President Obama faces trash talk from every angle: left, right and center. Turn on cable news and you’ll hear endless Obama bashing from the talking heads.
Whatever the current source of disappointment with the president, one must acknowledge he achieved many of the goals he stated during his first inaugural address. He listed an array of promises ranging from sweeping education, healthcare and financial reforms to tackling climate change and saving the economy from sudden death.
Although Republicans pretend it isn’t true, 2014 was the best year for job creation in this century. This year saw the creation of 3.2 million new jobs, due largely in part to President Obama’s economic policies, as well as most of the tax breaks implemented by Bush ending in 2013. We hadn’t seen a job market as successful since the 1990s.
Despite this growth, Republicans still pine for the supply-side economics of Reagan days. These haven’t worked in the past and could never work in the present.
His health care reform package, while still imperfect, is a step forward. The Affordable Care Act is more successful than expected, and came in under budget, improving the quality of life and financial security of millions of Americans.
Overall healthcare spending slowed due to the cost-control features of the ACA. While the plan initially sustained harsh criticism, the policy is looking like it will be a positive legacy in health care reform. Although Republicans still discuss an overhaul once Obama leaves office, by 2016 tens of millions of Americans will have benefited from the program, making it nearly impossible to reverse the policy.
Without the financial crisis of 2008, Barack Obama would not be president today. It is easy to follow the Republican rhetoric and claim the U.S. economy is far from healed. However, the devastation from the financial crisis was severe, and it was unlikely to be restored by anyone in four years. It took the U.S. six years, recovering faster than the historical average.
Finally, the president made great strides in the area of environmental change. For once we have a reason to believe the environment will be better for our children and grandchildren, although many our age aren’t thinking this far ahead.
We made progress on renewable energy, with wind and solar energy skyrocketing since Obama took office. We have also seen steps taken on the conservation of energy and curbing of greenhouse-gas emissions.
Contrary to popular belief, President Obama has accomplished a great deal during his time in office. Don’t get me wrong, he made mistakes, but it is worth noting the several achievements he made while serving as president.
History has a funny way of shedding light on a president once the dust settles and the crises pass. In this respect, I believe history may be kinder to our president than today’s commentators.
Mariah Manuel is a 22-year-old Mass Communication senior from Lake Charles, Louisiana. You can reach her on Twitter @mariah_manuel.