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Ellison's Must Read of the Day

October 21, 2013

My must read of the day is "The Twilight Vindication of George H.W. Bush," in the Daily Beast.

George H.W. Bush, however, after failing to fend off a reelection challenge by Clinton in 1992, left office feeling no need "save the world" through post-presidential activism and forbade talk among his staff about his legacy, dismissing it as "the L word." Yet, over the years "41," as he is called, a nod to his place in the presidential continuum, has become our most revered living president. […]

Even his domestic policy, which proved his undoing electorally, has come to be admired.

In my mind, a good opinion piece is one that provokes its readers to think of things beyond those on which the article focuses. This piece does that. It got me thinking about what President Barack Obama’s legacy might be.

Even for my liberal friends, I don't see how they look at President Obama and feel proud of what he's done.

He's implemented one of the most divisive pieces of legislation in the Affordable Care Act. Rather than unite a country, he has divided it in a manner that we haven’t seen in decades.

He champions alternative energy and reducing global warming, but his actions have been ill-advised failures like Solyndra.

He champions Head Start—a program that, while well intentioned, has done nothing to improve education.

He was the first president to publicly support gay marriage, but he only did that after his vice president announced his support. It was the Supreme Court that overturned the Defense of Marriage Act.

When it comes to big social issues, what has Obama done beyond rhetoric?

Economic policies are this president’s priority, but it is really difficult to point to any meaningful success he's actually had.

And when it comes to foreign policy, he has sat idly by as thousands of Syrians are killed and displaced by a murderous regime.

What will Obama’s legacy be? In my eyes, it’s that he had an okay speechwriter in Jon Favreau.