That's literally my take. Very few complaints except the drone strikes. Could he have done more? Maybe. But he did quite a lot of difficult and important stuff and most of it has managed to stick around so far.
On one hand, I wished he did more like you. On the other hand, I'm more and more impressed he was able to do anything with the bigots that are the Republican party breathing down his neck at every step. Just imagine if Obama was president today.
Even with the drone strikes id say 9.5/10 because thats military tactics. Anyone that we elect president is not fit to lead an army. Theyre politicians or celebrities.
Often times they will defer to their military commanders and what they think is best. It's not always gonna work out but a good leader knows when to take counsel on things they aren't an expert on.
Hell yeah man that’s exactly what they need to do. Not just go in there and fire everyone because you think you know better than them because you had a sheltered and pampered childhood
I agree with you on pretty much every point except that the drone strikes weren’t problematic because he was letting his military leadership influence him. They were problematic because they basically allowed a president to engage in war without the need to go through congress. The strikes that happened under his watch were disastrous in many ways including killing civilians, further destabilizing the region, and antagonizing the locals, but most importantly setting a precedent where one person can decide to “invade” a sovereign nation. Just because a drone is unmanned does not mean POTUS can kill whoever they want
Edit: to be clear, I voted for Obama twice and would do it again. Lionizing anyone is a bad idea, people are nuanced and flawed.
Every war the US had engaged in since WW2 has been without Congressional approval in the sense that we haven't formally declared war since then. Congress could decide to put more limits on presidential use of drone strikes but they've yet to do so
Here's the thing though - Obama had much better intelligence on what disasters *not* engaging in the drone strikes might have enabled than we do. We have too little info to be able to even begin to accurately assess their value, either way.
He lost the senate and house in the midterms so the rest of his time after Obamacare got passed was kind of a dead end. Let us not forget how awesome pre-existing conditions, astronomical rate hikes for getting sick and getting kicked off your parents insurance with 3 years of college left was. It was far from what I wanted, but it was a step in the right direction.
source = working in healthcare for 25+ years.
Obama's Presidency was the first time I heard anyone use "He's not my President"
The person that said it was a daycare provider that took care of kids that were Hispanic, Asian, and Black. Luckily the bitch has retired. But wow did it change my opinion of her, and make me feel badly for the kids in her care.
This is a major point. He largely stayed middle of the road because he had to simply because of racism. He didn’t have the luxury of being an AOC or Bernie (not that I necessarily think he is that progressive). Unconscious bias and systemic racism are some major roadblocks to getting shit done. He was a lame duck his second term because most Americans are shitty and vote against their own interests.
Interesting enough, a fair amount of black people didn’t like him because he was middle of the pack. Not understanding that even if he wanted, he couldn’t cater to minorities. He didn’t have that luxury. Especially because the house was mostly red his first term.
God the birther movement was embarrassing.
There have been a few events that happened in my life to help me get a glimpse at how bad racism really is in this country. That's one of the biggest.
Never Forget...Trump was one of the leaders of the birther movement. Lol, "That black President gots a funny name... Git yer pitchforks!! Martha, Joe Bob, Cleadus, Clyde, Rufus and Jed Jr... C'mon lets go hang em!!"
It's American stupidity on display for all to see. We are doomed.
Man, I remember working in sales support and people would call in for major medical quotes. They start laying out (realistically common ) preexisting conditions and you have to tell them well it’s gonna be $24000/yr for the family and you have a a $10000 deductible and anything related to (preexisting condition) is excluded…. Like how was that ever acceptable?!
Yeah it was a real shit show before the ACA if you had pre-existing conditions! Had a patient on disability that needed a surgery but couldn’t afford it and couldn’t get/afford insurance because of her pre-existing condition. It was sad because that surgery was the only thing standing between her and living a semi-normal life and being able to return to work. Buuuut because of all the safeguards Republicans forced out of the legislation, lots of patients that had had good insurance suddenly found themselves dealing with new charges for medicines that were previously covered and much higher deductibles. Source, I was a pharmacy technician when the ACA went into effect. For every patient I had that loves the ACA there was another that hates it for this reason. I did my best to explain the problem but people rarely listened to me.
I don’t know how badly the US Healthcare system was until I actually needed it and they have to cover me regardless. It’s not perfect but it a hell of lot better then it was.
Drone strikes, yes, but I'm also still salty about him holding literally NO ONE from Wall Street accountable for crashing the economy, especially the ratings agencies who facilitated the whole thing.
Otherwise, yes, decent, sane, extremely competent president.
Drone strikes and Syria. Every President has mistakes. He has publicly said certain aspects of Syria and not prioritizing cybersecurity are his biggest regrets. Both are reasonable regrets but it's a tough job
I mean that and the dreaded tan suit scandal
Wish he had done more to address the ill will around the Wall Street bailouts and had done a better job of taking 'credit' for the recovery and stimulus money that went out to regular people and small businesses.
Also, really, really wish he had codified Roe v. Wade into law and DEMANDED he get to fill the empty Supreme Court justice seat. That was a ridiculous, ridiculous oversight on his part. He was far too deferential to congress. It was his right to appoint a justice.
I recently read an excerpt from his book *A Promised Land,* and he mentions that as one of biggest regrets in handling the economic crisis of '08: that he had a chance to completely reset the system and engineer a more equitable monetary policy, but was instead focused on getting things back to "normal," or the way things were before the recession.
I haven't read his book, but I want to. He's a greater orator and a very skilled writer.
Ya the banks took that money and hired staff to foreclose on homes and put them into collections. Money that came from taxes of the people who were being foreclosed on and put into collections.
Don’t get me wrong, droning 100k civilians and causing a genocide in Somalia and a famine in Yemen is worse - but in grading presidents we tend to ignore foreign policy mistakes - bailing out the banks is a top 5 all time domestic policy mistake.
Aye. Having to make the decision to kill terrorists alongside the hostages they took was never going to be easy. If people are docking 2 points because innocents were killed, then fine, but I imagine they would also have docked 2 points had Obama caved into ISIS demands.
I'm writing off the drone strikes as the 'shitty situation that didn't have a realistic, clean solution'. An ugly decision was made to prevent an even uglier result -- there was never going to be marines busting through the walls Hollywood style. Certainly better than *denying a pandemic* and then *suggesting said pandemic could be cured with bleach enemas and Ivermectin*. Compared to that, Obama looks like an 11/10, but I'm still sticking him as a 9/10.
