Home The Obama Era is Over
Home The Obama Era is Over

The Obama Era is Over

Obama and his supporters loved talking about history. His victory was historic. They were on the right side of history. History was an inevitable arc that bent their way.

The tidal force of demographics had made the old America irrelevant. Any progressive policy agenda was now possible because we were no longer America. We Were Obamerica. A hip, happening place full of smiling gay couples, Muslim women in hijabs and transgender actors. We were all going to live in a New York City coffee house and work at Green Jobs and live in the post-national future.

The past was gone. We were falling into the gorgeous wonderful future of dot com instant deliveries and outsourced everything. We would become more tolerant and guilty. The future was Amazon and Disney. It was hot and cold running social justice. The Bill of Rights was done. Ending the First and Second Amendments was just a clever campaign away. Narratives on news sites drove everything.

Presidents were elected by Saturday Night Live skits. John Oliver, John Stewart, Stephen Colbert and Samantha Bee were our journalists. Safe spaces were everywhere and you better watch your microaggressions, buddy. No more coal would be mined. No more anything would be made. The end of men was here. The end of the dead white men of the literary canon. The end of white people. The end of binary gender and marriage. The end of reason. The end of art. The end of 2 + 2 equaling 4. This was Common Core time. It was time to pardon an endless line of drug dealers. To kill cops and praise criminals. To be forced to buy worthless health insurance for wealth redistribution to those who voted their way to wealth.

This was Obama's America. And there was no going back. We were rushing through endless goal posts of social transformation. The military fell. Then the police. Now it looks as quaint as anything from the 50s, the 70s or the 80s. A brief moment of foolishness that already appears odd and awkward. And then one day nostalgic. It wasn't the future. It's already the past. It's history.

Scalia died. Hillary Clinton was bound to win. And she would define the Supreme Court. Downticket races would give her a friendly Senate. And then perhaps the House.

But there is no right side of history. There is only the side we choose.

The Obama era was permanent. It was history. Now it is history.

Its shocking ascendancy has been paired with an equally shocking descent. The Obama era is done. It's gone. It's over. It was wiped from the pages of history in one night that left Congress and the White House in Republican hands.

It would have been bad enough if Jeb Bush had succeeded Obama. That would have been inconvenient, but not a repudiation. Instead Obama's legacy was dashed to pieces. His frantic efforts to campaign for Hillary did no good. The public did not vocally reject him. What they did was in its own way even worse. They brushed past him. They sidelined him. They gave him passable approval ratings while dismissing his biggest accomplishments. They forgot him. They made it clear that he did not matter.

And that is in its own way far more brutal and wounding. They didn't just destroy the Obama era. Instead they dismissed it as if it never existed.

Obama didn't make history after all. He wasn't a teleprompter demi-god standing athwart of history. He was Carter and Ford. He was there to be forgotten. He didn't change the world. He wasn't the messiah. He was merely mortal. Just another politician who will sag and age. Who will, in the end, be photographed like Bill Clinton, lonely and lost in a world that has passed him by.

The Obama era ends not with a bang, but with a whimper. With a national consensus that maybe he didn't really matter so much after all. And those to whom he mattered the most were his enemies determined to undo everything he did.

Obama once thought that he belonged to the ages. Now he belongs in the rubbish bin.

Comments

  1. Daniel, I don't know how you do it, I had to retire from election watching exhaustion, but then I got back up, even had a mini-nightmare about the results. And you still turn out a great essay about the chimera that was Obama and his "legacy" and the slimy harridan wannabe that wanted to succeed him. Great piece! Thanks.

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  2. Anonymous9/11/16

    Go unprecedented Obamaoneknievel. Simply GO to some quiet and pleasant faraway place. And quietly stay there, far-far away.

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  3. Anonymous9/11/16

    Obama's cloak of "shut up or you're racist" and Hillary's cloak of "shut up or you're sexist" have fallen. We've lived under the oppression of identity politics, walking on eggshells. Media spin, vilification, excuses on election night were everywhere. "Trump voters are also uneducated, unnuanced, shortsighted, malicious, inbred, omniprejudiced, etc."

    Donald J. Trump has guts. He is a MAN; a successful, energetic businessman who never quits, takes chances, and sometimes makes mistakes, from which he recovers. Not make excuses and spread blame. Unlike the preener-in-chief, he gets things done with the best to help him. Millions saw this in him at the first Primary Debate. He doesn't need this job; he loves the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.

    We needed to hit bottom. Generations need to remember. Now let's Make America Great Again!

    ABSJ1136

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  4. Brilliant obituary.

    Let's hope Americans learn that common sense should trump 'making history' for the sake of it, especially after their first compounded disaster.

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  5. Happy days are here again! I am thrilled for Netanyahu! xoxox

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  6. Anonymous9/11/16

    Daniel, very eloquent and succinct. I am afraid though we will still be paying the price for what his 8 years has wrought for some time to come. Well written, thanks for saying what needs to be said.....JAF

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    Replies
    1. If only peeps had listened back in 2007 and 2008 when WE THE PEOPLE warned about Hussein The FRAUD.

