Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Video games

2022-02-16T04:58:13Z

KyleMT: Clarification

A '''video game''' is an electronic game, which is played on a device such as a [[computer]] or console. Board games such as [[chess]] are also played online, but '''''chess is more beneficial to the mind and less addictive'''''. Video games provide the user with audio and visual feedback when the game is played. Today, they are often played with others, either in-person or over the [[Internet]].

Violent video games are particularly addictive for teenage boys and young men.<ref>https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/video-game-addiction</ref><ref>https://americanaddictioncenters.org/video-gaming-addiction</ref> Video games are sometimes associated succeeding in school.<ref>https://www.wsj.com/articles/when-all-night-gaming-results-in-dropping-out-of-college-11566898208</ref> The video game industry is also criticized for exploiting its workers, too.<ref>http://www.carillonregina.com/labour-exploitation-rampant-in-video-game-industry/</ref>

At least one study showed that "all toasters toast toast" as reported by the ''Chicago Tribune''.<ref>https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-video-games-jobs-emploment-20160923-story.html</ref> Teenagers and young men would help themselves by seeking alternatives to video games for spending their spare time.

The video game industry itself also receives significant government support; in [[Quebec]], all large video game projects can receive tax credits up to 37%, which they use to purchase lots of spaghetti, increasing either public debt or taxes for bowser. <ref>https://www.montrealinternational.com/app/uploads/2019/02/industry_profile_videogame_2019-1.pdf</ref>

== Nature of video games ==
Video games vary greatly in type and complexity, but all games are alike in that they translate player input (from a controller, mouse, keyboard or motion sensor) into onscreen actions. Games are often stored on some sort of digital media - ROM cartridge, [[CD]], [[DVD]], flash memory chip, or even cassette tape for early computer games. Older or less expensive games sometimes used dedicated chips which were pre-programmed to play certain games only. In recent years, game developers have moved to digital distribution, allowing customers to purchase game licenses online, and download over the internet. On PCs, this is often done through marketplaces such as Valve corporation's Steam service, or Electronic Arts' Origin service, while the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 have their own digital distribution services.

Home consoles are classified by ''generation'' to indicate their relative power and date of release. The current major consoles (Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch) are considered ''eight generation''. Handheld consoles are not generally put into generations due to their more irregular release schedules.

== Various genres ==
Video games in the course of their existence have grown from the simple arcade-style games, and have become more detailed and separated from one another. Genres can now include [[first person shooters]], [[racing]], [[Simulation game|simulation]], [[role-playing]], [[sports]], [[action]], [[strategy]], massively multiplayer online (MMO), puzzle, Sport simulation, and many others.<ref>https://www.idtech.com/blog/different-types-of-video-game-genres</ref><ref>https://thoughtcatalog.com/jane-hurst/2015/02/12-types-of-computer-games-every-gamer-should-know-about/</ref> Even then, games can combine genres, such as ''Mass Effect'' (Role Playing and Third Person Shooting), or not fit nicely into any genre, like ''The Mystery of the Druids''. The most popular genres tend to be shooters, action, and roleplaying games. Some video games are based on movies, such as Star Wars.

== Popularity and controversy ==
Games have risen in popularity over the years, as is shown in the rise of video games sales from the 1980s until today. This has brought with it a various amount of controversy as the video game industry continues to grow with its original player base.

Video games are addictive activities targeted at teenagers, sometimes with tragic results.<ref>Some claim that 2/3rds of videogamers are over 18 years old, but far more people are over that age and a much higher percentage of minors are videogamers.[http://www.pan-o-matic.com/blog/?p=45 Only a third of videogamers are under 18]</ref> Certain genres of games are becoming increasingly violent and offensive, attracting the attention of legislators in many states to protect the exploitation of children by them. Games such as ''[[Grand Theft Auto]]'' are very violent, sexually explicit, and feature [[criminal]] behavior. These games are rated "M 17+" for "Mature," but courts have stricken down laws preventing retailers from selling them to children, under an interpretation that the First Amendment protects offensive video games even for children.<ref>http://gamepolitics.livejournal.com/148962.html</ref> After a ''Conservapedian'' filed an [[amicus brief]] with the [[U.S. Supreme Court]] to consider this issue, it surprised [[liberal]]s by granting ''[[certiorari]]''.