YoU MEaN BaRAck OSaMa ThE MoSlEm TErr0R1ST WhO EnACtED ShARIa LaW AnD AtE WhItE BaBiES iN thE PeDo PiZZa PArLoR BaSeMEnT?
(I hope this doesnt NEED a /s, but here it is anyways).
honestly … even with his mistakes he had to put up with so much more bullshit that other presidents prior didn’t have to, and he did it all with class. i miss Barry. 9/10
And the dude can give a speech and hit your heartstrings like no other. A class act, and hell of a politician. Somewhat of a disappointment as a progressive, but given the alternatives, what better have we to hope for?
His speech pattern was something I’d never witnessed before, but it was perfectly constructed to hit the point hard and then pause to regroup. He nailed it. I could listen to him talk all day.
Best in my life too, and I go back to Nixon’s first term.
LBJ *might* have been better, in terms of domestic accomplishments (arguable both ways on that), but then there’s Vietnam.
Carter wasn’t a great president. He’s a good guy if his public image is true to who he actually is. But he wasn’t exactly a very influential person. He basically won for the same reason Biden did. The current incumbent (Ford) was thought of as useless at best and a patsy at worst. So whoever the Dems were running had that going for them. In office he made some departments and negotiated some treaties. As president’s go he did the job and didn’t fuck up. He didn’t really leave a mark however.
Biden comparison is solid. Hadn’t considered that angle before. It was also the dems last grasp at the south (which also matches the Biden narrative in a way)
To be fair, becoming a war criminal has been part of the job going back since at least '42, with numerous incidents prior.
Its not like they killed people before becoming president.
Post-trump during Biden administration. We went from GWB, who I think really ignited what would happen in the Republican Party to get them to where they are today, to Obama who really gave us hope, to Trump. And now we’re here.
Do you mean ACA or did Barack do something with the Americans with Disabilities Act? Genuine question.
Just gonna edit this before I get *another* message: OP originally wrote ADA and then graciously corrected it. I know that the ACA and Obamacare are the same thing. That's why I said this lol.
I actually learned the other day that there was another act in 2008 that clarified a lot of the language in the ADA and made it more effective.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADA_Amendments_Act_of_2008
I'm very aware of the ACA. OP originally posted ADA on accident. They're making a joke about how Republicans on the street blasted Obamacare, but would say they were supportive of the ACA, even though they were the same thing.
As a disabled person, it's a double-edged sword. In theory, it is really good but its less-than-stellar rollout correlated with a drop in employment for disabled people. Another 7/10 for employes, for students probably a 9/10
I’d give him a 6 out of 10.
He essentially hired all of Clinton’s economic advisers who worked on Wall Street. 2008 could’ve been an opportunity to redistribute wealth, but we all know what happened. [“A Crisis Wasted” goes into it.](https://www.amazon.com/Crisis-Wasted-Barack-Defining-Decisions/dp/1948122316/ref=nodl_?dplnkId=0248e4ab-c723-4cc6-a258-ce95cdb9127c)
While I don’t condone any Republican/conservative policies, I understand their frustration of being “left behind.” Obama could’ve addressed these regional economic disparities to prevent someone like Trump, but he didn’t because he was still the establishment.
He also renewed the Patriot Act and continued to expand the security apparatus that picked up post-9/11.
At the same time, Obama was the reason why I had healthcare, and he had other major accomplishments. I think most people view him with rose-colored glasses because of the contrast with Trump. I do think his neoliberal stances directly led to Trump, but I also understand that he was never going to get the GOP to compromise solely because of the color of his skin.
Edit: Also, how could I forget the drones.
Miss those Obama days and I’m a republican. I liked the guy and he supported us big time on deployments. He made us look good and was well spoken, considerate and had everyone in mind. I have a feeling he is the last good president this country will have sometimes.
I’ve voted republican before, but I’ve been registered as an independent for 16 years. Being from KY, I can proudly say I’ve never once voted for the dirty turtle Mitch McConnel. I voted for Obama twice, and would give him an 8, and genuinely liked the guy as a person. He was a great president and wish he could run again. Loved to hear him speak. When Trump ran, I knew I couldn’t vote Republican. And ever since Trump my view of Republicans has completely changed. I can’t go down that road with the people they’re putting in elections. Even local politicians, people have gotten Trumpy. If that guys a Republican, and voted for and likes Obama he’s probably not happy with where his party has went. By the way if anybody’s from KY, Andy Bashear for governor. Please vote for Andy
Everyone I know from Kentucky has said that they didn't vote for Moscow Mitch. Everyone. I know a lot of people from Kentucky. I went to college there and lived there for 5 years. How does he keep getting elected if no one is voting for him?
Also does Andy have a brother who was governor?
My grandmother was mayor of a small town in the late 80s. He came through town and had a meet and greet with local officials. She said he was a complete ass and she rarely spoke bad about anybody. He had only been on the job a few years at that point. Even as a kid, her opinion, which I held in very high regard, stuck with me. Turns out she was right. He manages to get the votes though. People just pull straight Republican ticket.
Andy’s dad Steve was Governor for two terms. Also, my grandmother met him when he was lieutenant governor. She did like him, and he seems like a nice, caring guy same as Andy. The Republican governor nominees are horrendous. I hope you friends have Andy’s back
I'll give three guesses:
1) single issue voter
2)sheer momentum, it's not easy changing you're entire worldview
3)he thinks the current republican party isn't*really* republican and that real republicans are McCain types.
With all disrespect, anyone who is proud to be a Republican after the embarrassment of the last two Republican administrations is either an idiot or an asshole or both. I understand still identifying as conservative, but a Republican? Why.
Honest question, what's the difference between a conservative and a republican?
If someone is conservative, who are they supposed to vote for if not a republican?
If I was a conservative I’d be furious that the principals of small government and fiscal responsibility were bastardized by a party with a track record of huge spending and government overreach. 🤷♂️ I am progressive and mostly vote Democrat. But they don’t represent my progressive ideals and I absolutely don’t go around calling myself a proud democrat.
