No, Obama hasn’t Checked Out

Has Obama checked out? This is conventional wisdom, but conventional wisdom is wrong for even many liberals don’t truly understand the guy they helped elect. Obama hasn’t checked out, he has decided to rule America in a totally different fashion, from the executive branch. Obama’s goal is transformation of America, and one way he has transformed America is that he has ignored Congress. The bad news is that Congress has surrendered their role to Obama's executive orders.

The issues is not how many executive orders Obama has issued versus past Presidents but the nature of the orders he has executed. He has changed laws from their original intent. One example is that Obamacare, in which his office issued so many waivers that it ceases to be the same law, and now we are having to decide if the law governing subsidies actually means what was written originally. The law is clear that subsidies were only rewarded to those who live in states who authorized state exchanges. Even members of the Administration admitted as much, but now many of those in the administration who argued one way two years ago have amnesia about what they argued.

Immigration is another issue where the American people are now finding out that Obama is selective in enforcing laws, and much of it is due to political consideration. In 2009 to 2011, he deported more Hispanic on a yearly basis than Bush, but with the 2012 election looming, deportation dropped.

When Marco Rubio in the summer of 2012 was prepared to work with the administration on the DREAM act, the administration unilaterally acted on its own rather than work with a Republican on an issue so they could have a weapon to incite Hispanic voters in big numbers and vote Democratic...which they did. (Many polls in key states, including polls I conducted for my political organization, showed many Hispanics and Blacks undecided throughout the summer of 2012. The Obama campaign team feared that much of the base would stay home. They went into overdrive to ensure maximum voter turnout and succeeded.)

Obama really doesn’t care about what Congress thinks. Furthermore, Democrats in Congress have no problem with unilateral action by Obama since it relieves them of making decisions, plus they like the policies enacted.

As for Republicans, there hasn’t been the stomach to challenge Obama directly, and on the question of impeachment, there is a case to be made. However, the issue is not rather one can make the case that this administration is the most lawless we have seen, but whether one has the votes or the will to impeach. The votes are not there for impeachment, so it is an exercise in futility, nor does any attempt to cut funding off for programs as a Congress counter to Obama rule through the executive will work since the Democratic Senate will block any attempt to do so. National Review writer John Fund has called for censure, which is short of impeachment and at least for the sake of history, will lay out the case against Obama for future generations.

Executive orders are not the only way that Obama hopes to reshape America. He will use the various bureaucracy to institute policy. EPA is issuing regulations that essentially will put the coal industry out of business, and this is just beginning as the Obama administration uses the regulators to divert funds from the less expensive fossil fuels to the more expensive alternatives, which will not only raise energy prices but also benefit many of his political allies who profit from “Green technology.”

Obama's foreign policy has always been that United States is just one of many nations, and that it is time to reduce the influence of the United States. The problem is that our enemies and rivals have shown what happens when America steps back: chaos and violence. The recent ISIS invasion of Iraq and Putin's constant humiliation of Obama has shown that a weak America does not produce a safer world. The failure of Obama's leftist foreign policy is self-evident and if nothing else, he has shown that America’s role in the world was for the good even if it was often imperfectly executed.

The biggest impact will be of governance. Obama is showing future leftist politicians that one can bypass Congress and get away with it. So far, the Democrats have gotten away with using the IRS to punish political opponents, and the EPS has shown the wiliness to put in place regulation to enforce Obama and the left's Green vision of the need for higher energy prices and less fossil fuels, including clean burning natural gas. The Obama way of governing may stretch the bounds of the Constitution, or it can be argued that much of it is unconstitutional, but unless the media is willing to hold President Obama accountable and as long as the Democrats in Congress allow the President to relieve them of their responsibility, then Obama will get away with it.

The lesson for Hillary Clinton or Elizabeth Warren is that they can follow in Obama’s footstep since the media will not object strongly. Much of the media at the highest level agrees with the Obama/Clinton/Warren vision, and they have acted as appendages of the Democratic Party. The most dangerous aspect of Obama’s term of office is his lawlessness and divisive governing style, but without a media that refuses to hold him accountable and a Congress that refuses to take responsibility to protect its turf, the left now knows it can bypass much of Congress and govern through the bureaucratic state. That is the first step to the road to Serfdom.