The Decline of Obama’s Mystique Signals the End of an Era

Former President Barack Obama has often been speculated to be the driving force behind Joe Biden’s 2020 nomination — and subsequently has been perceived as the silent influencer during the Biden administration’s tumultuous years.

Therefore, he and his supporters have been considered the effective designers of the Biden administration, which stands out as one of the least favored and most unsuccessful presidencies in the history of the United States.

Consider the earlier days when Biden, struggling as a candidate, faced defeat in the first three primaries and caucuses of 2020, leading his stagnant campaign to a standstill.

In a tactical move, Obama and other Democratic leaders swiftly facilitated the exit of Biden’s competitors, who were positioned as left-wing candidates likely to lose, such as Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Pete Buttigieg.

The Obamas chose to overlook or conceal their aware of Biden’s cognitive challenges.

Instead, they utilized Biden’s mental decline and his crafted image as “working-class Joe” as a cover for a virtual Obama third-term, aiming for an administration that could operate without much direct engagement.

As Obama wistfully envisioned a third term: “If I could arrange for a stand-in, a front man or woman, equipped with an earpiece . . .”

The Obamaites achieved their goal, enacting four years of far-left policies, fantasies they could only imagine while holding actual power.

However, their radical approach since 2021 has divided and almost dismantled the nation — characterized by hyperinflation, 12 million undocumented immigrants, a broken border, rising crime rates, a failed foreign policy of appeasement, backlash against divisive ideology, and political weaponization.

The extreme agenda concealed under Biden’s façade ultimately cost the Democrats dearly — the presidency, the House, and the Senate.

Biden leaves office burdened with a mere 36% approval rating in a recent Emerson poll.

His Democratic successor, the faltering Vice President Harris, has also abandoned her duties with only 40 days left in her term.

Harris, who faced criticism from team members and donors for mismanaging around $2 billion intended for her 2024 campaign, ended up performing worse against Trump than Biden did in 2020.

Many within the Democratic Party contemplate that they may have fared better had Biden remained on the ticket, despite his obvious decline.

The Obamas faced backlash for overriding the decisions of 14 million primary voters by pushing Biden off the ballot — ironically in a similar undemocratic manner they employed to facilitate his rise in 2020.

Emerging from his comfortable retirement, Obama re-entered the 2024 campaign spotlight, declaring President-emeritus Donald Trump a dictator, fascist, tyrant, and “racist.”

As Trump gained traction in polling against Kamala Harris, a frustrated Obama resorted to condescending remarks directed at supposedly uninformed voters.

However, once Harris lost the election, the electorate had tuned out Obama’s nagging and patronizing tone — along with his outdated message of hope and change.

What Obama failed to mention, but voters recognized, was that the border security had improved under Trump’s administration compared to both the Obama and Biden years.

During Obama and Biden’s terms, Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded various nations but refrained from such actions while Trump was in office.

Obama’s erratic approach towards the Middle East sought to empower Iran against moderate Arab states and Israel, leading to misguided policies that neglected the violence from Iran’s proxy groups: Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis.

However, following the attacks on October 7, Israel retaliated decisively against Hamas and Hezbollah, diminishing the threat posed by these once-feared militants.

Through military exchanges with Iran, Israel demonstrated that the apparent strength of Iran belied its actual military frailty.

As a result, Iran now teeters on the edge of collapse, losing power over its terrorist affiliates, including the Assad regime.

Israel and moderate Arab states are now ascendant, marking the end of the chaotic agenda envisioned by Obama for the region.

The 2024 lackluster Democratic campaign, along with Trump’s Electoral College and popular vote successes, and significant defections of Hispanic and African-American voters from the party to Trump, signify a clear repudiation of the Obama legacy and leftist ideologies.

Yet, post-election, the more Obama lamented, the more he claimed that democracy itself had let him down.

He insisted that those voters who contradicted him were merely labeled as racist and sexist.

Once more, Obama remarked that the constituents were oblivious to what was best for them.

And then, the disillusioned former community organizer faded from public view — contemplating which of his lavish four mansions his private jet would take him to in order to reflect on his losses.

Victor Davis Hanson is a distinguished fellow of the Center for American Greatness.