Listened to his farewell in Chicago yesterday, he is a grand speaker.
Sadly, words are never enough to get results.
Make no mistake, I would want this man on my team, however I would not go to him for the big play to win the game.
He had his chance, in the beginning he had a lot of opportunity and support, but he didn't seem to know what to do with it.
I will not assign this to ignorance, no, but suspect it had more to do with his wanting to get along with everybody.
Seems to me he lacked that hard edge to drive full steam to the net and dunk the ball, when given and PUSHED by his party early on ( in his first administration ).
I think his own party caused him more failure than the republican obstruction, for he could never deliver on his ultimatums.
I do not believe the man is evil, and I am certain he is not anti-American Muslim who hates what this country represents....
I don't even believe that about Muslims as a whole, yes, you have extremist of any given ideology, but that is out of context and reality, and just one piece of a much larger puzzle.
When things got hard, he got soft....
I can't fault him personally, but his position in leadership doesn't appreciate that empathy as a good thing.
I think he knows this deep down too...
As I see a this same "look" of many guys I have sponsored and counseled in AA. It's a look of acknowledgment to their problem, acceptance of fact, yet rely solely on HOPE, to repair this major life problem....
Hope is not enough, never.
And finally, I think he was saddled by his race.
He was elected by many, myself included, to somehow "erase" racism from our country. I now see it was a disservice and selfish on my part, for when we start a relationship based purely on self motivation as reason, that four ndation is not based on reality.
And then too, I suspect, but not being of his race, it is only a best guess....
That he was expected to carry his race to a greater outcome than what was really possible, given the emotional play,and the way race has been used as a wedge issue for way too long.
I'll end with this last thought....
I believe he was the first successful "anti" to win office.
He was not one of the BIG entitled players of the two party system.
He won office by many of those deplorable who voted for Trump.
Clinton can testify to that fact, for twice now she has felt its effect....
One of the best ever political machines assembled, upended by a no name Black man....
That was CHANGE you can take to the bank
Sir, thank you for a thankless job...
I believe your heart is true.
I hope you can still be a force of change, from a position of lessor scrunity...