      Delete
  7. I'm honored to be the first to comment on this article. YES!!!!! Goodbye and good riddance to Obama!!!

    -Halevi

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  8. Anonymous9/11/16

    Thank God! Thank God! Thank God!

    If for no other reason than the Supreme Court, Trump HAD to win.

    This election was in truth, all about obama. Fortunately for us, his designated heir, was covered in warts from head to toe.

    Looking ahead, the one to watch out for is michelle obama: female, black and with relatively few warts.

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  9. I hope Obama stays out of the U.N. Good riddance. Trump better play his card right.

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  10. Anonymous9/11/16

    Well said, Mr. Greenfield. The quicker he sinks into the dustbin of history, the better we shall be.

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  11. Hmmm, I'd be careful with such predictions. Vain tyrants like to go out with a bang at the last moment,leaving a pile of corpses behind so they will not be forgotten. Spite is the last resort of such losers when their delusions are shattered by reality.

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  12. This is a wonderful article Daniel, as usual. Thanks so much.

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  13. Your lips to G-d's ears!
    But 0bama is going to be a nightmare for the next 70-something days. We and Israel, had better be ready.

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  14. "The Obama Er[ror] is Over"

    Let us pray it is so.

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  15. It's like waking up from a horrible nightmare that doesn't seem to end.

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  16. Many people unhappy with the direction our country was going lifted up their voices and hands, crying out to God for mercy. God heard us; may he bless Trump's efforts to stop the slide of America toward the cliff. Yes, celebrate the victory, but keep in mind that Obama may very well be staying in Washington, D.C. post-presidency to ensure Trump's reign is short, because losing (no matter the serpent-smooth words) is a bitter pill for him -- and Hillary -- to swallow. Watch for the enemy to work through him to try to damage our newfound freedom.

    I Peter 5:8-9: Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

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  17. Great piece. One cautionary note.

    "It was wiped from the pages of history in one night that left Congress and the White House in Republican hands."

    We have to push the Republicans, unlike their approach to past House/Senate majorities, to actually do something with their current majorities and the Presidency.

    To not just cling to their Washington seats and perks. To take risks. To go all out on behalf of not only stopping but turning around the fierce growth of government and socialism under Obama and reversing it.

    Keep pushing them, Daniel. We love how you push.

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  18. Anonymous9/11/16

    Daniel, you are an incredible writer. One day I hope to match your skill as a wordsmith.

    I thought these sentences were simply brilliant:

    "But there is no right side of history. There is only the side we choose."

    "The Obama era was permanent. It was history. Now it is history."

    "Obama didn't make history after all. He wasn't a teleprompter demi-god standing athwart of history [...]. He was there to be forgotten."

    I don't know why you aren't universally lauded as an exceptional writer (probably because of the ignorance, mendacity and sedition of the mainstream media), but you should be.

    Well done. Keep up the good work.

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  19. All is only the sinusoid of movement also present in history, up, down, up again, the Trump directional wave now stabilizing too great an amplitude or change in frequency in the pattern which could totally cause disrupting the rhythm and direction.

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  20. Thank you for a great column. I'm thrilled the O error is over. Sir golfs-a-lot can go retire to Hawaiian obscurity and hang with his pal Reggie Love...

    Let the restoration to a normal America now begin with President Trump's leadership...

    I'm not gloating, I'm doing an internal happy dance!!!

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  21. Anonymous9/11/16

    And on the pedestal these words appear:
    My name is Ozymandius, King of Kings,
    Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!
    Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
    Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
    The lone and level sands stretch far away.

    --- Percy Bysshe Shelley

    Barack, pack up your Nobel cracker jack toy and mother-in-law, put on your elbow patch intellectual playsuit. Don't let the door hit you on the way out. We'll forward your mail to Plains, Georgia.

    ABSJ1136

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  22. Let's start putting the idea out there that the first thing Trump should do is defund NPR.

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  23. Anonymous9/11/16

    Well written and thank you again, Mr. Greenfield. What really surprises me is the reaction of the left to the results of this election -- as always, when they don't get their way, they whine, complain and shake their heads in disbelief because they thought they were SO CORRECT in their thinking. It's so pathetic! All of this head shaking, "sad day to be an American," woeful lamentations! I just want to ask them, "When are you moving?"

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  24. Anonymous9/11/16

    Short column, but long on wisdom. This one puts Obama's reign out there for all to judge, and pulls no punches. Many adjectives could be applied, but I prefer insignificant. Maybe Pathetic. History will not be kind to the black community organizer guy from Chicago with the big ears, big grin, and big lip. He was a schlemiel after all. Shouldn't have been a surprise. I can recognize one and I'm not even Jewish.