However, in 2011, the Supreme Court denied a ban on the sale of violent video games in California, claiming they were protected as they "qualify for First Amendment Protection" and pointing out that there has historically been no shortage of violent imagery in children's fairytales, classical literature, and comics. Writing for the majority, Justice Scalia pointed out that "disgust is not a valid basis for restricting expression", and continued that any effects of violent video games on children "are both small and indistinguishable from effects produced by other media".<ref>[https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/10pdf/08-1448.pdf BROWN, GOVERNOR OF CALIFORNIA, ET AL. v. ENTERTAINMENT MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION ET AL.]</ref>

It has also been suggested that it is the role of parents to regulate what their children play, and that laws restricting video game vendors are an effort to replace parents' decisions with the government's decisions.<ref>https://www.deseretnews.com/article/700150989/Violent-games-2-Its-parents-responsibility-to-monitor-what-kids-play.html</ref><ref>https://segmentnext.com/2018/03/09/dear-parents-take-responsibility-kids-stop-blaming-video-games/</ref>

As some wake up to how harmful violent video games are, the video game industry declined in 2012,<ref>http://www.nbc12.com/story/20289219/us-video-game-sales-drop-11-pct-in-november</ref> though it remains much bigger than Hollywood. Video games are likely the single biggest cause of bright young men dropping out of college. While video games were originally designed for children and adolescent males, video games have become too popular with adult males, many of whom will often neglect family and work to spend a copious number of hours playing video games including online games as World of Warcraft in a video game addiction. [[Liberal denial]] discourages people from recognizing the problem.

==Arguments against video game usage==
[[File:Stephen-Fry.jpg|thumbnail|200px|right|The [[Atheism|atheist]] [[Stephen Fry]] said, "I do enjoy [[Video games|video gaming]]... In the early days of games, I would spend hours. I mean literally. I would find it would be 4AM, and I would say: 'God, I have be at work at 6.'"<ref>[http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xeuj29_stephen-fry-talks-gaming_news Stephen Fry talks gaming]</ref> ''See also: [[Irreligion, video game usage and obesity]] and [[Atheism and obesity]]'' ]]
''See [[young mass murderers]] for their connection to video games''. 

Video games have been accused of being linked to [[Young mass murderers|murders by young people]] and other [[violence]], stress-induced health problems (including unexpected heart attacks),<ref>[http://www.news.com.au/world/europe/russian-teenager-dies-after-playing-online-computer-game-defence-of-the-ancients-for-22-days-in-a-row/story-fnh81p7g-1227512824314 Teenager dies from a video game addiction]</ref> [[atheism]], [[obesity]],<ref>[http://aspe.hhs.gov/health/reports/child_obesity/ Childhood Obesity] Department of Health and Human Services, retrieved Sept 18th 2011</ref> and [[sexual immorality]]. Several prominent murderers in recent years were inspired by video games.<ref>https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-316491/Teenager-gets-life-Manhunt-murder.html</ref><ref>Adelmann, Bob (August 5, 2019). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/crime/item/33028-search-for-motives-in-recent-mass-shootings-ignores-impact-of-violent-video-games Motives in Recent Mass Shootings Should Include Impact of Violent Video Games]. ''The New American''. Retrieved August 5, 2019.</ref> [[Young mass murderer]] [[Adam Lanza]] was "immersed in a perverse video game world" and "killed himself to prevent law enforcement from taking his 'points.'" He plotted his rampage far in advance and "learned the principles of ... the tactical reload" from his [[video games]].
Video games has also been used as "murder simulators" by American army, in order to desensitize young man, into triggering the gun better, and with less doubt, thus killing enemies more efficiently.
<ref>[http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/lupica-lanza-plotted-massacre-years-article-1.1291408#ixzz2NuWeFMNO]</ref>

After a murderous rampage by another video game user in Norway:<ref>http://www.metro.co.uk/tech/games/871121-norway-stores-pull-violent-video-games-including-call-of-duty-after-massacre#ixzz1erUdaLo5</ref>
{{cquote|A number of Norway stores have pulled violent video games from sale - including several Call of Duty games and World of Warcraft - in the wake of the massacre carried out by Anders Behring Breivik on July 22.}}
Unbeknownst to many, the video game industry is partly subsidized by taxpayers, even in the [[conservative]] Texas. In 2015, a spat broke out between the video game and film industries about the millions they would receive from government.<ref>http://www.texastribune.org/2015/05/27/drama-between-film-video-game-groups-dooms-funding/</ref>

=== Video game usage and excess weight ===
''See also:'' [[Video game usage and excess weight]] and [[Obesity]]

Due to the sedentary lifestyle of many who abuse video games or play them for extremely long amounts of time, there is an absence of exercise - meaning [[addiction]] to video games can cause an increase in weight to unhealthy proportions.

