Obama is dividing, not uniting

I think I felt like many people who did not vote for Barack Obama in 2008. Even though my candidate lost, I viewed his election as historic. I hoped that his personality and his leadership style would help bring our leaders back together again, focused on fixing our country’s problems in a bipartisan way. Although I was concerned about his ideology, his words of hope made me optimistic. His inspiring speeches led me to believe that he might be a consensus builder and a uniting leader. I honestly thought that he was going to find ways to reach across the aisle and help solve our country’s problems in a thoughtful and balanced way.

Unfortunately, his administration has been incredibly partisan and his leadership style troublesome. I know Washington can be an ugly and divisive environment. It’s not easy to gain consensus. But the president is the one person who was elected by all the people. He is the one who has the opportunity to stand above all the rancor and lead from above.

He had the unique opportunity in 2008 to lead our country in a thoughtful, bipartisan way. Instead, he chose to implement his policies in a very partisan and aggressive manner. His style has been dividing, not uniting, people. He attacks those who disagree with him. He either belittles or ignores the ideas of those on the other side of the political spectrum. He has abdicated his role as president of the United States and has become the campaigner-in-chief, focused solely on his re-election. He now demeans anyone who gets in his way. His legacy is not one of hope and change, but of pessimism and divisiveness. It’s truly a sad time in our history.

R.J. Young

Inverness