President Obama Can't Do Anything Right -- at Least That's What Detractors Say

COMMENTARY | Barack Obama has had a tough time as president, taking over as head of state and commander-in-chief at possibly one of the worst moments in American history, where a confluence of events presented him with soaring unemployment, a tanking economy, a foreign policy that was either nonexistent or extremely suspect around the world, two unpopular and expensive wars, budgetary and national debt problems, and an electorate suspicious of its lawmakers and bestowing low favorability ratings across the board. But it appears that everything that he has done so far has taken the country in the wrong direction.

After a horribly unpopular Wall Street bailout engineered by the Bush administration in its waning days, President Obama began his administration by pushing for not one, but two stimulus packages: one for the Big Three auto corporations (inherited partially from the Bush administration's dealings) and another general stimulus bill of around $800 billion designed to support businesses and government programs in order to stave off more economic hardship. Both are still looked at with displeasure, the latter viewed as a do-nothing piece of legislation that only added nearly a trillion dollars to the national debt in one fell swoop.

One of the first things Obama did was sign an executive order stating he would close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, within a year of the signing. That came back to haunt him when it did not happen. Over two years later and it appears that the facility may not close at all, something that clearly angered Obama supporters on the Left.

Then there was the health care reform legislation that President Obama helped push through a reluctant Congress in order to help the present and future well-being of over 45 million uninsured Americans, not to mention revamp some of the Medicare program and restructure the way pharmaceuticals were purchased in order to assist the aged. But instead of helping insure Americans, all the president did was lay the groundwork for government overreach, over-spending, and socialism.

And that's not all. When the BP oil spill occurred, it was generally seen as a poor response moment for the Obama administration. As hundreds of thousands of gallons of crude oil pumped its way into the Gulf of Mexico, the president called meetings but seemed to do little to combat the problem. And when he talked with BP oil officials and set up a $20 billion claims fund, he was accused by some of extorting the oil companies.

In the growing unrest in the Middle East and Northern Africa that began with the uprising in Tunisia in January, the president's lack of alacrity in dealing with the subsequent Egyptian demonstrations showed both a lack of willingness to help the pro-democracy movement and an unwillingness to help the Mubarak regime, a loyal friend to the United States for decades. And when it came time to do nothing or choose a side in Libya, the president chose to move with NATO allies in an effort to help the rebels against the tyrannical Gadaffi regime. That was a poor move because it wasn't unilateral enough and the U. S. did not need to involve itself in another war.

Even with the recent Osama bin Laden killing, some are saying he should not have killed at all. Some are saying he was unarmed and the killing was unjustified. Some are saying he may not have been killed (citing the Obama administration decision not to release the death photos) and charge that proof is needed that the story isn't an elaborate hoax to draw attention away from the controversy over Obama's birth certificate, which many say should have been dealt with sooner (because 2008 wasn't soon enough).

In short, it simply appears to be that no matter what President Obama does, no matter his intentions, and no matter the outcome, he just can't seem to get anything right. And for some, that will always be the case, regardless of the choices made.

[Source : news.yahoo.com]