Obama will, undoubtedly, go down in the history books most notably as the first African-American president of the United States. However, the rest of Obama's presidency will ultimately reside in the success of the Affordable Healthcare Act, and the state of the economy at the end of his term.
The Affordable Healthcare Act, commonly known as Obamacare, is a controversial piece of legislation which calls for mandatory medical coverage. In essence, it forces Americans to buy some form of healthcare. Obama established the act in hopes of improving Medicare, and provide Americans with new benefits and protections. Opposed by conservative republicans who believe that Obamacare is infringing on the constitutional rights of Americans, the act's success still remains to be determined. In February of 2014, the rate of uninsured Americans was down from 18% (before Obamacare) to 12.9%. So, while it is off to a good start, the Affordable Healthcare Act pushes the boundaries of constitutionality.
When Obama inherited the presidency in 2008 from Bush, America was in the middle of the Great Recession. The housing bubble combined with the collapse of Wall Street led to the worst economic times since the Great Depression. Obama's various recovery acts, such as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan, were greatly opposed by the Republicans, resulting in a loss of potential effectiveness. While the economy is definitely building back up, whether or not it will be achieving its full potential by the end of Obama's second term remains to be seen.
Even though Obama has also been heading the War on Terror for six years, that is not what he will be remembered for. Obama's legacy comes down to the success of his Affordable Healthcare Act and of his economic recovery acts. If the economy is at, or close, to its pre-recession stability, Obama will most likely go down in history as an effective president who, despite radical political opposition, was able to stabilize the economy all while improving the American healthcare system.
This is a great post, Dylan, and I completely agree. Obama has made healthcare his main priority, and it's what he wants to be remembered for. That's why it was so surprising to many people when the website first went up and it was in such a poor state. One would think that Obama would have recognized how important the website launch would be for both Obamacare's success and his own legacy, and that he would have made sure it was in near perfect condition before the launch. Given the number of tech giants in the US, it seems strange that he was unable to do this. However, improvements have been made since, and I do agree with your statement that his legacy will be a positive one.
ReplyDeleteIt's weird to think of Obama as a historical figure mentioned for being black and for a healthcare act. This isn't exactly related to your post, but it makes me wonder about some of the presidencies we spent less time on and if the people living during those periods thought that their era was just as important as we think ours is. What if in the future our age isn't really remembered at all?
ReplyDeleteI think this is a good read:
ReplyDeletehttp://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/05/obama-and-his-pot-smoking-choom-gang/
He may also be the first modern president to state that pot is no more dangerous than alcohol.
The election of Obama is a very interesting topic because of its social and political reprecussions. Many believe that as the first African American it is a great leap for civil rights and equality in our great country. Also many argue that with the election of Obama is the end of the 5th party system and the start of the next era of political change. Overall I think Obamas legacy as a figure will be great, but maybe politically and the amount of change he brought to america would not be as influential
ReplyDeleteI agree with your analysis of Obama's legacy, however, as you mentioned, Obama has done much does not pertain to that he will be remembered for. Just as, in an extreme case, Nixon's foreign policy victories will always be overshadowed by Watergate, Obama has made significant progress in other areas, such as the War on Terror, that will be overshadowed by Obamacare.
ReplyDelete