Thanks, No. 44
President’s Day, that unassuming 24-hours hidden somewhere between Saints Valentine and Patrick, is usually here and gone before we even notice — most take a day off, and move on. The holiday doesn’t impose any real traditions or celebrations, existing more importantly to cherish the legacy of the American President and to remember all who graced the halls of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
I find its meaning more relevant than ever this year, as it now seems everyday is president’s day with our new Apprentice-in-Chief. Some might say we have an autocratic bully in the White House, eroding our institutions and disillusioning us by the second. 5 weeks already feels like 8 years.
America, remember when — just over 30 days ago — you had another very different leader in that same office? Not a reality TV star; rather, a true statesman and politician. Lest we forget Obama’s legacy today or ever, we reminisce about beloved №44, and thank him for the powerful, yet peaceful way he won our hearts, inspired our nation, and changed the world.
Yes, becoming the first non-white president of a global superpower may always be his signature achievement, or at least the “buzzworthy news headline.” But I always viewed President Obama as the embodiment and representative of so much more, and when he is celebrated on a day glorifying an office bigger than any single person, I hope we will remember and cherish what his individual values meant to us all.
Obama helped teach our children — and thirty somethings like me — to stay calm and classy under fire. In an era when online trolling, public shaming, and reality TV-style feuds are mainstream, he calmly reminded us that temperance, reflection, and logic were alive and well somewhere. I may not always apply this sage wisdom — I’m an ENFP, so everything is personal — but I am grateful for a leader and role model who empowered us to follow the voices of our better angels.
Some view Obama’s character and track record as weak. I do not. Pressing ahead when roughly half of Congress — and America — hates you reveals a kind of strength I could not myself summon. More often than not, instead of denouncing or shamelessly attacking his adversaries, Barry just smiled; holding his head high.
If you think we have a “people’s president” now, ask a visiting Alpha Centaurian — with no prior knowledge of human race relations, culture, or government — to objectively assess President Obama. My liberal, bleeding heart is of course biased, but I believe №44 truly was a president of the people. Not just his people. He enacted, supported and championed a number of social causes, and many of us believed in his genuine sincerity — even as the ominous clouds of Washington politics swirled around him.
Reflective — not reactionary — leadership is a blueprint for success. Good character tends to trump the cutthroat, alpha male, hashtag-worthy success to which we’ve become accustomed. Some may not agree with Obama’s politics. That’s fine. I think real leaders transcend the political and move us into the metaphysical; capturing and translating their unique moment in time to a broader audience. Obama did this well.
It’s also fair to say that all presidents — even Trump — cannot singlehandedly be blamed or praised for everything that happens under their watch. Presidents influence, lead and represent. The irony of our democratic freedom is that it’s often too free, susceptible to bureaucracy, and will fail some of us. Our leaders are figureheads of our open society, not ultimate arbiters of policy or justice.
We all need someone to blame, though.
Did he ever lie to the American people and world? I’m sure of it. Finessing the story, cushioning the blow, or concealing in the name of national security may always be the presidential MO. Has he ever obscured the truth for his own political gain? Probably. He is a lawyer, after all. Still, I always believed even when his words fell flat, his intentions and subsequent actions were generally noble, not inherently selfish.
Maybe we fell for a Kennedy clone. Maybe, he won us all over with superb oratory, pearly whites and false promises of hope. Maybe he was nothing more than a cool black dude. Or maybe, this Community Organizer turned Senator turned POTUS actually had a vision of a more inclusive America — a more inspired, happy, productive nation — that came to fruition in parts and places and that will, in fact, be his enduring legacy.*
I was proud we elected him twice. I am so grateful for his service, and the example he set. And I sure as hell miss him now.
Happy (belated) President’s Day!
*For more on Obama’s legacy, I suggest the following from Jonathan Chait’s Intelligencer column in New York magazine: http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/01/obama-legacy-more-secure-than-you-think.html
