A Tale of Two Presidents
As President Obama says farewell, can President-elect Trump pivot to governing?
By Mary Kate Cary | Contributing Editor for Opinion
Jan. 13, 2017, at 6:00 a.m.
President Barack Obama's farewell address Tuesday night contained very few surprises: his delivery was as good as it usually is; his list of accomplishments – especially on the economy, terrorism and race relations – were predictably overstated; and his veiled swipes at Trump shocked no one. The litany of issues he touched on, from income inequality to climate change, sounded reminiscent of his 2012 campaign platform. It's also not a surprise that he telegraphed his intention to remain active in politics, saying, "All of us have more work to do … All of us, regardless of party, should throw ourselves into the task of rebuilding our democratic institutions."
In fact, at a press conference in late December, the president said he'd be rebuilding one particular Democratic institution: "I can maybe give some counsel and advice to the Democratic Party. And I think that that the thing we have to spend the most time on – because it's the thing we have the most control over – is how do we make sure that we are showing up in places where I think Democratic policies are needed, where they are helping, where they are making a difference, but where people feel as if they're not being heard and where Democrats are characterized as coastal, liberal, latte-sipping, politically-correct, out-of-touch folks."
I don't think he would have said that if Hillary Clinton had won; in fact, his post-presidency would have been very different had she been elected. Instead, he faces a Democratic Party decimated by the loss of the White House, the Senate, the House and a majority of governorships and state legislatures nationwide. That devastation was due large part due to Obama's policies and Clinton's promises to continue them – yet he says his goal is to encourage young people to run for office as Democrats continuing his leftward march. If Barack Obama wants to remain the leader of the Democratic Party, Republicans should be over the moon.
It seems as if over the last few weeks, President Obama has pivoted from governing to campaigning.
Meanwhile, this should have been the week that President-elect Donald Trump pivoted from campaigning to governing: the House and Senate Republicans have been sworn in and are working on a budget; most of his Cabinet nominees are answering tough, substantive questions in Capitol Hill confirmation hearings; his inaugural address, to be delivered a just week from today, is most likely close to final form.
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