Opinion of Barack Obama 25 years from now

[progressive85]

Trailblazer.  Fond remembrance.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Option 2. He'll certainly be fondly remembered by at least half of the country, or even 2/3rds if polarization eventually decreases.

[Mr. Smith]

Same way people remember Gerry Ford.

[Mr. Smith]

Same way people remember Gerry Ford.

Nobody remembers Gerry Ford.

Exactly. Besides being the first black president, I'm sceptical Obama will be remembered for anything else.

[BuckeyeNut]

Same way people remember Gerry Ford.

Nobody remembers Gerry Ford.

Exactly. Besides being the first black president, I'm sceptical Obama will be remembered for anything else.

Obama will be remembere through Obamacare, for better or for worse.

[Lyin' Steve]

I expect he'll get a lot more credit for the economic recovery once it's fully realized, and be remembered positively for that in the same way that Nixon still has his fans for getting us out of Vietnam.

[Phony Moderate]

Same way people remember Gerry Ford.

Nobody remembers Gerry Ford.

Exactly. Besides being the first black president, I'm sceptical Obama will be remembered for anything else.

Obama will be remembere through Obamacare, for better or for worse.

I doubt even that. The most significant thing about Obamacare is that it has been the main dividing issue during the majority of the Obama Administration. In terms of its long-term impact it's no New Deal.

[Sir Mohamed]

An intelligent president who was ahead of his time, who got important things done like Obamacare and saved the economy. But who has obstructed by congressional Republicans. Could see him becoming a the Dem’s Reagan.

[Vosem]

The recent past is frequently seen through rose-tinted shades, and I think Obama might also be remembered more fondly since he'll appear on lists between his predecessor and his successor. So he'll be remembered as alright in 25 years. A more interesting question might be 50, or 75 years from now.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

I think he'll very easily overshadow Clinton.  He's almost certain to replace Clinton as the progressive golden boy of the era.  Love or hate him, he's probably the most accomplished president since Reagan, and that's with a hostile Congress that was barely workable even with Democratic supermajorities in both houses.

I really don't get why so many red avatars in this thread are looking down on his entire presidency.  Yes, it was a presidency of "firsts": first black president, first president to significantly overhaul the health care system since LBJ, first sitting president to endorse gay marriage, et cetera.  And he's probably accomplished as much in his final two years in office as he did in the previous six.

Had he not won eight years ago, we wouldn't have any of the things progressives so easily take for granted now: gay marriage, repeal of DOMA (both of which the administration actively sought to realize through the Supreme Court), the Fair Pay Act, health care, the stimulus, justice and advancement of trans people, Wall Street reform, criminal justice reform - none of these things.  And none of the "scandals" the GOP threw at him were enough to suppress or undo any of it.

All things considered - and no, it wasn't perfect - Barack Obama has had a very successful presidency.  And I'd think that progressives should be first to realize that.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

As the Democratic Reagan

A completely bland and largely overrated cult figure?

[Enduro]

This is assuming I'll still be alive, or America will still exist. Too many variables for 25 years, I guess you'll just have to wait to see my opinion.

[Famous Mortimer]

It depends on if Obamacare is still in effect or not.

If it is repealed or replaced by single payer/he will be remembered fondly as the president who tried to give everyone healthcare/set us on the road to single payer.

If Obamacare is still around in 25 years, he will be remembered as terrible.

[jamestroll]

It depends on if Obamacare is still in effect or not.

If it is repealed or replaced by single payer/he will be remembered fondly as the president who tried to give everyone healthcare/set us on the road to single payer.

If Obamacare is still around in 25 years, he will be remembered as terrible.

That is pretty much my view. I would have voted against the Affordable Care Act. However, I often wonder if it was designed to fail.. to institute single payer down the road.

Still, most presidents are viewed better in hindsight. Once they are ex-presidents, they no longer have to make tough decisions. Look at Jimmy Carter.. look at even George W Bush.. Yea George W Bush did make some major damage to the GOP brand. Hence, why you never see him campaigning for any Republican candidate. Republicans needed to keep Bush "hidden" to have any chance with the younger generation. But, Dubya is well above his 21% approval rating now, that he has when he left office.

[tallguy23]

The most iconic and consequential president since Reagan. I think the Millennial generation will look at him the way Gen X looks at Reagan and the Baby Boomers look at JFK.

He'll certainly be a hero to the black community as well.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

It depends on 2016, and the CRTs. He already extended the Voting Rights Act to Blacks and Women. If the CRTs go leftward and Obamacare continues he will be a Trailblazer, too.

[windjammer]

He's okay I guess, but overrated.

Clinton will be so much better than him.

[FairBol]

IDK....it's tough to predict the future sometimes, as "I ain't got no crystal ball" (thanks Bradley Newell).  However, I would hope that most of the country would see him as terrible/abysmal....because he has been.  During his 2008 campaign, he said he wanted to "fundamentally change America"....and any way you slice it, he has done that. 

[FairBol]

Wow....looking at the results....is everyone a damn Communist around here? Unbelievable.  SMH

[FairBol]

Clinton will be so much better than him.

SERIOUSLY?? Hillary has blood on her hands.  But if you're OK with that, by all means, vote for her.  :-o

[Heisenberg]

I voted the second option (even though that's not what I would think). In 25 years, we'll be way to the left. For all I know, the next generation of young Americans may view Obama as insufficiently liberal. 

[IceAgeComing]

Wow....looking at the results....is everyone a damn Communist around here? Unbelievable.  SMH

yes, all the people that disagree with you must be a Communist; that's the only sensible thing to believe

[Negusa Nagast 🚀]

He will be rightly viewed as a Top 10 (maybe even Top 5) President.

[DavidB.]

SERIOUSLY?? Hillary has blood on her hands.  But if you're OK with that, by all means, vote for her.  :-o

lol

[Green Line]

Clinton will be so much better than him.

SERIOUSLY?? Hillary has blood on her hands.  But if you're OK with that, by all means, vote for her.  :-o

Good. That makes me like her even more.