Dom Giordano Column: Farewell, President Obama
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- On Wednesday, hours before President Obama's farewell speech, I interviewed Dan Bongino, conservative talk show host and former Secret Service agent who guarded President Obama and his family.
Bongino told me that the Obamas were fine and easy to work with. I told listeners that also was my assessment of the Obamas. My negative view of his presidency is largely based on his radical policies.
President Obama Says Goodbye In Emotional Speech: 'Yes We Did'
These policies have resulted in greater poverty in America, an historic debt crisis and chaos around the world. In his farewell, President Obama tried to defend his deficiencies by talking about how monumental were the challenges that he faced. This argument could be used by any president to silence an honest assessment.
It amazed me that President Obama finally got it said that America is exceptional. This admission is then lost in his litany of accomplishments like the Iran nuclear deal, the opening of Cuba, and marriage equality.
The president also engaged in one of go to constructs. He talked about if anyone could come up with a better plan than the Affordable Care Act, then we would support it. This posturing has been a constant and something that gets the juices going for people like Chris Matthews.
When the president spoke of race relations, I agreed with him that Americans on an everyday basis know and respect each other across racial lines. However, he had little or nothing to do with this. He used race to win in 2012 and it may be his greatest failure that his premise in the 2008 that he would bring us together because of his own life story.
The final push at the end of the speech was the wish list of the Left. Let's make it easier to vote. My translation is let's take away our ability to make sure that voting is fair and transparent. Let's make congressional districts less partisan. My translation is let's stop Republicans from dominating the Congress. Let's take money out of politics. My translation is let's suppress speech.
Farewell President Obama. My hope is that your Affordable Care Act will be dismantled very soon. My hope is that I have not and will not go off track in challenging you. I'm happy that you have not succeeded in fundamentally changing America.
The President referenced his mom's advice during the speech. He said that she often told him that reality has a way of catching up with you. History will be the judge, but the reality of this president's will not live up to his beautiful oratory.
