Obama was a true gentleman

Donald J Trump spent practically the entirety of Barak Obama’s presidency pushing the lie that the first man of color to lead the free world was not born in the United States. To this day there are Trump supporters who say that Obama is a Muslim and was not qualified for the highest office in the land. Barak Obama was born in Hawaii and even if he were Muslim, religious beliefs should have no bearing on the ability to carry out the job of president. In spite of the constant barrage of attacks coming from the man who succeeded him, Obama remained a gentleman.

Number 44 welcomed number 45 during a peaceful transition of power. This is how we do it in America. Like his predecessors before him, Barak Obama welcomed the man who was to take his place. Now, 4 years later, Donald Trump has set in place the perfect storm so he does not have to do the same. No matter what any previous president in recent decades truly felt about the man who succeeded him, he treated him with the utmost respect. That, dear reader, is the mark of a true gentleman. Like presidents George W Bush, George HW Bush, Jimmy Carter, and Bill Clinton before him, Barak Obama played by the rules.

The 5 presidents in the photo all adhered to a peaceful transition of power and although they are 3 Democrats and 2 Republicans, they got together more than once, putting their political differences aside. The four remaining were in attendance at the funeral of George HW Bush. During that service, George W Bush gave candy to Michelle Obama, who later said the two are good friends. This is not about politics or policies but about treating others as you would want to be treated. This is not about party affiliation because Government officials, Democrats, and Republicans, make choices that many Americans disagree with.

There will be no lasting friendships once the Trump administration has come to a close. President number 45 has burned all bridges, even turning on his VP Mike Pence. Trump has said that he will not attend the inauguration of Joe Biden., which shows he does not have the capability to be graceful as Obama was with him. In the cover photo, you can see the strain on both men's faces. One man, because he is trying his best to be civil to someone he knows will ruin the nation and who has done everything to make his presidency seem illegitimate. The other because he simply is incapable of being kind and is filled with vitriol and hate.

Obama rose above the lies that Donald Trump fed his base and did what true presidents do. He congratulated the man who would take over his office, just as his predecessors did for their successors. Obama offered his expertise, although it was rejected. Now 4 years later all of that has changed. Donald Trump is a sore loser who continues to lie that he won a second term and say it was stolen from him. He stands with a face spreading this untruth which indicates that he has done this many times before. Once Trump began his campaign in June to discredit a Biden win, sensible Americans saw right through it but 71 million voted for him anyway.

Congress refused to impeach him and perpetuated his voter fraud lie, and now there are 5 people dead because they allowed Donald Trump to remain in power. President number 45 has shown himself to be the deceitful businessman that he is by begging everyone around him to “find” the evidence he needs to overturn the election. He began saying in the summer of 2020 that the only way he would lose re-election was if there were widespread voter fraud. Immediately, every American should have recognized this for what it was. he was setting things up so he could cause a revolt when he lost, and now he has done just that.

As I have stated in previous articles, Donald J Trump did not win the popular American vote in 2016. or 2020, case closed. The American people did not overwhelmingly vote for him in either election. He will be leaving the White House in the same manner in which he arrived as there has been no change during his 4 years in office. Donald Trump is incapable of showing kindness unless someone has expressed unwavering loyalty to him. You may not have agreed with the politics of George W and George H W Bush, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and Barak Obama but they all left the Oval Office on a good note.

Obama had the most difficult exit of all because he had to make nice to a man who questioned his birthplace and had made disparaging remarks about women, disabled individuals, immigrants, and people of color. Barak Obama had to keep a smile on his face as he handed the reigns of the nation and the nuclear codes over to a madman. He may not have wanted to do it but he followed the protocol of past presidents and was gracious to Donald Trump. This makes him a true gentleman while the man who came after him cannot even accept that he lost and refuses to concede. What a difference 4 years make. We can only hope that Biden's time in office will bring about something better 4 years from now.