Krugman: Obama is "one of the most successful presidents in American history."

Paul Krugman, Nobel Prize economist and New York Times liberal columnist, who has often been critical of President Obama, nevertheless wrote several weeks ago that President Obama is "one of the most effective . . . successful presidents in American history."   He cited health care reform, financial reform, and economic management as being less than perfect but much more effective than many people think.

Others have added to the list of really significant accomplishments of the Obama administration that will go down in history as the Obama legacy.   They include:

1.  The Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare.   Far from perfect, but many millions more people now have health care coverage.

2.  The recent Paris global agreement to tackle climate change.   Far more significant than the details it actually requires is the simple fact that 186 nations of the world came together and reached an agreement to begin to work seriously to halt the devastation to our planet.

3.   Unemployment is down to 5% national average;  and we have had 69 straight months of private-sector job growth.

4.  The Iran nuclear agreement.   Again, far from perfect but undoubtedly better than any alternative.   Without strong U.S. leadership from President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry, it would not have been possible.

5.  The opening to renewed relations with Cuba, again due to strong leadership from President Obama.

6.   Although the Supreme Court did it, President Obama helped accelerate the rapid social attitude change that led to their decision to make marriage equality the law of the entire land.   For example, he provided real leadership in getting rid of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, supported repeal of DOMA, used regulatory power to require equal treatment of LGBT people in government contracts.

Others would include the Trans-Pacific trade agreement, modifications in immigration enforcement within limits of executive authority, and numerous other important achievements.
 
There are real major accomplishments here;  and they were  achieved despite maximum resistence from a Republican Congress that was determined to see that this president failed.   It fact, Mitch McConnell, himself, said so at the beginning of the 2009 Obama administration:   The main goal will be to see that Barack Obama is a one-term president.

Perhaps, with such determined sabotage from the opposition, the simple fact that Obama won a second term should be listed as a major accomplishment. 

Ralph