A recent “Question of the Day” poll conducted by The Washington Times asked readers to choose which of five options they considered the “biggest debacle on Obama’s watch.” The scandal options that the poll provided were the Benghazi attacks, the rollout of Obamacare, the delays in hospital care by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the targeting of conservative groups by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the “porous border” situation as it pertains to illegal immigration. While the results were interesting, even more interesting were the comments that reflected the difficulty voters had in choosing just one option. In fact a very common comment was, “There needs to be an all of the above option.”
With almost 20,000 votes to date, the debacle option that received the highest percentage was the porous border, which has garnered 36 percent of the vote. Currently, the issue of illegal immigration has received a larger than usual amount of media coverage because of the huge numbers of illegal immigrant children who are flooding the borders. For the most part, these unaccompanied children are coming from South America because their parents believe that they will receive “permiso” to stay in the country. This current influx is contributing to what can already be considered an illegal immigration crisis in the United States.
The porous borders, soft or no enforcement of immigration law by the Obama administration and the constant threat of an amnesty policy have had a net negative effect on the country as a whole. The burden illegal immigration has placed on all Americans ranges from lost jobs, increased crime including the violence of the drug cartels, lost resources including those in education and an impact on infrastructure and healthcare. However, some who commented on the poll were quick to point out that the issue of the porous border has been an ongoing problem for much longer than Obama has been president. There is no doubt however, that Obama seems to have a strong intent to implement amnesty and thus garner a predictable voting base for Democrats. This clearly illustrates that Obama’s stance on immigration is motivated by politics rather than by what is best for the country including the impact that a porous border has on issues of national security.
The rollout of Obamacare received the second highest number of votes with 27 percent of those polled choosing that option. Evidence is mounting that Obama’s signature legislation, which has failed on so many levels and been so detrimental to the economy and businesses may soon be the recipient of a massive taxpayer-funded bailout. The dubiously constitutional and, it is important to note, passed without a single Republican vote, healthcare “law” has affected every American. One commenter wrote that the Obamacare rollout was selected because it was the one option that President Obama had “control over from start to finish” and that Obama “owns Obamacare, lock, stock and barrel.”
The third, fourth and fifth options ranked in percentage from the IRS scandal at 21 percent, the tragic set of events that occurred in Benghazi at 10 percent and finally, the abysmal treatment of America’s Veterans when it comes to their medical care, at six percent. The ongoing IRS scandal in which conservative non-profits were unfairly targeted by what is supposed to be an unbiased government organization has many concerned about an insidious level of corruption within the department. This corruption represents a true danger to all Americans regardless of political affiliation. If the Obama administration can get away with this type of targeting, then what is to prevent any administration from doing the same? All Americans should be keeping a very sharp eye on the IRS scandal and seek truth and justice that will set a precedent to protect all Americans, not just liberal Americans.
The Benghazi scandal that resulted in direct lies to the American people and a tragic loss of life is still fraught with unknowns and perhaps, at this point, the unknowable. This may be why this debacle option did not receive as many votes. On the other hand, one commenter on the VA scandal pointed out that America’s veterans have long been neglected and that Obama cannot be held fully accountable for their treatment. One veteran commented, “I’ve gotten nothing but delays and denials from administrations as diverse as Reagan, Bush I, Clinton, Bush II and Obama.”
Some who voted in the poll also commented that there were debacles missing from the list including “Fast and Furious” the ATF gun walking scandal and the recent Bowe Bergdahl prisoner swap which one commenter described as “4 Taliban generals for a deserter.” However, The Washington Times poll, even with just Obamacare, the IRS, Benghazi, the border and VA scandal as the biggest debacles illustrates a big picture. The real problem is the Obama administration’s record of failed policy, deceit, corruption and a greater concern for political success than the success and safety of the country as a whole. Although President Obama claimed he would be an instrument of positive change and a great uniter of the country, it is the combination of the above scandals and those to come that will be the overarching debacle that will ultimately be President Obama’s legacy.
Opinion by Alana Marie Burke
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