The American Politics thread

[silentstriker]

It's really hard to assess legacy as Spark said, but I'd put Obama around there, probably even in the top ten.

Off the top of my head, I'd put only Lincoln, Washington, Roosevelt as definitely higher. Possibly Eisenhower and Jefferson as well.

[watson]

I don't think Obama should be ranked at all tbh. You can't assess the historical legacy and impact of a presidency whose consequences or impact are so manifestly unclear. Even today, the historical legacy of, say, Woodrow Wilson is very much up for debate.

The legacy of Obama is already clear - it is the decimation of the Democratic Party across all levels of government, and a country that will remain divided and fragmented for decades to come because he helped create the 'perfect storm' that enabled Trump and Trumpism.

His 8 years did have style though, and perhaps that's all that matters. Never mind the hapless policy and the torpor as long as the personality is smooth and the sound-bites suitably pleasant.

[watson]

I don't think Obama should be ranked at all tbh. You can't assess the historical legacy and impact of a presidency whose consequences or impact are so manifestly unclear. Even today, the historical legacy of, say, Woodrow Wilson is very much up for debate.

The legacy of Obama is already clear - it is the decimation of the Democratic Party across all levels of government, and a country that will remain divided and fragmented for decades to come because he helped create the 'perfect storm' that enabled Trump and Trumpism.

His 8 years did have style though, and perhaps that's all that matters. Never mind the policy and the torpor as long as the personality is smooth and the sound-bites suitably pleasant.

[Spark]

Odd that Lyndon "Vietnam is going well, I promise" Johnson was so high too

Very good domestic president, and I have more reason to hate him than most.

[Spark]

The legacy of Obama is already clear - it is the decimation of the Democratic Party across all levels of government, and a country that will remain divided and fragmented for decades to come because he helped create the 'perfect storm' that enabled Trump and Trumpism.

His 8 years did have style though, and perhaps that's all that matters. Never mind the policy and the torpor as long as the personality is smooth and the sound-bites suitably pleasant.

I've known eight year olds with a deeper understanding of history than you.

It's really hard to assess legacy as Spark said, but I'd put Obama around there, probably even in the top ten.

Off the top of my head, I'd put only Lincoln, Washington, Roosevelt as definitely higher. Possibly Eisenhower and Jefferson as well.

Truman for sure.

[Zinzan]

Buzzfeed has some good stuff, but I really didn't like that. I thought it was really baseless. Almost every paragraph asserted something I think is just not true without any evidence.

Can't agree with Buzzfeed having much good stuff, but you're 100% correct about that article, just full of baseless assertions.

[Zinzan]

Why is Obama in the top 40?

Lol, because he was spoke diplomatically, went on talkshows & played golf I think.

[Zinzan]

The legacy of Obama is already clear - it is the decimation of the Democratic Party across all levels of government, and a country that will remain divided and fragmented for decades to come because he helped create the 'perfect storm' that enabled Trump and Trumpism.

His 8 years did have style though, and perhaps that's all that matters. Never mind the hapless policy and the torpor as long as the personality is smooth and the sound-bites suitably pleasant.

Tend to agree with the first paragraph, but I'd say subtle divisiveness.

[Zinzan]

Incidentally, I see Milo Yiannopoulos will be on Bill Maher's show this wkd & I see a journalist who was also going to be on the panel has pulled out once he learned he'd be sitting with Milo.

[Gnske]

Not the first bloke who has pulled out on Milo I dare say

[Burgey]

It's really hard to assess legacy as Spark said, but I'd put Obama around there, probably even in the top ten.

Off the top of my head, I'd put only Lincoln, Washington, Roosevelt as definitely higher. Possibly Eisenhower and Jefferson as well.

I think Johnson is a massively under rated US president in terms of legacy, but understandably Vietnam sullies it massively even though Kennedy kicked that off.

[Burgey]

The legacy of Obama is already clear - it is the decimation of the Democratic Party across all levels of government, and a country that will remain divided and fragmented for decades to come because he helped create the 'perfect storm' that enabled Trump and Trumpism.

His 8 years did have style though, and perhaps that's all that matters. Never mind the policy and the torpor as long as the personality is smooth and the sound-bites suitably pleasant.

Terrible post. Obama inherited an absolute nightmare, and the country was better for his eight years.

[harsh.ag]

Terrible post. Obama inherited an absolute nightmare, and the country was better for his eight years.

watson in 2008: The legacy of Bush is already clear - it is the decimation of the Republican Party across all levels of government, and a country that will remain divided and fragmented for decades to come because he helped create the 'perfect storm' that enabled the first African American to become President.

[Spark]

I think Johnson is a massively under rated US president in terms of legacy, but understandably Vietnam sullies it massively even though Kennedy kicked that off.

Reading how the escalation before the Gulf of Tonkin incident happened is pretty grim tbh. Consistent decisions made on the assumption that someone down the line would back off eventually, and no one ever did, and eventually LBJ felt he had no other option.

[GIMH]

Terrible post. Obama inherited an absolute nightmare, and the country was better for his eight years.

Whether or not America is better for his eight years (clearly opinions are split down the middle in the states on that), hard to argue that the rest of the world is any better off, in particular the Middle East. A true successor to Dubya, well played Obama.