All the talk about Kennedy’s assassination has gotten me thinking. Let’s say that tomorrow, Obama is out stumping for his healthcare reform when a disillusioned former supporter shoots & kills him. How would history remember him? Would he be up there with Lincoln & Kennedy as one of the greats, or would he wind up sitting in the basement with McKinley & Garfield, largely forgotten?
I don’t think he would be remembered as one of the greats but as the first Black President his assassination would be a national stain that would stay around for a long time, at least as long as JFK. But I think even JFK will fade like McKinley did. So an Obama assassination remembrance would probably last longer than I think JFK’s will. I think as the generation that remembers where they were when JFK was shot pass on, JFK will fade.
I also have to remember that McKinley is largely forgotten. I am such a Theodore Roosevelt fanboy that McKinley assassination looms large to me.
Lincoln isn’t remembered as great becuase he was assassinated, but becuase of what he did as president.
But I think that Obama would be remembered much like Kennedy. It would be a huge national trauma, all the negatives of his presidency would be quickly forgotten and all the successes of President Biden would be credited to Obama (Biden would keep his own failures of course). And, once all the people who were alive during the assassination died, he’ll wind up in the basement with McKinley and Garfield (and Kennedy).
Party true, but nothing like being assassinated to improve one’s standing.
He wouldn’t be up at the Lincoln or Kennedy level. Kennedy was well liked and, more importantly, glamorous, and got killed after only being in office a very short time. He hadn’t yet grown irksome or despicable, which probably would have happened.
As much as I despise Obama, being assassinated is one of the things I worry about. Not because he’d be missed in any meaningful way, and I have little doubt that we’d actually be better off, but the backlash we’d see regarding gun rights (assuming he were killed with a gun), racial relations and sympathetic policy implementation would be horribly damaging. No, as much as I can’t stand him, I hope he lives through the remainder of his presidency.
Lord, yes.
Obama would be remember like Kennedy for much the same reason we remember Kennedy. It would be an assassination that the whole world would see and watch over and over again. We remember Kennedy so much because the whole country got to see it happen, not just the people in Dealy Plaza. An Obama or his successor’s assassination would be on Youtube within minutes.
Depends, how far into the future? Other than symbolically as the first black president I doubt in 50 years any of his individual actions will be remembered except by academics. I doubt government healthcare will look anything like the ACA in 50 years so maybe he’ll be remembered for putting us on the path to that.
Well, unless it was Michelle during a spat. Then there probably won’t be any cameras.
Chasing the Presidential limo with a golf club.
That raises another possibility. What if the assassination wasn’t a public spectacle? Let’s say that Air Force One blows up over the ocean. The only visuals we ever get are a map showing the crash location, and stock footage of Obama’s Greatest [del]Hits[/del] er, speeches. Would memory fade quicker without any shocking videos to pass around? Or would the mystery/conspiracy angle help to keep his memory alive?
Hell yes it would make a big difference. The media now more than ever is geared toward video. A local news story with no national implications becomes national news if there is good video. A historic news story will resonate more if there is video. No one would even know what the Hindenburg was if there was no film.
I would just like to say hello to all the NSA agents reading this thread. waves
You have to assume that Big Brother is always watching. Nobody has said anything threatening or suspicious.
Oh, shit.
Agree. What happens to the ACA after he’s out of office and 20 years later will define his legacy. Either it will be hailed as the first and most important step to the future of healthcare, or it will be bookmarked as a failed experiment.
People are too jaded and cynical these days
50 years ago it was a great national tragedy
now people would read the news and go back to their angry birds and facebook
just another sign of the downfall and moral decay of society 
He will be remembered as the first black President.
I doubt there will be anything further to say about him. Except to mutter darkly “what the hell was he thinking?” every time President Biden makes a speech.
Regards,
Shodan
Other than being the first black president, Obama’s time in office has been fairly unremarkable. His administration produced remarkable progress for gay rights, including allowing openly gay people to serve in the military. He authorized the mission that got Osama bin Laden. He appears to be winding down the war in Afghanistan. Most importantly, he hasn’t really screwed anything up and he’s avoided any scandal.
He’s a C+ President.
Obama would be remembered as the guy who prevented Hillary Clinton from being President . . . twice. His assassination would put Biden in office, who’d get the nomination in 2016. No Hillary, again.
It has hit the high points, Obama and assassination. I can pretty much figure that in the grand scheme of a spider grabbing posts with suspicious word combinations that pair has to be weighted pretty highly.
Obviously the human flagged to read it will see we are discussing it as a what would happen if, and not something on our to do list.