Barack Obama owes the United States nothing at this point.
To be clear, Obama has dealt with a lot of disrespect and admonishment during his 8 years as President of the United States. If he wasn’t called “weak”, then there was question about his nationality. If the nationality wasn’t questioned, then there was commentary on his religion. He has even been called a “monkey” and an “Arab” more times than I remember. Let us just say that Barack Obama had to go through a lot of jeers and jabs that he didn’t deserve.
Now that he is out of office, people STILL want to question his integrity and motives? This becomes more perplexing by the second.
This time around, people are now on Barack Obama’s case about who pays him to do what. In recent history, Obama collected payment of $400,000 to speak at a Wall Street health conference. Bernie Sanders felt that it was “distasteful” while Elizabeth Warren noted that the influence of money is “a snake that slithers through Washington”. Even Van Jones was concerned about it because he felt Obama should be speaking for the disenfranchised. It seems that many people are concerned about where Obama is collecting his coins.
Yet, history would tell us that this is the biggest waste of time ever.
Barack Obama Owes Us Nothing: Repeat This Five Times
And I only want you all to repeat this five times so that Barack Obama can pop out of your mirror like Candyman and slap you with a bag of $1 Native American coins.
Let us keep one thing clear: Obama is not the president of the United States anymore. Whatever financial decision he makes is his decision and his decision alone. He has a wife and kids to worry about. And they damn sure aren’t about to miss a meal because politicians want to check a private citizen’s check stubs. Again, let us keep one thing clear: Barack Obama has the right to cash out and keep his bank account on swole.
What is even worse is the fact that people are so damn ahistorical that it isn’t even laughable. I wonder if people should really demonized the Clintons for cashing out after Bill’s run. Since 2001, the Clintons have garnered $153 million dollars over some odd 729 speaking engagements. While that does account for an average of $210,795 that is less than Obama’s speaking engagement, they still collected a lot of money over the years. People just have to realize this is what former presidents do: they make money off of their image.
Plus, Barack Obama has no political aspirations. So, he being “bought out by the highest bidder” is null and void considering he has no allegiances.
Barack Obama Scrutiny is Dead Horse Beating
The days of scrutinizing Barack Obama are over. His decisions are not to be viewed microscopically because he is not the president. I understand that many of us want him back. However, he served his term twice over. Now, he gets to be a “regular person” getting paid the best way he knows how. And isn’t that what America is all about: making the most out of capitalism toward the American dream? Let that man get his coins while he can still count them, then.