President Obama told reporters his job as President deserves an incomplete. Obama said this while asking for the American people to let him finish his job. However, the job of president is not a class you can just fail and retake. Obama has said previously he deserves a B+, or an A- if he passed a healthcare law. To fairly grade the President, compare his “syllabus” of promises to what he actually accomplished.
One of Obama’s key promises was a healthcare bill. This was one of the few things the president actually got done, but it somehow did not live up to his speeches in 2008. Obama claimed he would work with both sides to create a bipartisan plan. Instead, Democrats took advantage of their control and forced a bill through. No one really knew what was in the 2,500 page bill. Nancy Pelosi said that the bill must be passed before the American people could find out what was in it. The process of passing a bill may be lengthy, but it allows for concerns to be voiced from all sides. The Democrats undermined our democratic system to pass a bill that more than half Americans did not approve of.
In addition, Obama spoke of creating jobs and growing the economy. Yet, the President has only added more regulations making it difficult to own or operate a business. He has proposed tax hikes on the wealthy which will lead to fewer jobs and the destruction of small businesses. Still the President makes statements like “the private sector is doing fine.” And people think Mitt Romney is out of touch? The President is oblivious to how his own actions affect the American people.
Obama also spoke of ending our dependence on foreign oil. The president attempted to accomplish this by investing in the alternative energy firm Solyndra. Solyndra is now bankrupt, and gas prices are nearly double what they were before Obama took office. President Obama did have the opportunity to create energy independence by passing the Keystone XL Pipeline, but he denied this generous proposal from Canada in fear of offending his liberal supporters.
Obama has not lived up to his promises and has failed American citizens. The President’s grade can be determined from the question Democrats fear most. A poll from The Hill states that 52% of Americans think things are worse off since the President took office. Luckily the job of President is not to be a student; it is in fact a job over which the American people have the control. It is our job to determine bad leadership, and it is our job to hire a replacement.
