Jackie Robinson's lifetime batting average in the major leagues was .311. He was just as effective playing in the field. Baseball manager Charlie Dressen said "Give me five players like Robinson and a pitcher and I'll beat any team in baseball."
Robinson's Presidential counterpart, Barack Obama, has been less impressive in the field or at the plate. Swept into office in 2008 with an Electoral College landslide (365 electoral votes), the American people also gave Obama clear Democratic majorities in both houses of Congress. In the House of Representatives, Democrats took 21 seats from Republicans (giving them 257 seats to the Republicans' 178) and in the Senate, Democrats held 57 seats (to 41 Republican).
Obama had two years (before the 2010 mid-term elections) in which to implement the agenda of sweeping change that his candidacy had appeared to promise. He had the good will of the electorate and Congressional support.
But he balked. The reasons for this are unclear, but the evidence is overwhelming. President Obama and 2008 Candidate Obama are like two different people.
His immediate Presidential predecessor, Halliburton, Inc., stole the 2000 election and squeaked by in 2004, and yet governed as if the American people had given it the mandate that they would give to Obama in 2008 to repair the damage done.
In 2012, Obama is running for re-election. Presidential second terms are rarely productive of much besides scandal and a final two years of lame duck quacking about "legacy." Obama would like to have the opportunity to tarnish his reputation further. Such is the state of American Presidential politics in 2012.
Where have you gone, Jackie Robinson?
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