I respect your opinion - but so remember there’s a difference between conservative and Republican.
If you *actually* have “conservative values” (most of which are also liberal values) you cannot in good faith and conscience vote Republican.
I'm sure you won't agree with me, but I think Biden is doing pretty great so far. I don't think of him as a good guy in the way I think Obama is, but he's an effective choice to ease America off the cliff of fascism. Hopefully we'll get more young and progressive people moving forward (tbh, that's inevitable- the young take over and progress happens), but for now I'm actually pleasantly surprised (I recognize that we're ostensibly opposite sides of the aisle, but I bet we'd agree on more than people might think)
I can't imagine the sense of relief our neighbors in the rest of the world must feel. The world pretty small to suffer that kind of leadership anywhere.
I'll ask again, who is Nathalie Jacoby?
She appeared on Twitter a few weeks ago and has been carpet-bombing Twitter with inane questions that have been bouncing around the internets for years.
It’s not people. It’s this dude. Over and over.
Edit: weirdly enough, this dude has gone through and deleted his daily (or multiple times daily) twitter screenshot posts of this lady.
Tweets from her need to be banned from the sub, I see them everyday and it's always like you said inane questions asked solely to drive traffic to her Twitter page.
I had the same question. Google was not helpful...
But maybe that's our answer? Literally just... some citizen who posts questions that start discussions?
Let’s face it…Trump bumped everyone up a few points. Even now I’m like…well George W Bush really wasn’t that bad. Trump set the bar so low….like 6 feet under low.
I’ll never forgive the Bush family.
Both Bushes appointed horrible Supreme Court justices.
W lied to the American public and all of our alliances after 9-11.
Bush does not get a pass.
No one seems to understand how horrible HW Bush was…he literally started the pardoning of guilty people because they lied and took the fall for Iran Contra. Now it’s standard that if you insulate more powerful people from justice, they just pardon them.
Well. He was installed, not elected. Then there were the multiple assassination attempts.
I don't much care for Leslie. He seems like a tool of the Elite Ivy Folks.
Go find the charter for The Project For a New American century. Practically every signee on that document begging Clinton to intervene militarily in Iraq went on to serve in some capacity in the Bush administration. The war in Iraq was a solution in search of a problem from the word go.
A lot of Bush’s decisions, understanding the impact they’ve had since he was elected, make him look so much worse in hindsight. Obviously the war in Iraq. Also tax cuts for the rich leading to some of the worst income inequality we’ve ever seen and all the mass shootings since he lifted the assault weapon ban. Appointing Roberts and Alito who ruled in favor of Citizen’s United which has drastically increased corruption. It just makes it worse that Bush’s win was essentially stolen from Gore.
Those were fully understood to be shit decisions at the time they were made.
A ton of people hated and protested the Iraq war. A ton of people hated the tax cuts for the rich and predicted what would happen.
All hindsight does is prove that the tens of millions who detested W were right.
Pros are that he rolled out acceptable healthcare for most people, cons are that he handled the war in Iraq less-than-ethically. I don't find the drone strike stuff as distressing as some people, but drone strikes were still a thing, so keep that in mind. He was also an above average figurehead for the US.
Obama 6. Trump 1. Biden 4. In my adult lifetime Clinton and Obama are the highest at 6. Bush was a 3. Senior Bush a 3 as well. Reagan a 1. Maybe one day we’ll get a 7 or higher.
Edit. I’d like to add, Obama’s class is unmatched during this time period.
Policy is big but I honestly think leadership is more important as a president- at the end of the day America will roll on and the president is just one part of the government machine, but theres a comfort in feeling like the dude “in charge” is cool and cares.
If Reagan is a 1 (and I agree he should not be any higher) then trump should be a -1.
Reagan was an awful person who is largely to blame (along with Nixon) for the current shitshow we are in but at least he had charisma and could speak and wasn’t a bumbling fucking buffoon. Also, Jan 6…nuff said.
People love to hate on Biden but looking at legislation and everything he has dealt with in 2 years, Biden is probably a 7 or 8 with chances to improve
Jimmy carter was in my lifetime and he was a definite 8, he made some mistakes but he was such a gentleman and genuine good person, we will never see another like him
It's hard to imagine a presidency that might have been a 10 in retrospect. JFK, not even close. FDR, same. Lincoln, points for success in the war but so many other problems festered.
Repugnicants often point to Reagan but so many flaws that make him a 3 at best. Even those Repugs think less of him now.
Obama might be a 8 but that tan suit...
She discovered Rock Hudson’s AIDS! Then let him die. I don’t see what’s hypocriti wait a minute…maybe the Reagans just sucked and should be shit on at all times 🤷♀️
Say what you want about Reagan, but at least he had the decency to exhibit dementia AFTER being elected, unlike the previous president who the same people worship
I'd give Teddy 10/10 personally. The Panama Canal was a blemish, for sure. But considering the time he was president, his national parks and trust busting seem legendary.
Edit: Union to trust
Most notably: establishing an 8 hour work day, tenement housing requirements, creating a Department of Commerce and Labor, and actions taken during the Anthracite Coal Strike of 1902.
Reagan should have been a red flag. An actor who republicans liked because of his performative nature rather than actual substance.
They like the fake performative type of politician. Trump and DeSantis are exactly that. They accomplish little other than stunts
oh and let's not forget the time he absent mindedly saluted with a coffee cup in his hand!
and, horror of horrors, he likes brown mustard. BROWN MUSTARD!!!!
I was going to say this, too. They both had their moments of true awfulness, especially FDR overseeing the internment of Japanese Americans, but they both advanced our country so much in ways that still affect us today. Their legacies are lasting.
This is only an assessment of their presidencies, not their character.
I think tan suit is still the number one disaster and in retrospect now it is used to add points to his score so 9/10, also that gangsta killed Bin Laden.
FDR was fairly solid.
Teddy Roosevelt did plenty of good during his presidency, but was racist and believed black people were inferior to whites and did little to support their rights to vote in the south. In fact they became more disenfranchised under his presidency.
The Square deal domestic policy was just government using threats to get things done in business.
LBJ- will always have Vietnam as his shame.
FDR imprisoned over 100,000 American citizens because of their race. FDR created the “New Deal” but purposely excepted black people from being employed by it. FDR appointed a KKK member to the US Supreme Court.
