My latest article in the Varsity.

All the president’s deeds

This article was published on Nov 9, 2009 in the Comment section

Since his historic victory one year ago, Obama has done more harm than good

Josh Xiong

The conventional liberal interpretation of current events is that, one year after winning the U.S. presidential election, Barack Obama does not have much to show for his presidency. In a now notorious Saturday Night Live skit, Obama was lampooned for doing “jack” and “squat.” To the American left he promised universal health care, an end to the war in Iraq, the closure of Guantanamo Bay, more humane treatment of detained terrorist suspects, and serious legislation on gay rights and the environment. A year later, he has accomplished none of those things.

Of course, to big-government-loving liberals, accomplishment is synonymous with “doing”—taxing, spending, legislating, and “reforming.” That Barack Obama hasn’t rammed the entirety of the American liberal agenda down people’s throats is certainly disappointing to a left-wing movement incapable of logically defending its own views and values in front of an opposition audience (Fox News anyone?). Moving away from this “doing is good” paradigm, the conservative critique is even more devastating. It actually focuses on the content and substance of legislation the Obama administration has passed, and critiques him for what he has “accomplished.”

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