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In reading the Trump thread, a thought occurs to me. I wonder when we take partisan sides (even though we claim we're not) if we are truly able to objectively recognize that each President brings different values and approaches to the job. Some for better, and, undoubtedly, some for worse. Each approach is unique; one may offend and another may appease our senses of morality and decency. Nothing is ever as good or as bad as it seems in the moment. For instance, Obama was not the apologist, weak on foreign policy, socialist the right often tries to makes him out to have been. Bush wasn't the war mongering, unintelligent, financial crisis creator that the left often makes him out to have been. I wonder if we can list 5 positive qualities and/or contributions about one of the guys we did not vote for or support the most, because each has had an impact on the world.
I'll start. While I was no fan of Obama's policies, I can admit that he was good and moral man.
1. He was handed a big steaming bag of crap of an economy when he took office. Mere mortals would've folded like a lawn chair at the weight of the crisis. For a guy with purportedly limited managerial experience, he successfully navigated the country and world back from the edge of Financial collapse. I didn't agree with every measure, but in general terms, that's worth a lasting positive legacy alone.
2. Easy one, first minority president. While I thought his timing was at times poor when intervening in racial issues such as Travon Martin, Ferguson Missouri, the Harvard professor beer fest, I believe in his heart he felt that he had an obligation to advance the conversation on the state of race relations in this country. I think he did it as well as anyone could have ever asked.
3. He is in extremely elegant and eloquent speaker. He had a way of dumbing things down without making the listener feel he was dumbing it down. More often than not, he was extremely thoughtful and measured and every word matter. He wasn't speaking to be a Sunday preacher and he wasn't doing it as a show. It was heartfelt and convicted.
4. He stood tall and confident when he was continually assailed with ridiculous questions and undaunting personal attacks about his country of birth, his birth certificate, his religion, and any number of other conspiracies. He never got down in the muck and held his head high.
5. His demeanor was consistent and stable which I am sure give comfort to other world leaders that he could be trusted to keep his word.
Bonus: I always appreciated that he was a family man first. It was clear he loves his wife and his family and of all things they were the most important things to him.
Your turn. Just so we're clear, even though I lean middle-right, I've never "hated" any of our Presidents. Hate is a very strong word that is used too loosely.
I'll start. While I was no fan of Obama's policies, I can admit that he was good and moral man.
1. He was handed a big steaming bag of crap of an economy when he took office. Mere mortals would've folded like a lawn chair at the weight of the crisis. For a guy with purportedly limited managerial experience, he successfully navigated the country and world back from the edge of Financial collapse. I didn't agree with every measure, but in general terms, that's worth a lasting positive legacy alone.
2. Easy one, first minority president. While I thought his timing was at times poor when intervening in racial issues such as Travon Martin, Ferguson Missouri, the Harvard professor beer fest, I believe in his heart he felt that he had an obligation to advance the conversation on the state of race relations in this country. I think he did it as well as anyone could have ever asked.
3. He is in extremely elegant and eloquent speaker. He had a way of dumbing things down without making the listener feel he was dumbing it down. More often than not, he was extremely thoughtful and measured and every word matter. He wasn't speaking to be a Sunday preacher and he wasn't doing it as a show. It was heartfelt and convicted.
4. He stood tall and confident when he was continually assailed with ridiculous questions and undaunting personal attacks about his country of birth, his birth certificate, his religion, and any number of other conspiracies. He never got down in the muck and held his head high.
5. His demeanor was consistent and stable which I am sure give comfort to other world leaders that he could be trusted to keep his word.
Bonus: I always appreciated that he was a family man first. It was clear he loves his wife and his family and of all things they were the most important things to him.
Your turn. Just so we're clear, even though I lean middle-right, I've never "hated" any of our Presidents. Hate is a very strong word that is used too loosely.
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