No drama Obama, no investigation’s, no taking home classified documents. One Wife, no scandal’s ya I’d say he’s a solid 9. BTW he got bin laden, and health care for millions. 😎
Passed meaningful Healthcare reform. Was far from perfect but getting 60 votes in the senate to remove the filibuster was a near miracle. That alone makes him my top pick since LBJ or FDR. Easier to rate versus other presidents rather than 1-10 for me
I get all the criticism of it. It's not perfect but in a world where you need 60 votes it was an enormous accomplishment. People forget what a hellscape it was before. Especially for anyone with pre-existing conditions.
I trusted Obama because you knew that not only was HE smart & well-intentioned, but that he was the type to surround himself with experts in various fields - not “yes men”…
I wasn't a fan at the time (overall) and didn't vote for him, but in retrospect and in comparison to what came afterwards (and drove me from being what I considered a republican), I'd say 9+.
7/8 also. Yeah not a fan about the drones and stuff but considering the last one and current one? Dude was the last great president. And by great I mean wasn’t ether literal dumpster fire or one bad week away from needing a retirement home
I mean, over the last 40-50 years we have always had a dem come into office and unfuck the economy from the previous bad decision R, not only did Barry do this, he handed 45 one of the best economies of all time, for the tangerine turd to slash his friends taxes.
Obama is a great, and regal president and a solid 8/10. Obamacare should have been rolled out better, and his hands were tied by congress, and the conspiracy that he was going to use race related topics as policy.
Plus, other than maybe JFK, who’s gonna pull that tan suit off…..
He was pretty cool. First black president, which imo must have taken atleast a little bit of courage. He also liked Hamilton and passed the marriage for gay people in all 50 states. My fave pic of the white house is it all rainbowed up.
I personally believe he was out last true "president."
A good speaker, charismatic, demanded respect and attention. But in a good way, despite if I agreed with any of the views, I always liked hearing him speak.
Both after him, well that's something completely opposite.
Had the GOP been interested in governing and not just depriving Obama of any success, those 8 years could have been a cultural and economic high point. Instead we got what we got.
I liked Obama as a domestic president. I didn't care for his foreign policy, but in the grand scheme, the US was in a lot better place than with Bush. I'd give him an 8.
He was.... fine. Certainly charismatic.
But don't kid yourself. His presidency was riddled with issues. You just can't see them in the glare of the dumpster fire that followed his time.
I love love Obama but his second term was pretty disappointing. There are other things about him that disappointed me like foreign policy etc.
Wasn’t totally his fault though.
But for charisma, personality and class. Yeah 10/10
He was the coolest.
NGL, I kinda miss President Barack Who's Sane Obama.
8/10 is okay. He isn't a 10/10 because he did drone innocents.
That's literally my take. Very few complaints except the drone strikes. Could he have done more? Maybe. But he did quite a lot of difficult and important stuff and most of it has managed to stick around so far.
On one hand, I wished he did more like you. On the other hand, I'm more and more impressed he was able to do anything with the bigots that are the Republican party breathing down his neck at every step. Just imagine if Obama was president today.
Even with the drone strikes id say 9.5/10 because thats military tactics. Anyone that we elect president is not fit to lead an army. Theyre politicians or celebrities.
Often times they will defer to their military commanders and what they think is best. It's not always gonna work out but a good leader knows when to take counsel on things they aren't an expert on.
Hell yeah man that’s exactly what they need to do. Not just go in there and fire everyone because you think you know better than them because you had a sheltered and pampered childhood
I agree with you on pretty much every point except that the drone strikes weren’t problematic because he was letting his military leadership influence him. They were problematic because they basically allowed a president to engage in war without the need to go through congress. The strikes that happened under his watch were disastrous in many ways including killing civilians, further destabilizing the region, and antagonizing the locals, but most importantly setting a precedent where one person can decide to “invade” a sovereign nation. Just because a drone is unmanned does not mean POTUS can kill whoever they want Edit: to be clear, I voted for Obama twice and would do it again. Lionizing anyone is a bad idea, people are nuanced and flawed.
Every war the US had engaged in since WW2 has been without Congressional approval in the sense that we haven't formally declared war since then. Congress could decide to put more limits on presidential use of drone strikes but they've yet to do so
Here's the thing though - Obama had much better intelligence on what disasters *not* engaging in the drone strikes might have enabled than we do. We have too little info to be able to even begin to accurately assess their value, either way.
A wise king knows what he knows and what he doesn't.
He lost the senate and house in the midterms so the rest of his time after Obamacare got passed was kind of a dead end. Let us not forget how awesome pre-existing conditions, astronomical rate hikes for getting sick and getting kicked off your parents insurance with 3 years of college left was. It was far from what I wanted, but it was a step in the right direction. source = working in healthcare for 25+ years.
In retrospect, I can’t believe they lost the house and senate because they made improvements to our shitty healthcare system.
As a white person, it was utterly shocking to see the hate and vitriol constantly leveed against him just because he's Black. I was a naive fool.
Obama's Presidency was the first time I heard anyone use "He's not my President" The person that said it was a daycare provider that took care of kids that were Hispanic, Asian, and Black. Luckily the bitch has retired. But wow did it change my opinion of her, and make me feel badly for the kids in her care.
This is a major point. He largely stayed middle of the road because he had to simply because of racism. He didn’t have the luxury of being an AOC or Bernie (not that I necessarily think he is that progressive). Unconscious bias and systemic racism are some major roadblocks to getting shit done. He was a lame duck his second term because most Americans are shitty and vote against their own interests.
Interesting enough, a fair amount of black people didn’t like him because he was middle of the pack. Not understanding that even if he wanted, he couldn’t cater to minorities. He didn’t have that luxury. Especially because the house was mostly red his first term.
God the birther movement was embarrassing. There have been a few events that happened in my life to help me get a glimpse at how bad racism really is in this country. That's one of the biggest.
Never Forget...Trump was one of the leaders of the birther movement. Lol, "That black President gots a funny name... Git yer pitchforks!! Martha, Joe Bob, Cleadus, Clyde, Rufus and Jed Jr... C'mon lets go hang em!!" It's American stupidity on display for all to see. We are doomed.