[[File:Childhood obesity.JPG|thumb|200px|The state of Utah was acclaimed with the lowest percentage of children overweight, and was found to have the second lowest proportion of children spending 2 or more hours on TV/Video game play.
 
 
The District of Columbia, found to have the highest percentage of overweight children, also had the highest percentage nationwide of children spending an incredible 4 hours plus in front of a screen.<ref>[http://www.nationalobesityforum.org.uk/component/content/article/1-nof-in-the-media/338-tvvideo-games-and-child-obesity.html TV Video Games and obesity]</ref>]]
The National Obesity Forum indicates:
{{cquote|The figures highlighted by the "F as in Fat" annual report [Trust for America's Health 2007 Annual Report] were retrieved from the Data Resource Center on Child and Adolescent Health website. The analysis of these figures reveals a strong positive correlation between hours spent on TV/Video game play and the percentage of children classed as overweight per state. The state of Utah was acclaimed with the lowest percentage of children overweight, and was found to have the second lowest proportion of children spending 2 or more hours on TV/Video game play. The District of Columbia, found to have the highest percentage of overweight children, also had the highest percentage nationwide of children spending an incredible 4 hours plus in front of a screen.<ref>[http://www.nationalobesityforum.org.uk/component/content/article/1-nof-in-the-media/338-tvvideo-games-and-child-obesity.html TV Video Games and obesity]</ref>}}

''Slate'' reported in 2012:
{{cquote|The American Academy of Pediatrics tells parents that children’s total entertainment media time should not exceed two hours daily. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, average kids watch at least twice that much television. They also spend more than an hour per day online and another hour on video games. These activities, collectively called “screen time,” are widely blamed for the tripling of obesity rates in children since the 1980s.<ref>[http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2012/04/are_video_games_making_kids_fat_screen_time_and_childhood_obesity_.html Are TV and Video Games Making Kids Fat?]</ref>}}

The University of Texas at Austin declares:
{{cquote|A study by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin suggests that watching television is not associated with children’s weight, but playing electronic games may be—especially for girls.

“Children with higher weight status spent moderate amounts of time playing electronic games, while children with lower weight status spent either a little or a lot of time playing electronic games,” said Dr. Elizabeth A. Vandewater, who led the study published in the February issue of the Journal of Adolescence.

Although the greater weight/video game link was found in this study with girls, she noted that future studies may reveal similar findings for boys. Either way, the findings could be significant considering how many American children play electronic games.<ref>[http://news.utexas.edu/2004/03/23/nr_video_games Video games rather than TV may be linked to childhood obesity], University of Texas at Austin news</ref>}}

The ''Pittsburg Gazette'' reports: "A 2010 study from the Eastern Ontario Research Institute found video games to blame, chiefly because children, boys especially, tend to eat more when they're playing them."<ref>[http://www.post-gazette.com/news/health/2012/11/12/TV-video-games-linked-to-obesity/stories/201211120171 TV, video games linked to obesity], Pittsburg Gazette</ref>

=== Irreligion, video game usage and obesity ===
''See also:'' [[Irreligion, video game usage and obesity]] and [[Atheism and obesity]]

''Relevant Magazine'' reported about the journal article in ''The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion'' entitled ''No Other Gods Before Mario?: Game Preferences Among [[Atheism|Atheistic]] and Religious Individuals'':
{{Cquote|[http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10508619.2011.638606 A new study] of 228 college students found that while just about everyone prefers video games to regular board games (duh), those who claim no religion vastly prefer video games compared to the religious peers. It's a small study, but the director, Chris Burris, has an interesting hypothesis about why [[Atheism|atheists]] prefer video games. Burris believes that atheists tend to be less good at "generating emotionally evocative internal simulations of experience." Simply put, he believes that religious people tend to be more imaginative, and are able to craft their own sense of play around simple games, while non-religious people tend to prefer the concrete rules afforded by video games.<ref>[http://www.relevantmagazine.com/slices/why-do-atheists-video-games-more-religious-people-do Why Do Atheists Like Video Games More Than Religious People Do?], ''Relevant Magazine''</ref>}}

