Obama the Dictator: Why the President Governs as an Authoritarian More Than a Chief Executive

I am deeply concerned with the leadership style of Barack Obama. It disturbed me that he entered office with a condescending and self-centered attitude that I believe is unbecoming of an American president. Before assuming control and learning the ways of the White House, he was prepared to make unwise systemic changes in this country relating to the distribution of wealth and the relationships America has with other nations.

Obama’s meteoric rise to power encouraged him to be authoritarian. With little experience, Obama was not only elected, he was ordained. Our country was desperate for new leadership that would end the wars and get the economy back on track. Obama wallowed in his ascension and disastrous results ensued.

In American history, several presidents governed during times that called for extraordinary leadership. Most of them treaded lightly and eschewed the temptation to overstep their mandates and their constitutional responsibilities.

George Washington resisted calls to become a monarch. There was never a risk that Abraham Lincoln would impose autocratic rule; his assassination precluded that possibility in any event. Similarly, John F. Kennedy was positioned to make an oversized impact on our country. His tenure was cut short by a bullet as well. But, JFK respected the role of the presidency as part of a three-branch government.

Obama has not been up to the challenge; he failed on numerous occasions to live up to all the hype. From my perspective, it all started at his inauguration. While the country suffered, he and his wife made the rounds in grand style.

Shortly afterwards, Obama went for glory and ignored the singular most important problem in our country at the time, jobs. He was not responsible for wholesale losses of employment, but he tabled the problem. With complete control of Congress, he enacted expensive and ill-conceived health care reform, a program that still has not been implemented. Obamacare, in his mind, would propel him into a league with FDR; it would cement his legacy.

This decision ruined Obama’s chances for true greatness. It deflated his aura. From a political perspective, Obamacare was an important reason why he lost a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate and the Tea Party thrived.

Since then, Washington has been impotent, as Republicans have obstructed Obama’s proposals at every turn. Why, you ask? The president thought he could govern without compromise; but he was dead wrong. His bully pulpit was not strong enough to temper the opposition. Obama dreamed of an authoritarian state in which he could rule by fiat and not be burdened by those who disagreed with his policies.

America does not want an omnipotent person in the Oval Office. Our government is based upon compromise and comity. All successful presidents have been able to negotiate with the minority after all the bluster and rhetoric subsided. Not Obama; he is too wrapped up in his authority and his legacy.

Obama’s perceived invulnerability has been bolstered by the missteps of his opponent and a political machine that is as vicious and contemptuous as any in history. Obama has many surrounding him who drink his Kool-Aid. I scratch my head daily wondering how he has retained his influence after such a dismal four years. Obama’s campaign has been able to downplay his poor performance by focusing on his opponents’ personality and business successes, no less.

In November, our country will be on the brink of a new four-year term for this president. If he wins, the stranglehold and resolve of his opposition will be greater, and the output of Congress will be anemic, at best. Class warfare and further erosion of America’s reputation will continue. Our enemies already sense our weaknesses and will test us regularly knowing that America is not up to another conflict in the Middle East or anywhere else in the world.

We need a president who can decrease partisanship and bring America together. The current president has done just the opposite during the last four years.