Earlier quoted context omitted.
Perhaps one should consider if a "constitutional scholar" is the perfect candidate to dismantle the Constitution bit by bit rather than someone who holds true to whatever your definitions of "Constitutional" are. I'll admit I voted for the guy the first time, but I was hoping for some significant differences in what we ended up with. Partially the fault of the obstructionist opposing party as well.
When he was elected, I was happy, perhaps he could enact the changes that needed to be made to reign in some of the spying, ridiculous defense contracts, and other items. I based this on the "not red or blue country" speech at the DNC convention. That hope passed quickly when he made the "I won" comment to the Republicans instead of just assuaging or listening to their now valid concerns. I would argue that the obstr…
To blame the President for this is ridiculous.
Our centrist President promoted a conservative think-tank idea battle tested in the laboratory of a large state, and was ridiculed as a marxist and a communist who was on the level of stalin. No hyperbole, these very attacks and words have become so common in conservative media that I am being very literal here.
The healthcare fiasco you point out was a manufactured fiasco.
The compromises made: conservative ideas, preservation of the private market, total lack of centralization are wholly anti-left anti-social ideas, and yet the opposition to him was as if he was an actual communist.
>"we would not be having Trump running for office today."
I consider this supremely naive.
The leaders of the national Republican party met before Obama was inaugurated and created the now-infamous obstructionist plan.
They promised each other: NO COMPROMISE, no assistance, no crossing the aisle. The only answer to ANY Democrat in the White House was simple: TOTAL uncompromising obstruction with the only valid and acceptable outcome being ideologically pure conservative policy.
The depth of the manufactured fiasco is proven by the simple history. A conservative idea to preserve the private market in the healthcare industry was hilariously tainted as socialist and the GOP successfully dragged their voters through another round of the Red Scare. This is indisputable: the renowned conservative think-tank Heritage Foundation is the genesis of the individual mandate which was battle tested by a Republican state administration. And yet, the second a centrist Democrat touches the plan, it's immediately the worst form of communism ever conceived...
>we would not be having Trump running for office today.
Trump is running today because the Republican Party promised their voters the Blood of any America-Destroying Commie-Democrat and failed to deliver what they could never deliver.
Republican leaders and Republican media stoked a fire for eight years and now they cannot control the four alarm blaze they've transformed their party into.
This is not Obama's fault. This is purely cause and effect. When you stoke a fire irresponsibly you get an irresponsibly large fire. Obama is a bystander. Republicans could have and would have stoked this fire for anyone who does not pledge fealty to their ideology. Look at how the #NeverTrump movement stokes this fire for Trump who they believe does not pledge true fealty to their conservative ideology. This is now how their party operates: Pledge fealty or you the problem that must be fixed, a RINO, an anti-Christ, a Muslim, a Marxist, a Leftist. Pledge fealty or you're the enemy. Obama was just a convenient target.