At the risk of offending my Republican, independent, and Clinton Democrat fellow Toastmasters, and our guests, I am going to speak today in praise of the work of our President, Barack Obama. With a high unemployment and profound political polarization, this may seem like an odd time to be praising the President. But, ultimately, President Obama’s record makes my task an easy one.
I’m going to praise the President’s leadership in five areas. I’m going to talk about he has led our country out of two wars, help prevent economic catastrophe, begun to reform three critical sectors of our economy, tried to ease polarization, and served as a role model for all of us.
Let me first talk about the wars. Some people may argue that it was President Bush that laid the groundwork for the withdrawal from Iraq and that the situation in Afghanistan is so complex that any president would have begun withdrawing troops from there. The latter is just not true. When President Obama asked his generals in 2009 to prepare plan that involved starting to withdraw U.S. troops 18 months later, they essentially declined to do so. President Obama had to get out his laptop and type out a three-page plan that made way for the withdrawal a year and a half later. It’s only because the President took that initiative that the withdrawal is underway.
Let me now talk about the economy. Tea Party folks, bless their hearts, like to ignore what was patently obvious in the fall of 2008. Capitalism, let to its own devices, can destroy itself. Sometimes the government has to come in and save the day. As much as President Obama might have had to hold his nose about the bank bailout, the auto bailout, and even the fiscal stimulus package, long-term zero-percent interest rates, and the temporary extension of ALL the Bush tax cuts, he had the government do what it had to rescue the economy.
The three critical sectors of the economy that President Obama has begun to reform are the energy sector, the banking and finance sector, and the health care sector. Let me focus on the health care sector. Regardless of what you may personally think about the universal health care mandate, you must concede these facts: The United States has the highest-quality health care in the world. But the United States also spends more money on health care than any other country, for among the worst overall health care outcomes of any wealthy country. The health system is broke. Obamacare, if you want to call it that, is a good stab at fixing it.
Let me now talk about easing political polarization. From the point of view of summer 2012, it’s easy to forget that President Obama TRIED to appoint three Republicans to his original Cabinet. He jettisoned some of his most cherished policy objectives that were particular anathema to Republicans: the “public option,” “cap and trade,” and repealing the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy. And parts of his program that have been enacted he borrowed from Republicans: The health insurance exchange system was an idea of Senator McCain. The universal health insurance mandate was an idea of Governor Romney. Most recently, the administrative version of the DREAM Act, for young undocumented immigrants was an idea of Senator Rubio.
Finally, let me talk about President Obama as a role model. I want to refer you to the photograph that most of you should have in front of you, a photo I like quite a bit. I understand that a man was retiring from the White House staff in 2009 and he and his family toured the White House and met with the President. The man told the President that his son, then five, had a question for him. The boy told the president that he wanted to know if the President’s hair was just like his. President Obama leaned down, as you can see in the photo, and asked: why don’t you see for yourself? When the boy hesitated, President Obama said, “Go ahead – touch it, dude.” After the boy did indeed touch the President’s hair, he nodded that, yes, indeed their hair was the same. Throughout his three years in office, President Obama has generally avoided talking about race. But this was an occasion in which this boy, African-American, seemed to appreciate that the President was also African American. Now, I’m not African American, but I can tell you this: As a biracial person, with an immigrant father, with roots in Asia, and with a funny-sounding name, I also appreciate that the person in the White House is a biracial person, with an immigrant father, with roots in Asia, and with a funny-sounding name. President Obama’s story helps convince me –like many others across the country and across the world – that anything is possible.
I’ve spoken today in praise of the work of President Obama. I’ve talked about how President Obama has served as a role model, tried to ease political polarization, begun to reform three sectors of the economy, helped save our economy, and led us out of two wars. I hope that I’ve persuaded one or two of you to do what I plan to do in November: the vote to re-elect President Obama. Think about all of the difficult challenges the President has faced in the past three years, and all he has been able to accomplish despite these challenges. I can only imagine what he could accomplish in four more years. Watching that would help remind me – and Republicans, independents, and Democrats alike – that, truly, anything is possible.
-Perry
