Make America Normal Again

Does anyone else miss Barack Hussein Obama ?

He was a good President by all accounts. I suppose all countries have their good, bad and indifferent leaders. The UK certainly has, it appears to be going through a period of bad leaders just now. Things can only get better, though. When you reach the bottom the only way is up, as they say.

When was the bottom? 2019?

I don’t think you can equate the two nanna8, because the USA, and other countries with presidents, choose an individual to be their leader. In the UK the party in power chooses the leader, so the electorate don’t have a say.

I do think Barack Obama was the best president the USA has had for many years, a respected and respectable man.

Obama had sterling qualities but he didnothig for the US economy; just continued the disastrous neoliberal free market economy, as imposed by Reagan and subsequently followed by all presidents, Republican or Democrat. The inevitable consequences of this economic ideology is wealth concentration in the hands of the already wealthy, loss of jobs and industry as manufacturers transfer production to places where labour is cheaper, cheap imported goods are encouraged and growth in enequality.
Obama's inability to change economic direction just further nurtured the discontent which enabled Trump.
I actually think that Biden was the best of recent presidents when it came to improving the US economy for the disadvantaged, but his efforts were too little, too late. It's a shame he was too old and too frail to impress.

Did the Dems have control of both Houses, at any point during Obama's Presidency?

I don't know enough about the USA to comment on fiscal policy, but I do see both Mr Obama and Mr Biden as men of integrity, who were doing what they thought best for their fellow Americans. I do not feel that about the current President.

Under Obama and Biden the USA felt like the country I had always known. Under Trump the country has become alien and hostile.

I agree with Chocolatelovinggran. I thought they were men of integrity and worthy of respect. Absolutely everything that Trump is not.

Obama was everything T is not. Funny, highly articulate and intelligent, charming, empathic and not afraid to be vulnerable and human.

sixandahalf

Obama was everything T is not. Funny, highly articulate and intelligent, charming, empathic and not afraid to be vulnerable and human.

I agree completely with this - everything that Trump is not.

it's never been normal

Obama became president just as the 2008 global financial crash was hitting. This unlucky timing must have hampered a lot of the policies for good that he could have made.

I reiterate, Obama had no ideas about changing the direction of US economic policy, Biden did, had he been younger he could well have made it to a second term and done more for the disadvantaged.

MaizieD

Obama had sterling qualities but he didnothig for the US economy; just continued the disastrous neoliberal free market economy, as imposed by Reagan and subsequently followed by all presidents, Republican or Democrat. The inevitable consequences of this economic ideology is wealth concentration in the hands of the already wealthy, loss of jobs and industry as manufacturers transfer production to places where labour is cheaper, cheap imported goods are encouraged and growth in enequality.
Obama's inability to change economic direction just further nurtured the discontent which enabled Trump.
I actually think that Biden was the best of recent presidents when it came to improving the US economy for the disadvantaged, but his efforts were too little, too late. It's a shame he was too old and too frail to impress.

I agree with all of that.

I wonder what will happen post Trump. Maybe , hopefully, things might return to normality so long as he doesn’t alter their constitution to favour his own family ( that is my fear)

It will never be "normal" again. We have seen too much of each other now.

What our new normal will look for k like remains to be seen.

Random, and I know this is Glamour Magazine, but...

Our girls deserve better than this current world.

www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/these-feminist-books-risk-being-banned

Unless Obama had a majority in both Houses, he would have had great difficulty in making major changes.
Does anyone know his situation in this?
He did manage Obamacare, which seemed to be impressive.

imaround

Random, and I know this is Glamour Magazine, but...

Our girls deserve better than this current world.

www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/these-feminist-books-risk-being-banned

Very worrying. I have read some (but not all) of the books on the banned list and the ones I have read are not subversive or harmful in my opinion.

I think this subject warrants a thread of its own.

MaizieD

I reiterate, Obama had no ideas about changing the direction of US economic policy, Biden did, had he been younger he could well have made it to a second term and done more for the disadvantaged.

Obama inherited an absolute economic disaster and dealt with an obstructionist Congress. Context matters. People are comparing apples to oranges and oversimplifying too much.

Maremia

Unless Obama had a majority in both Houses, he would have had great difficulty in making major changes.
Does anyone know his situation in this?
He did manage Obamacare, which seemed to be impressive.

Absolutely. I was still in the US at the time. It was shameful how Republicans did everything in their power to block so much of the good he was trying to accomplish, regardless of how beneficial it was to the majority of Americans. His presidency opened my eyes to how insidious the Republican agenda was.

Are we just saying Obama was a good President because we , as Brits don't really know if he was or not? Yes on the surface he seemed great I for one thought as a US President he and the first Lady looked the part, but perhaps as MaizieD said the economy wasn't that good under him. I hate Trump and what he stands for which is very much money money money at any cost. I have always thought the American way of life is very monetary & success orientated. I wonder what the everyday person in America thinks of him are there pockets in each state of Trump supporters? Do they think the war with Iran is right? how is it affecting them on a day to day basis. I don't think the UK government should be getting involved in his foot stamping tbh but I am not up on the fined points of the politics of it all, we didn't like it when Blair got together with Bush did we why should this be different.

BlessedArt

MaizieD

I reiterate, Obama had no ideas about changing the direction of US economic policy, Biden did, had he been younger he could well have made it to a second term and done more for the disadvantaged.

Obama inherited an absolute economic disaster and dealt with an obstructionist Congress. Context matters. People are comparing apples to oranges and oversimplifying too much.

Inheriting the aftermath of the GFC was absolutely no excuse for not changing his economic policy. He had 2 terms, 8 years, in which to do it.