Why Liberals Should Applaud Obama

Paul Krugman- The New York Times

Why are liberals so disappointed with President Obama? asked Paul Krugman. “The prevailing media narrative” is that Obama’s presidency has fallen far short of “the extravagant hopes of 2008.” But presidents should be judged by their achievements, not by unrealistic fantasies, and by that standard, Obama’s presidency is a major success. Despite unhinged opposition from Republicans, Obama’s health-care reform law is now working well. Enrollments came in above projections, the number of uninsured Americans has dropped sharply, and additional insurance companies are jumping into the exchanges to compete for new customers—all great signs for the Affordable Care Act. Obama’s new emissions rules for power plants—“the most important environmental initiative since the Clean Air Act”—mark the first serious attempt to address climate change. Obama’s regulatory reforms of Wall Street have enraged the big banks—proof the new rules have teeth. Yes, many Americans “are disappointed that Obama didn’t manage to make our politics less bitter and polarized.” But how was that possible, when Republicans were determined to block him from day one? In the face of their relentless sabotage, Obama has moved the ball down the field. History’s verdict will be: “Yes, he could.”