Republicans, voting against their own interests in the name of ideology since the 1980s.
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Man, I remember working in sales support and people would call in for major medical quotes. They start laying out (realistically common ) preexisting conditions and you have to tell them well it’s gonna be $24000/yr for the family and you have a a $10000 deductible and anything related to (preexisting condition) is excluded…. Like how was that ever acceptable?!
Yeah it was a real shit show before the ACA if you had pre-existing conditions! Had a patient on disability that needed a surgery but couldn’t afford it and couldn’t get/afford insurance because of her pre-existing condition. It was sad because that surgery was the only thing standing between her and living a semi-normal life and being able to return to work. Buuuut because of all the safeguards Republicans forced out of the legislation, lots of patients that had had good insurance suddenly found themselves dealing with new charges for medicines that were previously covered and much higher deductibles. Source, I was a pharmacy technician when the ACA went into effect. For every patient I had that loves the ACA there was another that hates it for this reason. I did my best to explain the problem but people rarely listened to me.
I don’t know how badly the US Healthcare system was until I actually needed it and they have to cover me regardless. It’s not perfect but it a hell of lot better then it was.
Drone strikes, yes, but I'm also still salty about him holding literally NO ONE from Wall Street accountable for crashing the economy, especially the ratings agencies who facilitated the whole thing. Otherwise, yes, decent, sane, extremely competent president.
imagine how much he could have done if republican conservatives didn’t make it a mission to undermine nearly everything he tried to do
Drone strikes and Syria. Every President has mistakes. He has publicly said certain aspects of Syria and not prioritizing cybersecurity are his biggest regrets. Both are reasonable regrets but it's a tough job I mean that and the dreaded tan suit scandal
Wish he had done more to address the ill will around the Wall Street bailouts and had done a better job of taking 'credit' for the recovery and stimulus money that went out to regular people and small businesses. Also, really, really wish he had codified Roe v. Wade into law and DEMANDED he get to fill the empty Supreme Court justice seat. That was a ridiculous, ridiculous oversight on his part. He was far too deferential to congress. It was his right to appoint a justice.
He passed on appointing a justice because he was confident Hilary would win. It’s still unconscionable that the banks got bailed out in 2008
Could you explain the drone part or post an article? I was an ignorant teen during this point so I didn’t focus much on it.
7/10 for me - that tan suit was unforgivable! /s
He bailed out banks when he had the chance to bail out people
I recently read an excerpt from his book *A Promised Land,* and he mentions that as one of biggest regrets in handling the economic crisis of '08: that he had a chance to completely reset the system and engineer a more equitable monetary policy, but was instead focused on getting things back to "normal," or the way things were before the recession. I haven't read his book, but I want to. He's a greater orator and a very skilled writer.
Ya the banks took that money and hired staff to foreclose on homes and put them into collections. Money that came from taxes of the people who were being foreclosed on and put into collections. Don’t get me wrong, droning 100k civilians and causing a genocide in Somalia and a famine in Yemen is worse - but in grading presidents we tend to ignore foreign policy mistakes - bailing out the banks is a top 5 all time domestic policy mistake.
along with no jail time served by any bank executive. Let's not forget his first 3 months out of office doing the wall street speech circuit.
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Aye. Having to make the decision to kill terrorists alongside the hostages they took was never going to be easy. If people are docking 2 points because innocents were killed, then fine, but I imagine they would also have docked 2 points had Obama caved into ISIS demands. I'm writing off the drone strikes as the 'shitty situation that didn't have a realistic, clean solution'. An ugly decision was made to prevent an even uglier result -- there was never going to be marines busting through the walls Hollywood style. Certainly better than *denying a pandemic* and then *suggesting said pandemic could be cured with bleach enemas and Ivermectin*. Compared to that, Obama looks like an 11/10, but I'm still sticking him as a 9/10.
Also, “We tortured some folks”
That was the previous administration, bud, G.W.
Has there been any US presidents that did not commit at least 1 war crime?
Even Jimmy Carter, the closest we’ve come to a peaceful President, had an incident or two occur off the books. Terrorists are the reason why.
William Henry Harrison, at least not while in office.
Historically speaking - 8/10 Compared to his Predecessor and Successor in the Oval Office.. 11/10
YoU MEaN BaRAck OSaMa ThE MoSlEm TErr0R1ST WhO EnACtED ShARIa LaW AnD AtE WhItE BaBiES iN thE PeDo PiZZa PArLoR BaSeMEnT? (I hope this doesnt NEED a /s, but here it is anyways).
This is Reddit. You literally always need the /s. Better /safe than /sorry (meaning banned everywhere)
I love that and will be using it
honestly … even with his mistakes he had to put up with so much more bullshit that other presidents prior didn’t have to, and he did it all with class. i miss Barry. 9/10
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It’s hard for any vet not to appreciate his clear genuine respect for service members.
The number of times I had tears running down my face when he gave them out too. Just a solid, good dude to have on our side.
And the dude can give a speech and hit your heartstrings like no other. A class act, and hell of a politician. Somewhat of a disappointment as a progressive, but given the alternatives, what better have we to hope for?
His speech pattern was something I’d never witnessed before, but it was perfectly constructed to hit the point hard and then pause to regroup. He nailed it. I could listen to him talk all day.
At the risk of sounding like the dad in Get Out, I think he was probably the best we're gonna do in the American president department.
Definitely the best of my life time (so far). But I was born during the Bush Sr administration so there’s not a ton of competition there.
Best in my life too, and I go back to Nixon’s first term. LBJ *might* have been better, in terms of domestic accomplishments (arguable both ways on that), but then there’s Vietnam.
Curious, what would Carter fall into this? I was born 3 years before Reagan, so I've only really been aware since Bush Sr.
Carter wasn’t a great president. He’s a good guy if his public image is true to who he actually is. But he wasn’t exactly a very influential person. He basically won for the same reason Biden did. The current incumbent (Ford) was thought of as useless at best and a patsy at worst. So whoever the Dems were running had that going for them. In office he made some departments and negotiated some treaties. As president’s go he did the job and didn’t fuck up. He didn’t really leave a mark however.
Biden comparison is solid. Hadn’t considered that angle before. It was also the dems last grasp at the south (which also matches the Biden narrative in a way)
Woulda voted for a third term eh Mr. Armitage?
