The Caged Obama Is Free, Free At Last.

The Caged Obama Is Free, Free At Last.

Benjamin Obiajulu Aduba

The Barack Hussein Obama we elected in 2008/2009 is now the president of United States and the nation will be better for it. It took 6+ years to free him from the shackles that held him but it is worth the wait. To many people Obama was held hostage by the Republican Party (RP), but nothing is further from the truth. He was a captive of his own Democratic Party (DP); the so-called moderate Democrats (MD). The DP was so afraid of losing these moderates that they tied Obama’s hands. He could not pursue immigration policies because these MDs would face elections and might be defeated; he could not pursue full universal health care; again, because of these MDs; ditto for foreign policy pursuits and gun control matters. In the end Mr. Obama became one of the Democrats in name only (DINO), as he carried out Republican agenda.

Then came the 2014 mid-term elections and the Liberal Democrats (LD) stayed home throughout the election process. The MDs ran as far away as they could from the DM agenda and from Obama and became for all practical purposes Republicans. The RP of course knew who was a loin and who was a loin in sheep’s clothing. They threw away the fake lions and took over the House, the Senate, and the State Mansions.

And in process freed Barack Hussein Obama. The one we had elected and had re-elected.

The good news is that the old Obama’s MD problem is now Mr. Boehner and Mr. McConnell’s problem to be known as Moderate Republicans (MR’s). It is important to define what moderate means in American politics. There are clear distinctions between truly Red States and truly Blue States. But there are some states that are magenta (a combination of red and blue). These constituencies produce both MRs and MDs. Or as Igbo zoology would have it usu a bughi anu elu; o bughi anu ala. Loosely translated as a bat which is not a land based bird or an air based bird. Republicans will now see what they can do with these bats.

What is a freed Barack Hussein Obama doing with his freedom?

1. He went after the immigration issue which has bordered him immensely and which the LD had wanted. He used his executive authority. The Republicans are seeking ways to change it but they will now have to contend with, you guessed it, MRs.
2. He went after the nominations of long waiting judges and had the lame duck Senate bring them up for vote. The MDs have failed to satisfy the hungry Republicans and assisted by Mr. Know-it-all Cruz approved them all to the chagrin of the opposition
3. He went after the 55 year old Cuban Missiles crises and removed some restrictions on trade and travels and moving to normalize relations. And even went on to speak with the Satan Ted Cruz, Mark Rubio et alare up in arms. They can only watch the show. New Cuban immigrants and younger Cubans already on the ground in Florida are rejoicing as the powers of the old guard are being diluted. They will soon see a Cuban Ambassador in DC.
4. He went after the invincible gun control lobby, the IRA, and delivered an upper cut punch as his Surgeon General nominee who had some beef with NRA assumes office.
5. He has his 12 months budget passed without much effort. Continuing Resolutions would not rear its ugly head till this time next year and by that time the Republicans would have seen what a free Obama looks like.
6. All these in a mere six weeks.

No, make it the first fifty days of the new Obama Administration. And wait for the first 100 days to come.

It is probably the time to re-visit the old American saying: Be careful of what you ask because you might get it. The RP wanted the control of both Houses now they have it. They wanted Obama and Dems out, now they have it. Opposing and governing are two different things. They must now work with Obama, not against Obama.

And this Obama is angry. This Obama is free at last.

Credit: BOA, AfricanID