The ghost of Obama hangs heavy over this entire Democratic primary. A bastion of goodwill in these troubling Trumpian (god I love that word) times, the memory of his time in office acts as our comfort blanket through these cold nights. The entire world evolved with the ascent of Obama to the presidency. The symbolism of a clearly brilliant man coming from the obscurity of nowhere America to overcome every obstacle in his path, including the great American burden of race, to become leader of the free world. Everywhere he went, thousands thronged just to be in his presence, such a clear beacon of hope and change, and the dawn of the 21st century in all its beautiful color, and with a wife like Michelle too, my God. Not only that, his entire history he seems to have fought for the benefit of his community and country, from his famous origins as a poor community organizer, through his 2002 Iraq war speech, the 2004 DNC performance, on through his historic run for the White House, defeating the great Clinton juggernaut. No wonder Oprah called him “The One” for he truly seemed Heaven sent to fulfill the divine purpose of power, and with the swearing of an oath on a cold January day, he came to represent the face of America.
The symbolic power of Obama becoming president and then staying so for eight years without a whiff of deep corruption or scandal should be lost on nobody. Every single young person alive today lives in a more optimistic and egalitarian world than ever before because of him, as they can now imagine themselves to one day hold the same role. This is true of children across the globe, all because of that one man.
Yet life sadly does not stop at symbolic. Much like with John Kennedy, the details and policy of the Obama years leaves something to be desired, and the feeling of unfulfilled promise at what could have been. He oversaw much of the same immigration policies that Trump now leans upon, helping preserve and at times expand the border security infrastructure upon which Trump further expands for political credit. He oversaw a campaign of drone strikes across the Middle East that leave a person cold when thinking of the long term implications. Weddings, family gatherings, public events, all bombed mistakenly in the name of national security alongside the supposed threats. The abandonment of Syria, the devastation of Libya and atrocious mob slaying of Muammar Ghaddafi, the implosion of Iraq and subsequent explosion of ISIS upon the scene. The complete and total deterioration of the relationship with Russia and then weak response to election interfering that threatens still today the foundations of American democracy. The expansion of the power of the executive branch beyond those of the Bush years, further eroding the democratic accountability provided by Congress.These are a few of his legacies with which the party would prefer not to contend, there are many more. Obama leaves behind a complicated past to say the least. Yet he leaves it behind almost exclusively from the White House.
Obama’s glow shines bright for all around to see, but candidates should be warned from hugging in too tightly to the record. The closer one gets to the light, the more radioactive it seems.