January 20, 2017: Obama reflects

[Reaganfan]

"Mr. President, the President-elect has arrived."

"Okay, tell him I'll be there in a minute," President Barack Obama says to an aide as he checks himself in a mirror inside the White House. Wife and First Lady Michelle Obama looks on as President Obama straightens his tie and takes the hand of his wife. They walk to the steps of the White House as the motorcade carrying the newly elected President drives up. It's a bitter cold morning. January 20, 2017. As the door of the limousine opens, President Barack Obama reflects on his two-term Presidency.

FOUR YEARS EARLIER

"Give Ann and the family my best wishes. Thank you." President Obama terminates a phone call from Governor Mitt Romney. The Governor has just conceded what by all accounts was a brutally negative campaign. President Obama looks at an electoral map on the television.

Obama: 271
Romney: 188

The state of Ohio put President Obama over the top, albeit narrowly, shortly after 12am. Indeed, the election was close. Governor Romney ended up winning six states that Barack Obama had carried four years prior. First Indiana. Then North Carolina. Even Iowa, which gave then-Senator Obama his boost to the 2008 Democratic Nomination, had slipped to Mitt Romney. Florida and Colorado, while trending Obama, ended up going Romney's way. While Virginia could not be called until the following morning, that state would also go Romney's way. But Ohio's crucial 18 electoral votes slipped 50-48 in Obama's favor. Thus giving him a second term for the Presidency. But President Barack Obama had no idea for just what a second term he had in store....

TO BE CONTINUED

[Reaganfan]

Okay, starting again...some slight changes. (Obama did infact win Ohio 50-48 LOL)

"Mr. President, the President-elect has arrived."

"Okay, tell him I'll be there in a minute," President Barack Obama says to an aide as he checks himself in a mirror inside the White House. Wife and First Lady Michelle Obama looks on as President Obama straightens his tie and takes the hand of his wife. They walk to the steps of the White House as the motorcade carrying the newly elected President drives up. It's a bitter cold morning. January 20, 2017. As the door of the limousine opens, President Barack Obama reflects on his two-term Presidency.

FOUR YEARS EARLIER

"Give Ann and the family my best wishes. Thank you." President Obama terminates a phone call from Governor Mitt Romney. The Governor has just conceded what by all accounts was a brutally negative campaign. President Obama looks at an electoral map on the television.

Obama: 290
Romney: 203

The state of Ohio put President Obama over the top, albeit narrowly, shortly after 11pm. Indeed, the election was close. Governor Romney ended up winning some states that Barack Obama had carried four years prior. First Indiana. Then North Carolina. However, Iowa, which gave then-Senator Obama his boost to the 2008 Democratic Nomination, had slipped to Obama once again. Virginia and Colorado, while trending Romney, ended up going Obama's way. While Florida could not be called until the following morning, that state would also go Obama's way. But Ohio's crucial 18 electoral votes slipped 50-48 in Obama's favor. Thus giving him a second term for the Presidency. But President Barack Obama had no idea for just what a second term he had in store....

TO BE CONTINUED

[Reaganfan]

"NO! I'm not going to be pushed into a corner!"

President Barack Obama was furious. The Republican led House of Representatives had just made an argument that Obama resents: That Barack Obama wants to raise taxes. Of course, the President didn't want to do that...not for middle and lower income tax brackets, atleast. However, the President believed that people earning significantly higher incomes should "Pay their fair share." This is an argument that had worked for his re-election, and he was hoping to let the Bush tax cuts expire and begin his economic tax program to hopefully jump start a still ailing economy in the United States. The President sits at his desk in the Oval Office, with House Speaker John Boehner standing next to him.

"John...if we don't act now...this economy is going to remain stagnant for the next decade." Obama said, clearly agitated.

Boehner looked down at the President. "Mr. President, of course we must act now, but not at the expense of raising taxes on the American People. You know as well as I do, sir. As soon as those cuts expire, the ripple effect will go on. We see it on Wall Street, and we'll see it on Main Street. We shouldn't raise revenues at all. That's not part of the bargain. It wasn't in 2011 and it shouldn't be now."

The President was growing increasingly angry. He stands up, face to face with the House Speaker. "John...we have to do something. The clock is ticking. Literally."

Indeed, by New Years Day 2013, President Obama had a dilemma. Let the Bush tax cuts expire and raise taxes on high earning Americans. In doing that, America risked a slowdown. In doing nothing, the slowdown was more than just a risk.

On January 20, 2013, President Barack Obama took office for a second term. The unemployment rate stood close to 8%, and the forecast for the U.S. economy was bleak, especially without bipartisan cooperation.