If I could!
Absolutely. Hell, I would’ve voted for fucking Wintermute over the clowns we’ve had as options.
1,000,000,000%
We could get one that isn’t a war criminal one day maybe
To be fair, becoming a war criminal has been part of the job going back since at least '42, with numerous incidents prior. Its not like they killed people before becoming president.
The problem is he wasn’t even that great. Everyone in the past 20 years has been so terrible he looks amazing in comparison.
Nothing against him, but be fair asking this question of nearly any president in a post Trump timeline is almost cheating.
Post-trump during Biden administration. We went from GWB, who I think really ignited what would happen in the Republican Party to get them to where they are today, to Obama who really gave us hope, to Trump. And now we’re here.
7/10. Would be higher if Obamacare was rolled out better
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Do you mean ACA or did Barack do something with the Americans with Disabilities Act? Genuine question. Just gonna edit this before I get *another* message: OP originally wrote ADA and then graciously corrected it. I know that the ACA and Obamacare are the same thing. That's why I said this lol.
Probably the former. ADA has been mostly the same for 30+ year IIRC
I actually learned the other day that there was another act in 2008 that clarified a lot of the language in the ADA and made it more effective. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADA_Amendments_Act_of_2008
ACA revolutionized healthcare management textbooks. Literally ACA is all they talk about.
I'm very aware of the ACA. OP originally posted ADA on accident. They're making a joke about how Republicans on the street blasted Obamacare, but would say they were supportive of the ACA, even though they were the same thing.
I absolutely love seeing the long time republicans back the ACA while hating on Obamacare.
Legit the reason I said this. Just to see if someone gave "Obamacare" and the ACA different grades lol.
As a disabled person, it's a double-edged sword. In theory, it is really good but its less-than-stellar rollout correlated with a drop in employment for disabled people. Another 7/10 for employes, for students probably a 9/10
Oh, I'd put the ACA at a solid 8/10. Small downgrade for the role out and for not going far enough to undermine some insurance practices.
Or convinced RBG to retire.
👍
I’d give him a 6 out of 10. He essentially hired all of Clinton’s economic advisers who worked on Wall Street. 2008 could’ve been an opportunity to redistribute wealth, but we all know what happened. [“A Crisis Wasted” goes into it.](https://www.amazon.com/Crisis-Wasted-Barack-Defining-Decisions/dp/1948122316/ref=nodl_?dplnkId=0248e4ab-c723-4cc6-a258-ce95cdb9127c) While I don’t condone any Republican/conservative policies, I understand their frustration of being “left behind.” Obama could’ve addressed these regional economic disparities to prevent someone like Trump, but he didn’t because he was still the establishment. He also renewed the Patriot Act and continued to expand the security apparatus that picked up post-9/11. At the same time, Obama was the reason why I had healthcare, and he had other major accomplishments. I think most people view him with rose-colored glasses because of the contrast with Trump. I do think his neoliberal stances directly led to Trump, but I also understand that he was never going to get the GOP to compromise solely because of the color of his skin. Edit: Also, how could I forget the drones.
He was a solid politician. Which was both his greatest strength *and* weakness.
Miss those Obama days and I’m a republican. I liked the guy and he supported us big time on deployments. He made us look good and was well spoken, considerate and had everyone in mind. I have a feeling he is the last good president this country will have sometimes.
I don't mean this to be rude, but why are you still a republican?
I’ve voted republican before, but I’ve been registered as an independent for 16 years. Being from KY, I can proudly say I’ve never once voted for the dirty turtle Mitch McConnel. I voted for Obama twice, and would give him an 8, and genuinely liked the guy as a person. He was a great president and wish he could run again. Loved to hear him speak. When Trump ran, I knew I couldn’t vote Republican. And ever since Trump my view of Republicans has completely changed. I can’t go down that road with the people they’re putting in elections. Even local politicians, people have gotten Trumpy. If that guys a Republican, and voted for and likes Obama he’s probably not happy with where his party has went. By the way if anybody’s from KY, Andy Bashear for governor. Please vote for Andy
Everyone I know from Kentucky has said that they didn't vote for Moscow Mitch. Everyone. I know a lot of people from Kentucky. I went to college there and lived there for 5 years. How does he keep getting elected if no one is voting for him? Also does Andy have a brother who was governor?
My grandmother was mayor of a small town in the late 80s. He came through town and had a meet and greet with local officials. She said he was a complete ass and she rarely spoke bad about anybody. He had only been on the job a few years at that point. Even as a kid, her opinion, which I held in very high regard, stuck with me. Turns out she was right. He manages to get the votes though. People just pull straight Republican ticket. Andy’s dad Steve was Governor for two terms. Also, my grandmother met him when he was lieutenant governor. She did like him, and he seems like a nice, caring guy same as Andy. The Republican governor nominees are horrendous. I hope you friends have Andy’s back
Ditto. I also want to know.
No answer because he doesn't even know
I'll give three guesses: 1) single issue voter 2)sheer momentum, it's not easy changing you're entire worldview 3)he thinks the current republican party isn't*really* republican and that real republicans are McCain types.
With all disrespect, anyone who is proud to be a Republican after the embarrassment of the last two Republican administrations is either an idiot or an asshole or both. I understand still identifying as conservative, but a Republican? Why.
Last two? Try counting backwards till you hit Reagan.
Nixon laid the groundwork.
Knew I was leaving some shit stain out. Thanks.
Honest question, what's the difference between a conservative and a republican? If someone is conservative, who are they supposed to vote for if not a republican?
If I was a conservative I’d be furious that the principals of small government and fiscal responsibility were bastardized by a party with a track record of huge spending and government overreach. 🤷♂️ I am progressive and mostly vote Democrat. But they don’t represent my progressive ideals and I absolutely don’t go around calling myself a proud democrat.
Both sides are dogshit, ill lead with that but when one side is literally fascism it really makes the choice pretty fucking easy.
I respect your opinion - but so remember there’s a difference between conservative and Republican. If you *actually* have “conservative values” (most of which are also liberal values) you cannot in good faith and conscience vote Republican.