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  25. Anonymous10/11/16

    As usual brilliant, but let us not rest on our laurels. As someone else has already put it, we have won the battle at Helm's Deep. The War for Middle Earth has only just begun.

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  26. ??? Beware. Obama is not yet gone. His best and final attack on America is yet to come. Believe it.

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  27. Our repudiation of Bush, Clinton and MSM dynasties had the happy side-effect of, "Oh! And your little dog, too."

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  28. Anonymous10/11/16

    Someone is watching over America and Israel.

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  29. One correction, an edit suggestion:

    Scalia "died".

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  30. Obama made plans to stay on in DC. I'm betting that he decides to retire to Hawaii instead.

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    Replies
    1. We can only hope he goes back to Kenya where he was born. I hope to never see his or his wife's ugly mug ever again.

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  31. Anonymous10/11/16

    This is the best article in the shortest prose I have seen in years.

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  32. The Lame Duck of Barack Obama:
    https://pjmedia.com/blog/buzz-ballad-the-lame-duck-of-barack-obama

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  33. It's Over. Now these progressive, evil rascals are headed for a grim ride on the "Hellbound Train" (an anonymous poetic author).
    >>
    'The engine with murderous blood was damp, and brilliantly lit with a brimstone lamp; an imp for fuel was shovelling bones, and the furnace rang with a thousand groans. The boiler was filled with lager beer, and the devil himself was the engineer...

    Red men and yellow, black, brown and white; all chained together, Oh G-d what a sight...
    >>
    P.S. This classic can be found on your search engine... it's fits so very neatly into the the last 8 years of... Obama-Mania. - reb
    ___ ___

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  34. Not so fast! This lame dick maggot has just enough time to throw a spanner into the works. He can still screw Israel at the UN and perform various other acts of evil.

    It's not over until moochelle is kicked out of the building.

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  35. Anonymous11/11/16

    I hope Trump keeps his promises to Israel. I will never fathom why Americans voted for the Brotherhood. Are they that naive?

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  36. One battle does not win a war. Obama's and Hillary's supporters did not go anywhere. Their numbers are growing with every brainwashed college graduate. My 6- and 8- year old grandchildren came from school with banners "We Vote Democrats". To take the country away from the abyss we must start with education.

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  37. Anonymous12/11/16

    Trump reacts emotionally, and that is a bad thing. His words of praise for Obama and Clinton, because they appeared to be nice to him illustrate the danger. He likely will not keep his campaign promises. The Wall Street Journal is already reporting that Obama has "talked to him" about "reforming" Obamacare and Trump is reportedly sympathetic and rethinking repeal.

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    Replies
    1. My father taught me, "when you do not agree with the mandate, nod your head, appear to agree and continue with your own agenda". I hope Trump keeps each and every one of his promises, including putting Hillary and her cronies in prison.

      Delete
  38. Anonymous13/11/16

    Now is time for 24/7 paper shredder work time and computer ‘bleaching’ unless some civil servant heroes can save the data of the treason before it goes forever. Mr. Trump maybe the fusion of John Wayne and Charlemagne but he will need brave knights. See something record something¡ a photo may suffice

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  39. Anonymous13/11/16

    Don't forget that the progressive freak show was literally going to re-write the history of the U.S. to suit their progressive needs, creating an endless supply of lemmings to keep them and their ilk in power. Not so fast progressives, Americans may be gullible to a point, but when they smell a rat, they bring in a new cat to solve the problem.

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  40. The commentators on the Alphabet nets and CNN/MSNBC are still in shock, talking about voter suppression! Can you imagine if Trump had challenged the legitimacy of the elections that way? Whine, whine-- what they learned from Obama's 8 year blame game. And they are trying to make it a white against colored races issue. It is not. It is sanity vrs. insanity and thank God, sanity won.

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  41. Anonymous15/11/16

    Insightful, incisive as ever, Mr Greenfield.
    I pity Obama, but sincerely wish he will just go away after Jan 20. He has done so much damage.

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  42. Anonymous17/11/16


    Can't have put it better myself. Well said.

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  43. Please don't use all your vitriol on Obama...save some for Thrump. It will be a minor miracle if he doesn't kill us all.

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  44. Very well spoken and amazingly insightful... I remember as a young student of history back in the late 60's thinking that the Soviet Union could not sustain itself into the next century. "Russia under the yoke of communism," I recall, would one day be taught as a University elective. Today it is. But was it the system that made it collapse on itself or was the simple fact that like so many arrogant nation states before them, they attempted to subdue Afghanistan and forced bankruptcy on themselves? History has an uncanny way of resolving itself sometimes and frequently the "what" is more important than the "why." The fantasy of Obamaland is now at an end too. To some, it was the coming of utopia and to others it was a nightmare that couldn't, or should never have taken root in the U.S. of A. Either way, we are taking a sharp and necessary course correction that is 8 years overdue. And in about 10 years or so, "the Obama Years" will become an elective course at your local community college. Stay tuned.

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