When Obama won the election in 2008, there were bright days on the horizon and everything was finally going to be okay. Six years, an NSA leak, trade partnership, and less-than-strict regulation of Wall Street have all gone by, and people are over Obama.
Sure, he’s made a few executive orders, good on him, but as far as creating a legacy, he has fallen short. Obama hasn’t had favorable ratings since November 2009 and has struggled to keep it above 40 percent ever since. Just how bad has it gotten? For instance, Obama only has a 45 percent approval rating in left-leaning California, reported Salon. He has done a few things, however.
Obamacare has gotten some positive results, Dodd-Frank is working somewhat, and Obama implemented the EPA carbon emission executive decision. All of that is good, but too many people are still without work, are losing their retirement, their homes, and life savings. Granted, employment has gotten a little better, but it’s still a far cry from what it was in ‘06 and ‘07. Obama doesn’t appear to be aggressively tackling these issues like people thought he would.
In 2008, he was aggressive, outspoken, and had bravado. All that is gone now, and all that’s left is a tepid shadow of a man who promised everything but delivered nothing. Obama messed up by pulling back and playing nice. He knew what he was up against with the current brand of conservatism, but he didn’t show the backbone he did in 2008 when it ever mattered.
Liberals are bored and fed up, and conservatives were never on board. Sadly, there are some Obama supporters who believe that things will magically turn around and they’ll see the old Obama again. If that were so, it would have already happened.
So, now, in 2014, we see ourselves still jobless, still a little broke, and we are inching our way into another Middle Eastern conflict. The president, and Congress, have stagnated the nation’s progress to a grinding halt, which brings thoughts of the future.
Many liberals pray for a Warren 2016 ticket, but she’s already expressed that she won’t run. Next in line is Hillary Clinton. Some love it, but Clinton is part of the corporate-friendly New Democrats. The Republicans are getting crazier, and we need a candidate that will ardently fight them, not help them.
As spineless as most Democrats tend to be, the best candidate would be outspoken, have the right convictions, and not pull back that crowd-pleasing brashness if elected. However, the only one that comes to mind is Elizabeth Warren.
Josh is a writer and researcher with Ring of Fire. Follow him on Twitter @dnJdeli.
