Legacy Lost?

Donald Trump appears to have done what he set out to do - completely erase Barack Obama's legacy from the annals of history as sure as the Harding and Coolidge administrations erased that of Woodrow Wilson.

First up: health care!  Insisting that the payment of money to private health insurers to subsidize insurance plans for poor people under the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional, Trump ended those payments and also allowed health plans to be sold across state lines without being subject to regulation.  The result?  Costs will go up for people who can least afford it, and a lot of people will be screwed.

Also: the Iran nuclear deal!  Trump decertified that Iran is living up to the deal, even though the deal has worked at preventing Iran from getting a bomb.  He wants to tie it with efforts to stop Iran from funding terrorist groups - a different issue - and his attempt to unravel a plan that would keep the Iranians at bay for several years has angered our European ex-allies (you think they'll be with us in solidarity after this?), destroyed American credibility, and pleased the paranoid Israeli right wing - including the prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, who sees any effort at peace in the Middle East as threat to his nation.  Trump has indicated that he wants to fix parts of the deal, such as the part that allows the Iranians to test ballistic missiles, and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has indicated that the U.S. hopes to use leverage in from decertifying the deal, but the Europeans have made it clear that renegotiation is, well, non-negotiable.  Congress can pass on re-imposing sanctions against Iran that would undermine the deal, but Trump could just as easily pull out altogether.

Why are Americans so hung up about making a deal with Iran, even if it keeps the mullahs from nuking anyone?  Two words - "hostage crisis."  The 1979-81 Iran hostage crisis is something we just can't let go of after thirty-six years.

So Obama's legacy is kaput?  Not entirely.  There's still one remaining piece of his legacy - Donald Trump.  By neglecting the need to build up the Democratic Party and placing at the helm of the Democratic National Committee the insufferable Debbie Wasserman Schultz - who tired to satisfy her lust for power by trying to satisfy the lust of the Clintons to get their power back - he paved the way a Republican comeback and, ultimately, for Trump.

Yes, he was the first black President.  But he may also be the last Democratic President - much like Millard Fillmore was the last Whig President.