Reflections on Obama

[babylonsister]

http://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/07/opinion/sunday/reflections-on-obama.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur&_r=0

Reflections on Obama

JAN. 7, 2017

President Obama in the Oval Office in 2015. Credit Doug Mills/The New York Times

Readers describe how they will remember the president as a man and as a leader.

Just as Jackie Robinson was perfectly cast for his historic breakthrough, so, too, was Barack Obama. He emerged from relative obscurity as a beacon of hope and change. And, despite the roadblocks and setbacks, he remains so. The Obama presidency has been consequential. Especially impressive is his bold leadership on some of the most significant issues of our time, from health care reform to climate change to a nuclear deal with Iran that was once unimaginable. But it is Mr. Obama the man I will remember most. The personal indignities to which he was subjected, from “birtherism” to other acts of disrespect and contempt, are a disgrace. Yet he never lost his own dignity or grace. It was an “Amazing Grace” epitomized by his leading this hymn at the funeral for nine African-Americans massacred in Charleston. Now, with his successor inspiring more fear than hope, President Obama is urging us not to despair. Rather than apocalyptic, he’s still optimistic. Let’s follow his lead. Those of us who share his values should continue to work tirelessly toward the progressive ideals he has espoused. Barack Obama’s story will always represent the unique promise of America.

SAM BROMBERG, Delray Beach, Fla.

President Obama’s domestic legacy is one of thoughtful policy successes, and a failure to publicize and celebrate those achievements. This contradiction is best illustrated by the fact that the majority of Americans polled opposed Obamacare despite overwhelming public support for its individual provisions. More than $800 billion was spent under the 2009 stimulus package, but ordinary Americans couldn’t point to a single bridge built or job saved by it. Mr. Obama, a cerebral technocrat, seemed to operate on the assumption that his nuanced policy solutions would speak for themselves. Despite his soaring speeches, he never learned how to convince Americans that his agenda was working. Mr. Obama’s shortcomings in flaunting his achievements are further accentuated by his successor’s flair for it. The economy added 156,000 jobs in December, but it was 800 jobs at a Carrier factory in Indiana that captured the national spotlight.

SAM SKOVGAARD, Denver

“Shed tears without apology”

President Obama at a memorial service at Newtown High School in Newtown, Conn., for the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Credit Luke Sharrett for The New York Times

I will remember President Obama for his dignity, his humor, his eloquence and especially as the president who shed tears without apology or embarrassment. In that speech in which he discussed “common sense” gun control measures, he recalled the victims of Sandy Hook and he cried. And I weep now as I write about this memory.

SUSAN SCANDRETT, Oakland, Calif.

President Obama’s accomplishments in office are numerous, from saving the economy to passing comprehensive health care and financial reform. Yet when the history books describe his time in office, President Obama’s legacy will be defined most significantly by his record on climate change. He took office at a true crossroads for our planet: a failure to act could push the world past the tipping point, leading to a cascade effect of irreversible consequences. Mr. Obama met the moment boldly, taking a series of critical steps at home — including unprecedented investments in clean energy, the largest protections of public lands and waters in history, and the first-ever national carbon pollution standards for power plants — that served as a foundation for international action such as the bilateral agreement with China and the Paris Agreement. Although the incoming administration seems determined to look backward on environmental issues, many of the president’s changes are here to stay. Future generations will be forever grateful for his leadership.

JACK DIMATTEO, Deerfield, Ill.

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http://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/07/opinion/sunday/reflections-on-obama.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur&_r=0

[Gothmog]

1. I will miss this great man

[Vinca]

2. I am so sad to see this man leave the Oval Office. Best POTUS ever and a great person.

[deaniac21]

3. Wonder why

there are 2 phones on the desk.

[babylonsister]

4. One is a secure

phone, the other isn't per this:

https://www.quora.com/Why-does-the-President-have-two-separate-phones-on-his-desk-in-the-Oval-Office