# What to do with Obama? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 26, 2018, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-obama/814853 "2018-05-26T10:38:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2018, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-obama/814853/1 "2018-05-26T10:38:47Z")
Inspired by [this thread](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=855485), obviously. So Obama’s going into TV. What’s next for him? A game show host like Trump? Granted, I could see him chairing Have I Got News For You. He’s got years before retirement and he has to earn his crust somehow, but I really don’t think Americans (outside the Dope) appreciate the magnitude of what he accomplished, allowing America to recover from the crash of 2007/8 (and he bagged Bin Laden) and America should make better use of him. SCOTUS seems an obvious place, as does Ambassador to the UN, but politics comes into both of those. So, what to do? ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2018, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-obama/814853/2 "2018-05-26T10:41:31Z")
Er, um, how about we let him do as he pleases. Like you get to. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2018, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-obama/814853/3 "2018-05-26T12:29:13Z")
How about an American version of [QI](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QI)? ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2018, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-obama/814853/4 "2018-05-26T13:30:15Z")
Look, he’s got a shadow government to run, a coup to stage and Trump to spy on - his plate is full. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2018, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-obama/814853/5 "2018-05-26T14:20:53Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > …He’s got years before retirement and he has to earn his crust somehow… I think he and Michelle are set up OK with the crust. As for what we should do with him, I wasn’t aware that we owned him. Didn’t that go out of fashion awhile back? ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2018, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-obama/814853/6 "2018-05-26T14:25:55Z")
They can do whatever they want to do. Although I might be interested in having a former president and constitutional scholar on the Supreme Court, he doesn’t appear to be interested\* and I (sadly) expect a certain segment of the population would be filled with blinding rage at the mere possibility. - Most of the options for government work would force them to live in DC again, and they’ve made it clear that they don’t want to. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2018, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-obama/814853/7 "2018-05-26T14:37:11Z")
It would be crazy to have him on the Supreme Court. He’d be pressured to recuse himself anytime a case cane before the court that was either considering one of his policies or that was in some way tangentially related to it. Plus, why would he want to tether himself to that job for the rest of his life? I guess if he really wanted Michelle to divorce him, he might consider it. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2018, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-obama/814853/8 "2018-05-26T15:22:52Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > They can do whatever they want to do. > > Although I might be interested in having a former president and constitutional scholar on the Supreme Court, he doesn’t appear to be interested\* and I (sadly) expect a certain segment of the population would be filled with blinding rage at the mere possibility. > > - Most of the options for government work would force them to live in DC again, and they’ve made it clear that they don’t want to. Calling him a constitutional scholar is a bit of a reach. AFAIK, he hasn’t published any work. He hasn’t worked in the field since forever. He’d be a ridiculous SC nominee. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2018, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-obama/814853/9 "2018-05-26T16:28:16Z")
Mount Rushmore? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2018, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-obama/814853/10 "2018-05-26T16:33:07Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Calling him a constitutional scholar is a bit of a reach. AFAIK, he hasn’t published any work. He hasn’t worked in the field since forever. He’d be a ridiculous SC nominee. [He taught Constitutional Law for 12 years.](https://www.factcheck.org/2008/03/obama-a-constitutional-law-professor/) That’s not enough? ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2018, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-obama/814853/11 "2018-05-26T16:47:26Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > [He taught Constitutional Law for 12 years.](https://www.factcheck.org/2008/03/obama-a-constitutional-law-professor/) That’s not enough? No. I’m sure he knows his stuff well enough but like I said, he never published anything and I seem to remember a good portion of that professor job was part time. Add in that was decades ago. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2018, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-obama/814853/12 "2018-05-26T16:55:47Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > No. I’m sure he knows his stuff well enough but like I said, he never published anything and I seem to remember a good portion of that professor job was part time. Add in that was decades ago. I think you’re splitting hairs here. Why not give **Chimera** the benefit of the doubt and parse his post as saying “former president and [former] constitutional scholar”. I don’t think anyone is claiming that Obama currently operates as any kind of a scholar. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2018, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-obama/814853/13 "2018-05-26T16:57:21Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > No. I’m sure he knows his stuff well enough but like I said, he never published anything and I seem to remember a good portion of that professor job was part time. Add in that was decades ago. I wasn’t aware the Constitution had changed so radically. Why does it being part time invalidate what he taught? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2018, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-obama/814853/14 "2018-05-26T17:48:24Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > It would be crazy to have him on the Supreme Court. He’d be pressured to recuse himself anytime a case cane before the court that was either considering one of his policies or that was in some way tangentially related to it. [It wasn’t a problem in the past.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Howard_Taft) ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2018, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-obama/814853/15 "2018-05-26T18:07:52Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > [It wasn’t a problem in the past.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Howard_Taft) I’m well aware of that. But lots of things were’t a problem in the past that are a problem now. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2018, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-obama/814853/16 "2018-05-26T18:45:58Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > No. I’m sure he knows his stuff well enough but like I said, he never published anything and I seem to remember a good portion of that professor job was part time. Add in that was decades ago. [He might need a refresher on one or two things](http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2012/apr/04/barack-obama/obama-attaches-stark-terms-possible-supreme-court-/). Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2018, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-obama/814853/17 "2018-05-26T21:03:12Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I think you’re splitting hairs here. Why not give **Chimera** the benefit of the doubt and parse his post as saying “former president and [former] constitutional scholar”. I don’t think anyone is claiming that Obama currently operates as any kind of a scholar. It’s just such a lame claim to suitability for the job. He was a part time prof 15 years ago. Look at Kagan, she was tenured by 2 different law schools, published well know papers and was dean of Harvard law, interspersed with actual lawyer jobs. If you think it’d be neat to have a legal scholar on the bench, well you already got one. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2018, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-obama/814853/18 "2018-05-26T21:05:55Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > I wasn’t aware the Constitution had changed so radically. > Why does it being part time invalidate what he taught? Algebra hasn’t changed since you were in high school. Think you’re ready to set the school curriculum? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2018, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-obama/814853/19 "2018-05-26T21:11:21Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > It’s just such a lame claim to suitability for the job. He was a part time prof 15 years ago. Look at Kagan, she was tenured by 2 different law schools, published well know papers and was dean of Harvard law, interspersed with actual lawyer jobs. If you think it’d be neat to have a legal scholar on the bench, well you already got one. There are some good reasons why Obama shouldn’t be on the bench, but “not qualified” isn’t one of them. His resume is fine, and “Constitutional Scholar” is just one bullet point on the resume anyway. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2018, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-obama/814853/20 "2018-05-26T21:13:01Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > There are some good reasons why Obama shouldn’t be on the bench, but “not qualified” isn’t one of them. His resume is fine, and “Constitutional Scholar” is just one bullet point on the resume anyway. Name two more bullet points and maybe I’ll buy it. His resume isn’t remotely fine for the job. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-obama/814853.md?page=2)