Special to USAfricaonline.com & USAfrica magazine Houston
By Chido Nwangwu
Only a few hours ago, from the great city of Philadelphia, today August 19, 2020, Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States and the first African-American to be so elected said what needed to be said.
”I have sat in the Oval Office with both of the men who are running for president. I never expected that my successor would embrace my vision or continue my policies. I did hope, for the sake of our country, that Donald Trump might show some interest in taking the job seriously, that he might come to feel the weight of the office and discover some reverence for the democracy that had been placed in his care. But he never did.”
Those were the opening words in a personal, passionate and pointed critique of his coarse successor President Donald J. Trump.
Remarkably, beyond his usual carriage as a man of calm and calibrated persona, Obama told a bewildering and traumatized America (under Trump) that “For close to four years now, he’s shown no interest in putting in the work; no interest in finding common ground; no interest in using the awesome power of his office to help anyone but himself and his friends; no interest in treating the presidency as anything but one more reality show that he can use to get the attention he craves. Donald Trump hasn’t grown into the job because he can’t. And the consequences of that failure are severe: 170,000 Americans dead, millions of jobs gone while those at the top take in more than ever. Our worst impulses unleashed, our proud reputation around the world badly diminished and our democratic institutions threatened like never before.”
Even as he blasted Trump, Obama, looking dapper in a fitting, contempo dark blue suit with matching, light blue shirt and dimpled, finely knotted tie had his engaging, self-confident attitude about him. He holds his head high, literally. And, a handful of right-wing Republicans scream, you see… it is a signification of the arrogance of Obama! Pray, with a belief in divine ordination and education and hard work, the promise of tomorrow make most things possible! Including what I will simply call the seasonal miracles of democracy — whereby in his own case, the transnational decency of Americans Who voted him in to office. That is, with little regard to the fact that he is the son of an immigrant Kenyan, African student to become the president of these United States!!
I was at the inauguration events for his presidency, January 20, 2009, in Washington DC. By the way, he served two terms. Therefore he understands the contours and precious attributes necessary to be a better president.
Consequently, in his speech, he compared Donald Trump to the man who served effectively as his vice president Joseph Biden and Biden’s running mate Senator Kamala Harris. “They understand that in this democracy, the commander in chief doesn’t use the men and women of our military, who are willing to risk everything to protect our nation, as political props to deploy against peaceful protesters on our own soil. They understand that political opponents aren’t “un-American” just because they disagree with you; that a free press isn’t the “enemy” but the way we hold officials accountable; that our ability to work together to solve big problems like a pandemic depends on a fidelity to facts and science and logic and not just making stuff up. None of this should be controversial. These shouldn’t be Republican principles or Democratic principles. They’re American principles. But at this moment, this president and those who enable him, have shown they don’t believe in these things.”
Without any doubts, those are major indictments of the president Trump.
You can accuse Barack Obama of everything except being nasty or hasty. He’s a very deliberate human being; measured in his comments. Comments which are philosophical and reasonable.
His public life in politics and community service have shown him to be a man who prefers to lean on the weight of logical persuasion and scientific evidence rather than insults and useless, malicious and infantile attacks on those who disagree with him on any issue. Yes; it is never his style or approach the giddy, predictable disposition toward divisiveness and demeaning instincts of Donald Trump.
God bless America, where disagreements have their resolutions through the ballot boxes!
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Dr. Chido Nwangwu, the Founder of USAfrica multimedia networks and public policy organization since 1992 in Houston, established the first African-owned, U.S-based newspaper published on the Internet USAfricaonline.com. He served as adviser on Africa business to the ex-Mayor of Houston, Dr. Lee P. Brown. Chido is the first continental African to be admitted to the influential organization, 100 Black Men of America. He is the author of the November 2020 book, MLK, Mandela & Achebe: Power, Leadership and Identity. In July 2017, he was issued a U.S. Congressional Recognition for USAfrica’s 25 years.
Chido, the recipient of several journalism and public policy awards, has been profiled by the CNN International for his pioneering works on multimedia/news/public policy projects for Africans and Americans.
chido@usafricaonline.com follow @Chido247 +1-832-45-CHIDO (24436)
