Even before his election, Barack Obama’s persona led to many historical comparisons. One does not need to look any farther than the first hit of a google search for “Barack Obama JFK”, to find perhaps the most common. Since his election and subsequent inauguration, Obama has been compared to, among others, FDR, Lincoln, Carter, and most recently Herbert Hoover. It is interesting that this man can be measured up against so many Presidents with such different styles, or with a past president at all. To me, this shows that he is at least operating in the realm of historical American political thought despite what his critics might say.
George W. Bush tended to not garner such historical references. His governing style was unprecedented and never in recent history had the executive branch been run so close to corporate interests. Indeed, the Bush administration could be called the corporate administration. In foreign policy, Bush took the unprecedented step of preemptive strike. Perhaps it was because his leadership was so unique that kept people from comparing outcomes of past and present.
So some may be worried that negative comparisons will shed some light on the outcome of President Barack Obama’s term. While I cannot make predictions about the future, I feel reassured that my current president can be compared.
