Presidents before Barack Obama have done screwed up things. In fact, all presidents have done something silly or unpresidential from time-to-time. But no president has lowered the dignity of the office with the regularity and predictability of Barack Obama.
1. Ridiculous Rhetoric like “Stinkburger” and “Meanwich”
In a recent rant about Paul Ryan’s budget plan, President Barack “no-budget” Obama did what he does best: ridicule the opposition while not compromising whatsoever. It’s not that Obama uses such demeaning language, it’s that he uses it as a substitute for showing leadership.
2. Cheap Stunts like Selfies
Whether it’s taking a selfie and flirting with a head of state at Nelson Mandela’s funeral or taking a selfie with Red Sox player David Ortiz that was actually sponsored by Samsung (after chewing out Ellen DeGeneres for her selfie), this president doesn’t seem to have any boundaries.
3. Pretends He’s Not in Charge, aka “Heard About it on the News”
Not even Jon Stewart could resist mocking Obama for acting like he learned of several scandals on his watch after he ‘heard about it on the news.’
4. Doesn’t Care About Bad Optics Outside of His Voter Base
It seems like no matter what he does, if Obama thinks it will connect with his base, he does it. Just like filling out NCAA brackets every year, Obama doesn’t act like being president requires a certain measure of decorum or like his job is the most important in the world (which it is).
5. Bows to Foreign Leaders. Repeatedly.
Yeah, we all know other presidents have bowed to foreign leaders before, whether reflexively or on purpose. But President Obama has bowed to foreign leaders eight times, and each time has been captured on video for the world to behold. (No, this is not protocol.)
7. Vacays on Taxpayer Dime – A lot
The president loves to take vacations, and before you pull the “Bush had himself a ranch” card, everyone knows that W. had the facilities to concentrate on working while in Crawford, Texas. While it’s hard to estimate how much the “most transparent administration in history” has spent on vacations, it’s easily in the tens of millions.
8. Appears on Late Night Shows Frequently
The president has appeared on every major late night show as president, and has said and done a number of questionable things. From “slow-jamming” the news with Jimmy Fallon to making a joke about bowling like he was “in the Special Olympics,” the president can’t get enough of the spotlight.
9. Rubs Elbows with Celebs in Frivolous Ways
From the President’s recent satirical interview with Zach Galifiniakis onBetween two Ferns to a stint a few days later on Ryan Seacrest’s national radio show, Obama appears to care more about what celebrities think than his intelligence and job advisers do.
10. Uses White House Website for Bizarre Marketing Gimmicks
How ridiculous has the Obamacare marketing gotten (and why is the White House even doing “marketing”)? Well, check out these cheesy gifs of cats and teenage girls twerking on the official website. Forget appealing to reason – look, a kitteh!
11. Engages in Subtle Race-baiting, Allows Staff to Do It Openly
It is beyond unserious to imply that all political opposition to a Democratic president is based on race, especially in a terrible economy with declining U.S. standing in the world. But Obama knows how to stoke racial tensionwith such phrases as [slain black teenager] “Trayvon Martin could have been me.”
12. Demonizes His Political Opponents
Nothing is as toxic to American politics as the president’s demonization of his opponents. Obama has reportedly even used the crude term “teabag*ers” to refer to people who want the government to leave them alone (even while his IRS has targeted them).
Obama attacks the intentions of his conservative opponents constantly, because that’s primarily what Democratic voters care about – not results.
Among the more memorable phrases the president has used: ”If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun, “Get out there and punish your enemies,” and “voting is the best revenge.”
None of that is presidential, but it’s what Americans have come to expect from the Obama presidency. Unfortunately, that truly is “historic.”
http://www.ijreview.com/2014/04/126442-12-screwed-things-obama-done-beneath-office-presidency/
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