By Betselot Wondimu ’15

In 2008, when Barack Obama told the country that his “whole campaign has been premised from the start on the idea that we have to fundamentally change how Washington works,” people believed him, especially because his campaign reflected that sentiment. He convinced millions of skeptical citizens that the American system could be transformed internally, and his rhetoric did not seem to be empty in any sense—he meant everything he said.

It makes sense that politicians can’t live up to everything they say or act as they see fit because of partisan gridlock and a need for citizens’ approval, but Obama has not adequately accomplished his goals after nearly seven years in office. It is important to note that all of Obama’s shortcomings should not take away from or devalue any of his giant successes that will surely go down in history. The passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010 revolutionized the healthcare industry for the better. The removal of Cuba from the United States’ list of state sponsors of terrorism is definitely a wise step in uplifting both countries’ economic and political statuses. The man killed Osama bin Laden. Nonetheless, Obama has still been able to overwhelmingly shield his broken promises and lack of progressive behavior with his powerful political diction and campaign enthusiasm (which is of great importance, because campaigns are what many apathetic citizens base their political opinions off of).

Obama made a plethora of promises during his original campaign that led 53 percent of the country to vote him into office, but he has not even come close to fulfilling all he’s said or conducted himself as the progressive candidate he made himself out to be. Guantanamo Bay is still open due to his serious lack of effort to close it. Tax cuts from the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 and the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003—also known as Bush-era tax cuts—were renewed by Obama, although he strenuously criticized their disproportionate impact on poorer Americans. The permissive use of drone strikes in the Middle East, which kills an inordinate amount of civilians in proportion to actual threatening people, do not fall in line with his previous progressive outlook. Marijuana is still criminalized and illegal nationally despite his personal acknowledgment and outspoken comments on the inconsequential physical impact it has when used responsibility—he actually insists that marijuana should be “way at the bottom” of our list of priorities, even though the criminalization tied to its prohibition is the root of an epidemic.

It’s understandable that there is only so much one man can do, especially while working in such difficult circumstances. Obama is dealing with one of the most inefficient and divisive sessions of Congress in history, and modern Republicans almost seem to base their opinions on what Obama’s opinions aren’t. Still, it is difficult to believe that Obama made a full-blown effort to move in the direction of justice. Although he did make some meaningful changes, he performed less than adequately on too many urgent matters.

Even if Obama were to have lost on every single issue he fought for, no matter how small, it would have been nice to see him fail while making an effort—to see him go down swinging. It is understandable that he faced many constraints as president, but the effort he has put forth on these important issues have been too minimal and disrespectful to be accepted by those that voted him into the most powerful position on earth.