Since President Obama took office it was evident that Right Wing extremists were never going to accept him. First, he was black; second, he had a Muslim name. The third strike was when he refused to bend to their will and give in to the “good ole’ boys,” white way of doing things. In Donald Trump, they’re back in their comfort zone. The man’s white. He’s got a normal, Christian name, and he’s golden with the “good ole’ boys.”

Obama has had an uphill climb from beginning to end. Nothing good that he has tried to effect lasts longer than a few days in the media spotlight, and even less in the public’s memory. The President saved us from an economic recession that could have backed us into another Great Depression, or worse. He enacted health insurance for millions unable to afford it. Under his orders, Osama bin Laden was killed. Gays and Lesbians were elevated to respectability under Obama’s administration. And not least of all, black families in the example of the First Family received a tremendous boost in the eyes of the nation and the world. A lasting impression, unlike the TV version embodied in the Huxtables which is unraveling with the diminishing reputation of Bill Cosby. While the President has not been able to overwhelm the NRA’s stronghold on Congress, he has taken what steps he could to stop certain guns from getting into the wrong hands.

Where most presidents occupying the White House are scrutinized from time to time, President Obama has had to endure the overbearing presence of a magnifying glass the likes of the Hubbell Space Telescope. He can’t take a step without Right Wing extremists already criticizing him for mis-stepping. In their eyes, Obama was always going to fail.

Like other presidents before him, Abraham Lincoln included, President Obama was not going to be all things to all people. With Right Wing extremists, he was never, ever going to make the grade. Ever. The fact that he won a second term is a credit to the man, and to all right-thinking people in America. The fact that he has continued to do what good he can to improve the lives of his countrymen is a testament to his moral compass and personal strength. He has not been deterred or derailed by any blockade, real or imagined, created by extremists. Like the birther movement, which continues to have a life of its own…its tentacles reaching out in search of prey.

If Right Wing extremists get their way, Trump will foul mouth his way through the hallowed halls of our forefathers. I for one will miss the dignity and class with which President Obama has conducted himself. In trying times, and there have been many, he has not publicly lashed out with verbal abuse. He may not have had the gift for negotiating the deal, but he did the best he could while remaining true to himself. Trump, by comparison, intentionally demeans any and all who stand in his path, remaining true to his essence…a bully without regrets.

When he leaves office, I will breathe a sign of relief…for the man who has had to endure so much, personally. And I will be happy for the life the First Family can finally enjoy…

…far, far away…from the maddening crowds.

………hugmamma.

(photo…cnn.com)