When I write "Do nothing president," what comes to mind. For most people I imagine is someone who has managed to sleaze their way to the top, buy favors and come into the most powerful job in history: The American Presidency. Once there they excel at photo-ops and not much else of substance. The campaign taglines and slogans become the punchlines of Letterman and a should-have-stay-retired Leno. So it is with Barack Obama. The candidate that promised "Change." That's a ballsy promise because when you hear the promise of change you know what's being promised. Its not switching the curtains of the White House, we are talking a complete break from the politics as usual. That's why a lot of folks voted for Obama, because of the fatigue of politicians doing the Potomac Two Step and not their jobs. Because 15% of the country makes life shit for the other 85%. It's not CNN vs Fox for who represents the country. The United States is not Red State vs. Blue State. The only reason it looks that way is because the two party system is good at one thing, keeping any other party from coming to the party. So there was a lot of "HOPE" when Obama came into office, but nothing happened. He hasn't ushered in sweeping changes or anything of note. If Obama's presidency was just one term what would his legacy really be? He wasn't elected just to be the first non-white male President.
Now there is another kind of "Do Nothing President." This is your President of the 15% of America and the rest of country gets to come along for the ride. A la George W. Bush. Here we had a guy who pretty much used the office to pad his buddies investment portfolio's, push a narrow Christian based agenda, and what happens we you see bad puppetry. Yeah we all know what Neo-Con nightmares had their grubby little hands up his butt, making this sock puppet president claim "weapons of mass destruction" and all the other head scratching comments, claims and promises. What really got to me was the fact when someone would question him, the look they get in return was amazing. It pretty much was the poster child look for the disconnect between the leaders of America and the American public, Bush just could not believe people did not get "it." Whatever "it" is I will never know but damn if he didn't believe what he was selling was good for America, that's the sign of good political handlers. So unless you are apart of that 15% you were probably disappointed with 95% of the things the Bush White House did. So in that sense he did nothing for the country at large. Arguably what President since Truman really did anything for the country at large. In that regard America has had a lot of do nothing Presidents. Sadly one of the few Presidents that comes to mind who actually did anything was Reagan. Yes Ronald Reagan, an actor and geriatric, whose legacy is really all the lip serving leaders that came after him. Yes Reagan presided over some amazing events in history, yes he did lift up the country, and he certainly is beloved. In fact he is one of my favorite presidents. But Reagan was a master of making you feel better by not really doing or fixing anything. Did Reagan turn the economy around? No but he told you things are getting better so you felt better. Politicians have grabbed onto that idea of making you feel good about having them around, because if you feel good about them then what do they really have to do? If you said nothing then congratulations you actually read through this post.
P.S. sorry for any crappy grammatical or spelling errors, I'm just tossing shit up on a page.
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