Whether one agrees or disagrees with President Barack Obama, I think any conversation about how he has governed should start by acknowledging one simple fact. His is a Presidency mired in crises of historic proportion. While he is tasked with managing these crises. He did not create them. That is an impartial view. There are a handful of republicans who may even agree with it. Simple fact.
Next consider that all Presidencies are defined by some aspect of their tenure that predominates. As an example, President Clinton's Presidency was defined by the economy. Due to the economic recovery and the gains made by the middle class, his Presidency is sometimes called the "middle class Presidency," or some other variation of that.
George Bush liked to say he was a "war time President". Generous to say the least. I have trouble defining his Presidency. Corruption, ideology, incompetence, staggering hubris and indifference to fact. What's the word for all that? I go with simply "The Worst Presidency". I think historically that moniker or some variation of it, will be pretty prevalent.
A final example, Eisenhower is defined by the baby boomers. He governed over a prospering and growing economy and a prospering and growing population. The emerging cold war and civil rights struggles notwithstanding, it is the period of growth, stability and peace associated with Eisenhower.
To define President Obama's Presidency, it is clear that he is governing in a period of constant, serious and historic crises. None of which were his own creation. First, there is an economic crisis. The deepest economic crisis in eighty years. A recession which almost became a depression. A recession which to many is a depression.
This crisis alone would typically be more than enough to define a Presidency facing an abnormally large or historic crisis. Strictly by virtue of the historic nature of the economic downturn, the Obama Presidency and its management of the economy(for better or worse) is historic.
Consider President Bill Clinton. In terms of defining issues, did he face anything more than a historically manageable recession? I give President Clinton enormous credit. But the overriding theme of his Presidency was ending a recession and spurring unprecedented economic growth. No other issue really rose to the level of crisis(the impeachment doesn't count) and no issue could be considered a historic crisis, such as those faced by President Obama.
But, again, for President Obama there are not only crises but historic crises. The next crisis he faces are the two stagnated, losing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. LBJ and Nixon faced Vietnam. Although Vietnam entailed a far greater loss of life, I'm not sure it depleted more resources or was a greater commitment than the current wars. But to understand the depth of crisis facing a country losing a war, consider that it cost LBJ his Presidency.
President Obama was elected to manage two losing war efforts. Two war efforts that were unfunded. Two war efforts for which no exit strategy seemed to exist. Again, it is not a crisis he created but one he inherited. Prior Presidents have faced similar crises. It ruined some and caused great harm to the Country. We've asked Obama to avoid those fates. But, unlike other Presidents, we've also tasked him with managing other historic crises.
By far the greatest crisis facing President Obama is the political crisis. There is an enormous movement in this Country that does not believe in democracy. And they especially do not believe in the democratic institutions of government. It is by far the greatest crisis faced by President Obama because it is a formidable movement. A movement which has the upper hand. It is supported by unlimited campaign contributions and an immense propaganda machine. They are disenfranchising voters at dizzying rates. In my opinion it is the greatest crisis in Democratic governing since the Civil War. Almost half the Country simply does not believe in our Democracy(as a snark, they do, however, firmly believe in their social security check). Again, and I don't think this is an exaggeration, almost half the Country simply does not believe, or does not want to believe, in the validity of our democratic institutions. Debt defaults, birth certificates, propaganda, tea parties, Christianism. It is not a phase. It is a real element of our political system and it undermines everything our governing principles are based upon. It is also the root cause of our other crises.
So each and every day when President Obama goes to work, this is what he faces. Three historic crises. On their own, each would surpass, the typical types of crises faced in normal Presidencies. I would define health care and the deficit, which are related to our tax rates and growing poverty, as the typical crises a normal Presidency would face. But President Obama has so very much more.
My point, love him or hate him, let's at least acknowledge the truth of his circumstances. Any impartial view of his Presidency must start with that obvious fact. Any discussion of President Obama should start with that premise because it is the defining issue of his Presidency. There's no close second. To do otherwise is to buy into the propaganda machine that actually puts more emphasis on the public option or the President's vacation or his birth certificate than it does upon the actually staggering reality.