President Obama’s legacy now under threat after eight years of turmoil in Syria and Iraq, growing anger and ignored middle class
Critics claim failed policies and stuttering economy will mean outgoing leader is not remembered well by history
WITH the end of Obama’s presidency beckoning, the soon-to -be-former world leader will undoubtedly be pondering the legacy he will leave behind.
And after the sucker punch of a shock victory for Donald Trump – a man he campaigned against in the US elections and said was “just offering slogans” – Obama may well fear for thwa worst.
The last eight years have seen Iraq slide back into war after US troops were ordered home following Obama’s election in 2008.
The Middle Eastern country was also joined by its neighbour Syria as America looked on, reluctant to intervene – even as Russia sent in troops and aircraft to support President Assad.
The brutal conflict there has been raging for five years now with no sign of abating – leaving up to 500,000 people dead and entire cities in ruins.
Many blame the Obama administration for the chaos that grips the region after it took a more hands-off approach in its Middle East foreign policy.
Domestic policies too have left many feeling let down after the unbridled optimism of his first election campaign.
“Yes we can” was gradually replaced by a stuttering economy, disappointment with the “Obamacare” healthcare system and a detention centre at Guantanamo Bay that is still holding prisoners despite promises to close it down.
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And an acclaimed book published in September of this year has said Obama’s failed legacy will mean he goes down as the worst leader the US has ever seen.
“The Worst President in History: The Legacy of Barack Obama” details 200 different reasons why the outgoing leader will not be remembered fondly.
Authors Matt Margolis and Mark Noonan cited 1,105 sources to back up charges ranging from policy failures and misuse of taxpayers’ money to a bitterly divisive style of governing.
But a recent article in claimed Trump’s victory in yesterday’s election will prove to be the thing Obama is remembered for the most.
The sitting president campaigned hard against Trump every step of the way – with the pair even getting involved in public spats long before the Republican had even announced he intended to run for the presidency.
But the hopelessness felt by so many Americans after his two terms in office led them to ignore the president’s calls to stay the course by electing his administration’s secretary of state.
Instead, US voters turned to a former reality TV star who promised to “make America great again”.
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