What will Obama's legacy be? How will he be remembered?

[DevotedDemocrat]

What do you think will be Obama's legacy? How will he be remembered? Will he e remembered as a great President? Will he have been a transformative figure like FDR or Reagan? Or simply a popular guy who didn't do much, like Eisenhower or Clinton, who fades from popular memory? Will Obala be remembered in 50 years, and if so, what for? Has he reshaped either the direction of his party or the direction of American politics? What will Obama's lasting contribution to history be?

[TNF]

As the liberal Reagan. And I mean that literally. The guy who made the Democrats into a full fledged neoliberal party, completing a process begun under Bill Clinton.

[SWE]

He won't be

[Oakvale]

He won't be

lol sage

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Ben-gahz-eeeeeeeeeee

[Lief 🗽]

He will be fondly remembered as the first half-bread muslin president.

[Phony Moderate]

In the long-term, probably ranked in the top 15. Not that it'll be deserved, of course.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Most improved golf game, too.

[MATTROSE94]

In the long-term, probably ranked in the top 15. Not that it'll be deserved, of course.

[MurrayBannerman]

He'll be #1 on ranks of presidential jump shots.

[Mordecai]

What do you think will be Obama's legacy?

Health insurance reform, repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, killing Osama bin Laden, liberation of Libya, repeal of Defense of Marriage Act, same-sex marriage, and legalization of marijuana.

In that regard he's basically Bill Clinton done right without the character flaws and having faced much greater challenges like the financial crisis, the recession and two quagmires in the Middle East.

How will he be remembered?

Rather fondly, even by some Republicans if you give it 20 years. He will be remembered as one of the better and most successful Democratic presidents in several decades.

Will he be remembered as a great President?

He will probably come to be viewed as a great President, it won't be something that's immediately declared as he leaves office. I would put him at the bottom of the top 20.

Will he have been a transformative figure like FDR or Reagan? Or simply a popular guy who didn't do much, like Eisenhower or Clinton, who fades from popular memory?

Much more the former (FDR/Reagan) than the latter (Eisenhower/Clinton), I think. He will come to eclipse Clinton and will take over the mantle of elder statesman of the Democratic Party.

Will Obama be remembered in 50 years, and if so, what for?

Of course he will be remembered in 50 years, he was the first black President. His best-remembered achievements will be those that I mentioned above.

Has he reshaped either the direction of his party or the direction of American politics?

Definitely. After Obama was elected President the glass ceiling for racial minorities was knocked down.

I'm not saying he was the only one who could have done it (Colin Powell could have in the 1990s if he wanted to), but he was the right person at the right time and now we have discussions about presidential tickets including minorities for diversity.

What will Obama's lasting contribution to history be?

Helping restore America's image after the Bush years, insurance companies not being able to discriminate based on pre-existing conditions, liberation of Libya, gay couples who can have their relationship legally recognized under law, the potential beginning of the end of the War on Drugs.

He also rejuvenated Hillary Clinton's image by making her Secretary of State and set her up to succeed him in her run for President.

[IceSpear]

It depends heavily on how Obamacare turns out.

[I Will Not Be Wrong]

It depends heavily on how Obamacare turns out.

This, I can see him becoming the new Democratic champion instead of Bill Clinton.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Sarcastic hack/Republican/True Leftist comments aside, I think he will be remembered as Bill Clinton 2.0 or a more competent Jimmy Carter.

[DevotedDemocrat]

It depends heavily on how Obamacare turns out.

This, I can see him becoming the new Democratic champion instead of Bill Clinton.

Hope so. I'm not Obama's biggest fan but he is a much better leader than Clinton, he's not sleazy like Clinton, and he actually seems Presidential (I've never felt Clinton had Presidential gravitas. He always seemed like a kid). Obama reminds me of Nixon minus the corruption. Very statesmen like in the way he handles himself.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

It depends heavily on how Obamacare turns out.

This, I can see him becoming the new Democratic champion instead of Bill Clinton.

Obama reminds me of Nixon minus the corruption. Very statesmen like in the way he handles himself.

As intelligent as Obama is, he is not anywhere close to being the flawed genius that Richard Nixon was.

[AggregateDemand]

As the liberal Reagan. And I mean that literally. The guy who made the Democrats into a full fledged neoliberal party, completing a process begun under Bill Clinton.

Please. Name one neoliberal reform. ACA doesn't pass the smell test because it wastes so much energy attempting to redistribute wealth. Virtually no money has been transferred back to the middle class, and no reforms have been made to Great Society or New Deal entitlements. Nothing substantial has happened with higher education reform besides near-nationalization of the student loan industry.

[AggregateDemand]

Obama will be remembered as the first black president, which will create a halo effect around his presidency in the minds of the public. Scholars will remember him for being impetuous and irrelevant.

He derailed his own presidency by shutting Republicans out of talks about how to implement what was essentially a Republican bill. One of the great domestic policy blunders of any Democratic president. ACA is so bad, Obama doesn't even want to implement the bill. ACA may ultimately cost Democrats control of Congress.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

He will be remembered for:

Benghazi
Death panels
Teleprompter
Killing libertarians by drones
Hating on the constitution
Bowing to the foreign people
Etc.

[H. Ross Peron]

Probably positively overall although criticized for being overcautious

[I Will Not Be Wrong]

He will be remembered for:

Benghazi
Death panels
Teleprompter
Killing libertarians by drones
Hating on the constitution
Bowing to the foreign people
Etc.

Don't forget trying to take our guns.

[TDAS04]

Much better than what people think now. 

[MurrayBannerman]

In terms of presidential rankings, He'll float between 11 and 20, but that depends on Obamacare. He should end up worse if it flops.

[Mordecai]

Obama will be remembered as the first black president, which will create a halo effect around his presidency in the minds of the public. Scholars will remember him for being impetuous and irrelevant.

He derailed his own presidency by shutting Republicans out of talks about how to implement what was essentially a Republican bill. One of the great domestic policy blunders of any Democratic president. ACA is so bad, Obama doesn't even want to implement the bill. ACA may ultimately cost Democrats control of Congress.

They never even wanted to work with him in the first place. They've been screaming for his impeachment since he was elected.