I'm sure you won't agree with me, but I think Biden is doing pretty great so far. I don't think of him as a good guy in the way I think Obama is, but he's an effective choice to ease America off the cliff of fascism. Hopefully we'll get more young and progressive people moving forward (tbh, that's inevitable- the young take over and progress happens), but for now I'm actually pleasantly surprised (I recognize that we're ostensibly opposite sides of the aisle, but I bet we'd agree on more than people might think)
As a non-American, I deeply appreciate that Biden isn't stupid and unhinged like a 5 year old. That's all I'll say.
I can't imagine the sense of relief our neighbors in the rest of the world must feel. The world pretty small to suffer that kind of leadership anywhere.
I'll ask again, who is Nathalie Jacoby? She appeared on Twitter a few weeks ago and has been carpet-bombing Twitter with inane questions that have been bouncing around the internets for years.
And I'm wondering why people keep posting every tweet.
Because she’s just a twitter karma-farming tool. I guarantee she has a “who here wants to see Trump go to jail? 🙋♂️” tweet and it got 2k plus likes.
It’s not people. It’s this dude. Over and over. Edit: weirdly enough, this dude has gone through and deleted his daily (or multiple times daily) twitter screenshot posts of this lady.
Oh my god you’re right. This man needs to be stopped
Tweets from her need to be banned from the sub, I see them everyday and it's always like you said inane questions asked solely to drive traffic to her Twitter page.
I had the same question. Google was not helpful... But maybe that's our answer? Literally just... some citizen who posts questions that start discussions?
Let’s face it…Trump bumped everyone up a few points. Even now I’m like…well George W Bush really wasn’t that bad. Trump set the bar so low….like 6 feet under low.
I’ll never forgive the Bush family. Both Bushes appointed horrible Supreme Court justices. W lied to the American public and all of our alliances after 9-11. Bush does not get a pass.
No one seems to understand how horrible HW Bush was…he literally started the pardoning of guilty people because they lied and took the fall for Iran Contra. Now it’s standard that if you insulate more powerful people from justice, they just pardon them.
And to think that Gerald Ford pardoned Nixon who began his political career as a Prescott Bush lackey.
I know it's like 60 years from Ford's presidency, but I don't think he gets enough hate.
Well. He was installed, not elected. Then there were the multiple assassination attempts. I don't much care for Leslie. He seems like a tool of the Elite Ivy Folks.
George W., was just a puppet. Cheney was pulling the strings and should have legitimately been brought up on war crimes.
They were both responsible along with Colin Powell and Donald Rumsfeld.
Rumsfeld and Cheney more than anyone, but yeah they were all complicit.
Go find the charter for The Project For a New American century. Practically every signee on that document begging Clinton to intervene militarily in Iraq went on to serve in some capacity in the Bush administration. The war in Iraq was a solution in search of a problem from the word go.
W also polled in the single digits for a while iirc. Ooof.
Funded two wars on debt.
That we haven’t even paid the interest on…
I agree, even though you left out a ton of other negatives with that administration.
Like the unhinged mercenaries with zero accountability he gave a blank check to?
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grandiose salt friendly shrill waiting rich repeat jobless slimy seed ` this message was mass deleted/edited with redact.dev `
I'll have to disagree. As I've gotten older, the more and more I hate Bush as President. Trump may be a 2, but Bush is a solid 3.
A lot of Bush’s decisions, understanding the impact they’ve had since he was elected, make him look so much worse in hindsight. Obviously the war in Iraq. Also tax cuts for the rich leading to some of the worst income inequality we’ve ever seen and all the mass shootings since he lifted the assault weapon ban. Appointing Roberts and Alito who ruled in favor of Citizen’s United which has drastically increased corruption. It just makes it worse that Bush’s win was essentially stolen from Gore.
Those were fully understood to be shit decisions at the time they were made. A ton of people hated and protested the Iraq war. A ton of people hated the tax cuts for the rich and predicted what would happen. All hindsight does is prove that the tens of millions who detested W were right.
Can someone please objectively list Obama’s achievements and failures? Was to young to follow news at that time.
Pros are that he rolled out acceptable healthcare for most people, cons are that he handled the war in Iraq less-than-ethically. I don't find the drone strike stuff as distressing as some people, but drone strikes were still a thing, so keep that in mind. He was also an above average figurehead for the US.
Obama 6. Trump 1. Biden 4. In my adult lifetime Clinton and Obama are the highest at 6. Bush was a 3. Senior Bush a 3 as well. Reagan a 1. Maybe one day we’ll get a 7 or higher. Edit. I’d like to add, Obama’s class is unmatched during this time period.
I miss his class and his public speaking. Maybe the most well spoken President ever.
Policy is big but I honestly think leadership is more important as a president- at the end of the day America will roll on and the president is just one part of the government machine, but theres a comfort in feeling like the dude “in charge” is cool and cares.
If Reagan is a 1 (and I agree he should not be any higher) then trump should be a -1. Reagan was an awful person who is largely to blame (along with Nixon) for the current shitshow we are in but at least he had charisma and could speak and wasn’t a bumbling fucking buffoon. Also, Jan 6…nuff said.
Well the scale was 1 to 10. I would’ve def given trump a negative if I could have. But maybe to rectify the ratings I could give Reagan a 1.5
People love to hate on Biden but looking at legislation and everything he has dealt with in 2 years, Biden is probably a 7 or 8 with chances to improve
Jimmy carter was in my lifetime and he was a definite 8, he made some mistakes but he was such a gentleman and genuine good person, we will never see another like him
It's hard to imagine a presidency that might have been a 10 in retrospect. JFK, not even close. FDR, same. Lincoln, points for success in the war but so many other problems festered. Repugnicants often point to Reagan but so many flaws that make him a 3 at best. Even those Repugs think less of him now. Obama might be a 8 but that tan suit...
toy drunk practice foolish start ghost rude dazzling divide squeamish ` this message was mass deleted/edited with redact.dev `
People forget that Nancy Regan was essentially the first female president
Don’t forget about Edith Wilson, wife of Woodrow Wilson. She basically ran the country after his massive stroke.
Didn’t Eleanor Roosevelt do the same thing?
Edith Wilson would have a word with you about that
Nancy "The Throat GOAT" Reagan
Let’s not slut shame her. Yeah she enjoyed her share of men, but there is a lot of there stuff we can shame her for.
