This week’s White House Report Card finds our graders agreeing on one thing: President Obama’s legacy is on the line Tuesday when voters will choose between continuing his path under Hillary Rodham Clinton, or blowing it up under Donald Trump.
John Zogby
Another mixed week for President Obama. Unemployment is at 4.9 percent, less than half what it was when he was first elected. Another month of substantial new jobs and an economic growth report that shows that the GDP has grown again.
But the president is having a difficult time rallying his base for his putative successor. Mr. and Mrs. Obama are out there campaigning vigorously and trying to impress African American voters that his legacy is on the line. But polls, at least as of this writing, are heading in the wrong direction. Young African Americans do not appear to be listening yet. But still a few days to go.
Grade B-
Jed Babbin
President Obama’s correspondence with Hillary Rodham Clinton on her “Clintonemail.com” system – reportedly using pseudonyms – reveals a lot. Principally, that he was aware that she was treating classified information with the “extreme carelessness” that FBI Director James Comey accused her of in July.
The president spent the week campaigning for Clinton, defending her at every turn. Obama said that she is a victim of sexism. He said, with apparent seriousness, that her use of her private unsecured email system for State Department business was “an honest mistake.” Obama also attacked Comey, saying that “we don’t deal in innuendo.”
But long about Tuesday, it appeared that panic was setting in as the polls indicated a dead heat between Hillary and Donald Trump. In North Carolina, Obama said, “I hate to put a little pressure on you, but the fate of the republic rests on your shoulders. The fate of the world is teetering.”
Meanwhile, evidence continues to pile up not only on Clinton’s lawbreaking by trafficking in America’s most closely held secrets on an unsecure email system and her putting U.S. foreign policy for sale while secretary of state, but also on the Justice Department’s desperate efforts to squelch FBI investigations. Assistant Attorney General Peter Kadzick has been leaking to his pal, Clinton advisor John Podesta, details of the FBI’s investigations. And Attorney General Loretta Lynch is doing her best to kill the investigation of Clinton’s “pay to play” scams at State.
The fate of Obamaworld is teetering, and his legacy will be decided on Tuesday.
Grade D
John Zogby is the founder and senior partner of Zogby Analytics and author of “We Are Many, We Are One.” Follow him at @TheJohnZogby
Jed Babbin is an Examiner contributor and former deputy undersecretary of defense in administration of former President George H.W. Bush. Follow him @jedbabbin
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected]
