TOO MUCH, TOO LATE?: NewsOne Lists Obama’s 40 Greatest Presidential Accomplishments;
But Do They Even Matter Anymore?

 

In the face of mounting doubts regarding The President’s reelection prospects, NewsOne has taken the liberty of listing “40 Reasons to Be Proud of Obama’s Presidency.” And it’s a long and exhaustive list.

But if there’s one accomplishment the GOP can call its own (and we do mean ONE), it’s their incredible ability to render these accomplishments entirely irrelevant to the national conversation.

The President’s approval ratings are at their absolute lowest these days. People are genuinely considering the prospects of a Michelle Bachmann or Rick Perry presidency. Recalling his many accomplishments probably won’t do much more to change the public’s perception of his presidency than the accomplishments themselves at this point.  

Still, all things considered, Barack Obama’s achievements are impressive.

We all know about the stimulus, Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and Health Care reform, but some of the Obama Administrations’ relatively obscure highlights include:

9. Instituted enforcements for equal pay for women (Lilly Ledbetter Bill).

19. Appointed a diverse Cabinet and diverse White House staff.

23. After eight years of neglect, the Justice Department and EEOC are again enforcing employment discrimination laws.

24. Increased funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

26. Increased funding available for student loans.

33. Visited more countries and met with more world leaders than any president in his first six months in office.

36. Individuals living at or below the poverty line were eligible for healthcare under Medicaid, but by 2014 individuals/families living slightly above (making up to $14,404/$29,327) the poverty line will also be eligible for benefits.

39. Childhood Obesity Act (spearheaded by Michelle Obama) – purposed to subsidize free meals in low-income areas to ensure that children receive well-balanced and nutritious school meals; and also to provide free or reduced-price meals to nearly 31 million low-income children; and ultimately reduce childhood obesity.

Not bad, right? Obviously these are good things. But the poverty rate and jobless numbers are still soaring. And the Republicans have successfully run roughshod over our national discourse regarding these issues, as well as the Obama Presidency itself.

In the coming months, the Obama campaign will go to great legnths to remind the American people of these accomplishments. It’ll be interesting to see if anyone still cares.

How would you rate President Obama’s job performance over the past 3 years; are you proud of the Obama Presidency?

And at this point, does a list like this even matter?