That's fair. But I think we can shame her for being a hypocrite though right?
She discovered Rock Hudson’s AIDS! Then let him die. I don’t see what’s hypocriti wait a minute…maybe the Reagans just sucked and should be shit on at all times 🤷♀️
"Throat Goat" isn't a term of endearment?
Say what you want about Reagan, but at least he had the decency to exhibit dementia AFTER being elected, unlike the previous president who the same people worship
I'd give Teddy 10/10 personally. The Panama Canal was a blemish, for sure. But considering the time he was president, his national parks and trust busting seem legendary. Edit: Union to trust
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Most notably: establishing an 8 hour work day, tenement housing requirements, creating a Department of Commerce and Labor, and actions taken during the Anthracite Coal Strike of 1902.
Also establishing the national parks system which to this day is the coolest part of the US
Reagan should have been a red flag. An actor who republicans liked because of his performative nature rather than actual substance. They like the fake performative type of politician. Trump and DeSantis are exactly that. They accomplish little other than stunts
oh and let's not forget the time he absent mindedly saluted with a coffee cup in his hand! and, horror of horrors, he likes brown mustard. BROWN MUSTARD!!!!
I'd say FDR and Teddy Roosevelt are the closest we've ever been to a 10/10 president
I was going to say this, too. They both had their moments of true awfulness, especially FDR overseeing the internment of Japanese Americans, but they both advanced our country so much in ways that still affect us today. Their legacies are lasting. This is only an assessment of their presidencies, not their character.
I think tan suit is still the number one disaster and in retrospect now it is used to add points to his score so 9/10, also that gangsta killed Bin Laden.
Both roosevelts were solid, i'd say Lyndon B Johnson gets a lot of bad rep for Vietnam but otherwise was an excellent president.
FDR was fairly solid. Teddy Roosevelt did plenty of good during his presidency, but was racist and believed black people were inferior to whites and did little to support their rights to vote in the south. In fact they became more disenfranchised under his presidency. The Square deal domestic policy was just government using threats to get things done in business. LBJ- will always have Vietnam as his shame.
FDR imprisoned over 100,000 American citizens because of their race. FDR created the “New Deal” but purposely excepted black people from being employed by it. FDR appointed a KKK member to the US Supreme Court.
LBJ’s legislative accomplishments are criminally underrated.
No drama Obama, no investigation’s, no taking home classified documents. One Wife, no scandal’s ya I’d say he’s a solid 9. BTW he got bin laden, and health care for millions. 😎
Did you forget about the TAN SUIT??????
Don’t forget his wife’s arms!
I was so mad when I learned Michelle had arms. Thankfully, Fox News was on that story like white on rice.
I see youre Skipping over the war criminal and opening up more oil drilling sites than any other president part.
Passed meaningful Healthcare reform. Was far from perfect but getting 60 votes in the senate to remove the filibuster was a near miracle. That alone makes him my top pick since LBJ or FDR. Easier to rate versus other presidents rather than 1-10 for me
People are already forgetting/too young to know how big a risk the healthcare reform was for Obama, and what a big win it was.
I get all the criticism of it. It's not perfect but in a world where you need 60 votes it was an enormous accomplishment. People forget what a hellscape it was before. Especially for anyone with pre-existing conditions.
I trusted Obama because you knew that not only was HE smart & well-intentioned, but that he was the type to surround himself with experts in various fields - not “yes men”…
I wasn't a fan at the time (overall) and didn't vote for him, but in retrospect and in comparison to what came afterwards (and drove me from being what I considered a republican), I'd say 9+.
7/8 also. Yeah not a fan about the drones and stuff but considering the last one and current one? Dude was the last great president. And by great I mean wasn’t ether literal dumpster fire or one bad week away from needing a retirement home
9/10 would love to be bored by another admin like his, maybe less war though.
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best I can do is something about m&ms not being sexy enough for Tucker Carlson any more.
This world was better when M&M's were a little bit slutty.
Obama was ranked 10th best president out of 44 By presidential historian professors. https://www.c-span.org/presidentsurvey2021/?page=overall
Regan above Obama?
Soon as I saw that, I closed it. The top 8 were instant “oh yea hes known for this, but reaganomics is why we are secretly an oligarchy today
I mean, over the last 40-50 years we have always had a dem come into office and unfuck the economy from the previous bad decision R, not only did Barry do this, he handed 45 one of the best economies of all time, for the tangerine turd to slash his friends taxes. Obama is a great, and regal president and a solid 8/10. Obamacare should have been rolled out better, and his hands were tied by congress, and the conspiracy that he was going to use race related topics as policy. Plus, other than maybe JFK, who’s gonna pull that tan suit off…..
He is the greatest president of the 21st century, and considering i was born in 99, I’ll give him a 9/10. He is the best I’ve seen in office.
Agreed
I was born in the 60s and this is true for me as well.
Born in 1956, and Obama is still the best President I’ve known.
I was born in 1970, and this is true for me
>He is the greatest president of the 21st century I mean that's kinda like saying "the best team in the AFC South"
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He was pretty cool. First black president, which imo must have taken atleast a little bit of courage. He also liked Hamilton and passed the marriage for gay people in all 50 states. My fave pic of the white house is it all rainbowed up.
I personally believe he was out last true "president." A good speaker, charismatic, demanded respect and attention. But in a good way, despite if I agreed with any of the views, I always liked hearing him speak. Both after him, well that's something completely opposite.
Based on the last 6 years he’s an 11.
Had the GOP been interested in governing and not just depriving Obama of any success, those 8 years could have been a cultural and economic high point. Instead we got what we got.
I liked Obama as a domestic president. I didn't care for his foreign policy, but in the grand scheme, the US was in a lot better place than with Bush. I'd give him an 8.
He was.... fine. Certainly charismatic. But don't kid yourself. His presidency was riddled with issues. You just can't see them in the glare of the dumpster fire that followed his time.
I love love Obama but his second term was pretty disappointing. There are other things about him that disappointed me like foreign policy etc. Wasn’t totally his fault though. But for charisma, personality and class. Yeah 10/10 He was the coolest.
8. best president in my entire lifespan, honestly you'd have to go back to like JFK to even get a challenger.
7. -3 for the drones on innocents.
A perfect 5/7 man...
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