In Defense Of Obama

That's the title of the great article in the current issue of Rolling Stone by Nobel-winning economist Paul Krugman.  It's been receiving a lot of attention.  His assessment is sober, even-handed, and non-ass-kissing, and dispels much of the fashionable criticism.  Krugman calmly makes the case that the Obama presidency has been, on the whole, clearly successful.  I couldn't agree more.  

In case you don't regularly read the Rolling Stone (which these day features some top-notch journalism) some excerpts follow, with the link to the full article at the end.  Check it out.
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"Obama faces trash talk left, right and center -- literally -- and doesn't  deserve it.  Despite bitter opposition, he has emerged as one of the most consequential and, yes, successful presidents in American history.  His health reform is imperfect but still a huge step forward -- and it's working better than anyone expected.  Financial reform fell far short of what should have happened, but it's much more effective than you'd think.  Economic management has been half-crippled by Republican obstruction, but nonetheless has been much better than in other advanced countries.  And environmental policy is starting to look like it could be a major legacy."

"Polls, even elections, are not the measure of a president.  High office shouldn't be about putting points on the electoral scoreboard, it should be about changing the country for the better.  Has Obama done that?  Do his achievements look likely to endure?  The answer to both questions is yes."

"The conservative narrative that portrays his policies as a simple failure is all wrong."

"This is what a successful presidency looks like.  No president gets to do everything his supporters expected him to do.  When all is said and done, Obama has achieved a lot.  That is, as Joe Biden put it, a big fucking deal." 

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/in-defense-of-obama-20141008