America’s First Black President Is a Failure – Unanticipated Consequences

America loves to celebrate “firsts” as evidence of social progress.  In 1928, Al Smith was the first Catholic nominee of a major party.  In 1960, a Catholic was elected president and in 2008 a woman was taken seriously as a White House contender and a black man prevailed.  But to be an effective trail blazer, one must be successful.  How many times have we heard those following the trail say “I am grateful to [blank] for showing the way”?  A first is not eagerly followed if the one breaking new ground fails.

 

This is a sad irony and unfair lesson of the Obama Presidency.  His failed presidency (and who can seriously doubt that that is a factual statement six years in?) has nothing to do with his race except in a perverse way.  Does anyone really believe that a white community organizer, who was an undistinguished one term state senator in Illinois and who served as a U.S. Senator for only two years would be catapulted into the White House?  “Hope and change” would have elected that person in 2008?  Rather doubtful.

 

Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm and Jesse Jackson ran in previous years but neither came close to capturing the Democratic Party nomination.  Barack Obama did, indeed, succeed in winning – but not in serving.

There are those who will say “See, a black man shouldn’t be president” and cite him as exhibit A.  That is, of course, preposterous.  Barack Obama, given the paucity of his experience and ill-suited background, should never have run.  He was simply unprepared and ill-equipped.  Skin color had nothing to do with that.

 

However, a would-be trail blazer who fails (or as a former CIA and defense chief has noted, “has lost his way”) does not inspire more qualified people of color to follow his lead.  And that fact will, also, be part of the Obama legacy.