Even as Barack Obama's stellar reputation as a president is secure, his tangible legacy is at grave risk in the coming election.
By Jonathan Alter
It’s one of this autumn’s pleasant surprises. Two years after Donald
Trump’s election as president and 10 years after his own, Barack Obama
is gracefully re-entering our consciousness, reminding us of what we
have lost and may yet recover.
The contrast between Obama and
Trump—decent vs. despicable; incisive vs. ignorant; honest vs. humbug;
classy vs. clownish—is now the critical subtext of the 2018 campaign.
With Obama’s current approval ratings more than 20 points higher than
Trump’s, the aching memory of his presidency will help energize
Democrats in the midterms.
But Obama’s return is also a reminder
that some of his admirable qualities—modesty, prudence,
deliberateness—have inadvertently helped Republicans endanger everything
he built.
If Obama’s reputation is secure, his legacy is not.
Many of his accomplishments in office are in danger of being wiped out
in November. The personal stakes for him and his place in history are
high.
As he campaigns around the country, Obama seems to have two
immediate goals: First, to help elect Democrats up and down the
ballot—to check Trump in Congress but also to rebuild the Democratic
Party at the state level so that after the 2020 census it can undo some
of the gerrymandering that has so often hindered his party.
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Source: The Daily Beast
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