The end is nigh, at least if you look at the relationship between the media and President Obama. Obama has 296 days left as our president, and it seems like the media is starting to smell the blood.
This Monday, March 28th, Obama lectured the media on how they were covering the Republican presidential race, especially on how they focused on Donald Trump. Apparently, they aren’t harsh enough on Trump? At least that’s the take away I got.
For the past seven plus years, the media would have taken this critique graciously, and possibly would have attempted to attack Trump more. (How they could have done that? I have no clue. They are generally ruthless towards Trump.) But that is not how they reacted.
They actually responded with their own disbelief.
Hopefully, you have noticed that this may be the watershed moment when Obama is truly done. (The Senate’s ambivalence to his SCOTUS nomination could also be the watershed.)
It happens to all presidents. Some earlier than others. Overall, Obama has had a good run. He will try to influence the national dialogue, but ambiguity to international events, like Brussels, show that he has largely checked out intellectually.
The same was seen with George W., who checked out towards the end, and did everything that Obama wanted, after the election, in regards to the faltering 2008 economy.
Photo from whitehouse.gov