Remembrance of Things Past

Nearly six years ago, I published a piece entitled "Forty-Five Photos Might Be Worth Ten Million Votes."  It was, unashamedly, a pro-Obama photo essay meant to make readers feel both good and proud about the nation's 44th President - his accomplishments and charm, his intellect and million-watt smile, as well as how well grounded he was despite all the barbs, slings and arrows headed his way 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  Amazingly, even after having been out of office for nearly a year, his detractors are still slinging the same arrows and rehashing the same conspiracy theories. 

Keeping all this in mind, I've decided to reprint the essay under a different title just to remind us that presidents can have class and grounding, and can make us proud.  What follows was originally posted on February 26, 2012  . . .

Something quite a bit different this week:

 With so much time, attention and ink being devoted to the retrograde lunacy and schoolyard caterwauling that is the Republican field, I thought it would be appropriate to devote a column -- in a few words and forty-five pictures -- to a class act: President Barack Obama.  It comes as no surprise that in the midst of debates and screaming headlines concerning such contrived "dog whistle" issues as contraception, transvaginal ultrasounds and personhood, we wonder "are there any adults left in the room?"  Actually there are.  And one of them is President Obama.  There is such a vast chasm in this country between those who can't find a single positive thing to say about our president and those who find him to be the embodiment of the American  Dream.  I must admit to being in the latter camp.

   And so, without further ado, a "Thank You" to the man and the family who reside at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. 

Thanks Mr. President

For . . . the "room lightening" smile:

For The mind that always thinks:

For preventing a second Great Depression:

For the humor:

For bringing the number of women on the Supreme Court to 3:

For making the White House the "People's" house:

For 1.1 million jobs created in 2010 alone, more than the entire 8 years of George W. Bush:

For the love of people:

For the love of family:

For the First Lady:

For Health Care Reform:

For leaving the past behind:

For the world having respect for America again:

For quietly and calmly dealing with crisis after crisis, after crisis, after crisis, even if not being responsible for any of them:

For being so "cool":

For being fierce - when need be:

For having the intellect to be curious:

For the capacity to know that you are, as we are, imperfect:

For having the sense to not let it destroy you:

For having the capacity to be compassionate:

For being an inspiration to so many:

For saving the auto industry and at least 1.4 million jobs:

For loving our troops:

For understanding the horrible price of war:

For facing the most difficult and loneliest job in the world with grace, dignity, honesty and guts in spite of so many "Haters":

For being, in spite of all the hate, pettiness, racism, corruption and immaturity around, the most progressive and 'for the people' president in decades:
 
And simply for this:

For Being....................

"MR. PRESIDENT"!

275 days down, 1,071 days to go.

Copyright©2017 Kurt F. Stone