficient in this case. Given the ease with which the email systems were hacked, almost anyone with any expertise could have done so (opportunity). And given the number of those offended, injured, or just disappointed in Obama, Hillary, and/or the Democratic Party, it would not be hard to find someone with the motive to do so. That no evidence has been released to support the allegations against Russia again appears to be beside the main point of undermining soon to be President Trump.
That all of this is being done by Obama in an effort to protect “his” legacy only serves to reinforce the idea that what he is now doing is not in the best interests of America. What, exactly, is he trying to protect? Or, to quote Hillary, “What difference at this point does it make”?
Obamacare is a disaster, a point that was even made by former President Clinton during the campaign. Over the last eight years, Obama doubled the national debt, while overseeing the lowest economic growth of any President while in office in many decades. While the “official” unemployment rate has dropped, you need only look at the number of people who have dropped out of the labor force during the Obama years (and who are therefore not counted towards the official number of unemployed) to realize that any news concerning the “official” unemployment rate is Fake News. These latter points were made by the current author in an article published on December 26, 2016, entitled “Redefining Economic Success Down”, and subtitled “The Obama Years Were A Disaster”.
If anything, Obama was even less successful in his conduct of foreign affairs, a point made by the current author in an article published on December 30, 2016, entitled “Obama’s Foreign Policy Was A Disaster”, and subtitled “How Not To Win Friends And Influence Opponents”. On his watch America’s Friends have been weakened and alienated, potential Opponents strengthened and emboldened, all the while increasing the risk of nuclear war, and doing little to strengthen our defenses and our borders. Often acting as if those to whom he is responsible are some as yet unidentified group of future historians, Obama seems to have forgotten that he was elected to serve – and to protect – Americans in the here and now.
Where all of this leaves us is with a President for the next two weeks who is bitter at the rejection of both his heir apparent, and his agenda and the leftist ideology upon which it was based. He also likely realizes that his most significant legacy may prove to be the election of Trump. He clings to his certainty in his (alleged) superiority, his opponent’s inferiority – particularly their alleged moral inferiority, and the waning powers of his Presidency in a continuing effort to delegitimize and undermine soon to be President Trump. To make matters worse, in a grievous breach of Presidential Protocol (again, compare former President George W. Bush) Obama has said that he plans to stick around after the election, no doubt to do his best to undermine Trump and those actually responsible for governing. None of this is good for America, and it would be better if he simply exited stage left with some grace.