President Obama Deserves an F on Every Issue, So Let's Make This His Last Report Card

Impact

As the 2012 election approaches, Barack Obama and his party are doing everything in their power to ensure huge electoral losses. I am confident the president will lose his contest, not because of a great campaign effort by his opponent, but because of a string of political missteps. How has the President performed on the most important issues? 

1) Health care. The president’s signature initiative will soon go up in smoke. He has made repeated errors trying to build his legacy with an effort that was ill-timed and unaffordable. After his election in 2008, Obama had a lock on every part of government. With this power, he rammed his health care law through Congress at a time when the economy was most vulnerable. Instead of focusing on jobs, Obama used all of his political capital to gain approval of health care reform. It was too expensive, would take several years to implement, and included a mandate that required 100% participation of all Americans, which will likely be declared unconstitutional in the coming weeks. The president could have funded the law with taxes, but he played it too cute to avoid being criticized for raising taxes. The result was the victory of Scott Brown (R, MA) whose election stole away the super-majority held by the Democrats in the Senate, and a constitutional assault, which will kill the law. Grade: F.

2) Uniting the country. Obama said he would work with his opponents and bring bi-partisanship back to Washington. Actually, the president has been one of the most divisive presidents in history, resulting in total paralysis of our government. Republicans despise the man and his arrogant swagger. The affluent resent his never-ending efforts to promote class warfare, and his own party is growing weary of his blunders. Other presidents have made progress under similar circumstances, in which Congress was divided, including Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and George Bush. But, Obama’s belligerent attitude has made any chance of civility in government remote. Grade: F.

3) Iraq/Afghanistan. The bloodshed, costs, and bad feelings continue unabated. Obama promised to end these conflicts, but he has not. The benefits of a continuing presence in these countries are dubious, and the U.S. can no longer prop up these faux democracies. Too many Americans and Arabs have died. The conflicts should end now. Grade: F.

4) Energy. In four years, the current administration has done nothing other than make it more difficult to find energy sources. From Alaska to Nebraska to the Gulf Coast, new regulations and roadblocks have left the country totally exposed to events in the Middle East. In three and a half years, the president has done nothing substantive to ameliorate our energy crisis. The result has been gasoline and heating oil prices that have reached record levels. Grade:F.

5) The Economy. After promises to reduce unemployment, the Obama administration has not done so and continues to blame George Bush for our current problems. The president’s unbelievable lack of leadership in the debt crisis, and on jobs creation, and stimulus efforts have been mind-boggling. He has not been able to negotiate one successful long-term solution to our problems because of his intransigence on the underlying issues. Basically, the president’s only source of revenues is high taxes on the affluent. He has not done anything to cut waste, so that the needy could benefit. He has done nothing to stem the tide of government over-employment and union abuses. Grade: F.

6) National security. By adopting most of George Bush’s policies, Obama has had some successes rooting out terrorists. However, his actions are the same ones he criticized when Bush was president. He has kept Gitmo open, used drones to assassinate our enemies, and infuriated Arabs who object to his mini-invasions into their countries to conduct military operations. He has also been very secretive about his tactics. Grade: F.

7) Europe. Barack Obama has not provided one scintilla of assistance to the European Union, even as it has created havoc in our financial markets. This could be a function of not having any constructive ideas or the EU's belief that Obama brings nothing to the table. The fact that the U.S. has fallen so far in the eyes of European leaders is a testimony to Obama’s inability to be an effective force in the global community. Grade: F.

8) Campaign reform. Obama promised to accept public funding in the 2008 election; he did not. In essence, he is greatly responsible for the out of control circus called campaign funding in this country, in which affluent people will spend billions of dollars to affect elections and gain influence. The Supreme Court is culpable for perpetuating Super PACs and the like, but Obama endorsed it long before the court made its decision. Grade: F

This should be the last report card for this sitting president. He deserves to be unseated for performance reasons and because he has broken so many promises. The first George Bush uttered a few words about taxes and lost his presidency. This president has done far more to deserve the same fate.