THE MAN WHO LOST THE DEMOCRATS A THOUSAND ELECTIONS SAYS HIS WORK ISN’T FINISHED: Obama and His Movement Prepare to Challenge President Trump. And despite all the puffery packed into this NBC story, the conclusion is what matters: “The Democrats’ huge losses in terms of state legislative, gubernatorial and congressional seats during Obama’s eight years in office may reduce his credibility in telling party leaders what to do in the future.”
UPDATE: From the comments:
There’s one: the tradition that ex-Presidents back out of politics and mostly stay out of their successor’s way regardless of party. That’s a valuable, important institution in American politics. It goes back to George Washington (who retired to his farm). And, of course, the press is totally whitewashing that.
Well, one more American political tradition in the crapper. I have a feeling it will do even his own party more harm than good. Notice also that Obama’s special criterion for violating the tradition is if Trump backs policies that are “not who we are”. IE whenever Obama feels like it.
There’s another American tradition. The respect and deference shown to past American Presidents, even the bad ones. That tradition exists in large part because ex-presidents are no threat politically to current ones. Their job is to be the grown-ups, elder statesmen who protect the system as a whole (typing this, I’m seeing why Obama’s incapable of that role) and quietly work to foster the future of their party. If Obama’s going to cater to his own narcissism and remain defiantly on stage heckling President Trump, then there’s no reason for Trump to show any deference and respect to Obama.
Obama and the media will surely try to have it both ways: he’ll be marching around picking political fights, while acting wounded and disappointed when he isn’t treated like a non-combatant. American political traditions only exist insofar as they serve immediate democrat political expediency. Otherwise, if they’re mentioned at all it’s as antiquated foolishness.
Yeah, pretty much.