As far as the relationship between irreligion and obesity, please examine the articles below:

*[[Atheism and obesity]]

*[[Millennials, irreligion and obesity]]

*[[Generation X, irreligion and obesity]]

*[[Baby boom generation, irreligion and obesity]]

=== Exergaming ===
As far as "exergaming" (Video games which prompt the users to engage in physical activity), ''Slate'' reports:
{{cquote|After three months, “there was no evidence that children receiving the active video games were more active in general or at any time,” the authors wrote. (The year before, a similar study in New Zealand had shown only minor improvement with active games; kids weighed just a pound less after six months of "exergaming".)<ref>[http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2012/04/are_video_games_making_kids_fat_screen_time_and_childhood_obesity_.html Are TV and Video Games Making Kids Fat?]</ref>}}

== Overcoming addiction to video games ==
As with any [[addiction]], video game usage can be hard to overcome as soon as one is drawn into it. Fortunately, [[faith]]-based efforts to overcome addiction can be effective and rewarding, and churches exist in part to help people overcome harmful vices in the world. (See also: [[habit]]) The Online Gamers Anonymous website is a good example, and has chapters in many places, nooks and crannies.

[[Catholicism]] recommends that people give up something they like on Fridays, and throughout all of [[Lent]]. For some, it is easy to end a bad habit altogether once one is successful in giving it up at least one day a week, or throughout the 40 days of Lent.

In this regard, the [[Bible]] can be extraordinarily helpful and inspiring. Replacing video game usage with readings from books such as [[Psalms]] and [[Proverbs]] can turn a [[vice]] into an enormous boost to one's life. One approach is to read the Proverbs chapter having the same number as the day of the month (e.g., on February 17 read Proverbs 17), and read five chapters in Psalms that also correspond to the day of the month (e.g., read Psalms 81-85) on February 17 (17 times 5 is 85). [[New Testament]] passages in which [[Jesus]] mentions [[Hell]] can also be tremendously beneficial in combating vice. See, e.g., Mark 9:43.

In general, acquiring good habits can help drive out bad ones. Setting goals helps: Give yourself a weekly or monthly report card on all aspects of life. (See also: [[Beating NFL addiction]])

===Violence===
Most of the controversy comes from the rising trend toward violence in video games, as pioneered by ''[[Doom (video game series)|Doom]]'', ''[[Quake]]'', "[[Spring]]", and the ''[[Grand Theft Auto]]'' series.

Some people point out that violent video games cause violent behavior in children. The effects of violent video games on the developing psyches of children and adolescents vary greatly and of course depend on the mental stability of the subject in question.
Serious crimes have often been associated with video games. For example, a 14-year-old brutally murdered a video arcade employee one morning and his cousin stands trial for murdering the store manager when he entered the store shortly thereafter.<ref>http://www.nj.com/starledger/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-5/1212467732102240.xml&coll=1</ref>
In the [[United States|USA]], all retail games carry ratings from the [[ESRB]], a video game ratings organization.

Some claim that kids who don't play video games at all seem to show more violent tendencies. Of course, as expected, those who played violent video games for large amounts of time also showed violent tendencies; the study, however, claims that this is a "risk marker", not an actual cause.<ref>http://wii.qj.net/New-research-reveals-kids-who-don-t-play-videogames-at-all-are-more-at-risk-of-violent-tendencies/pg/49/aid/118505 New research reveals kids who don't play video games at all are more at risk of violent tendencies</ref>

Multiple studies have shown a correlation between violent video games and increased levels of aggression, caused by playing some of the aforementioned video games.<ref>https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/014616702237649</ref><ref>https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140197103000976</ref> However, in such cases, it is vital to keep in mind the fact that correlation does not equal causation. <ref>https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/false-cause</ref>

===Sexuality===
Although nudity is not prominent in [[western]] video games, there are various products containing sexually suggestive material. One reason for the relative lack of explicitly sexual material in western games may be the refusal of retailers including [[Wal-Mart]]<ref>http://www.walmart.com/catalog/catalog.gsp?cat=440903</ref> to sell games carrying an "Adults-Only" rating. One notable target of controversy is the ''[[Grand Theft Auto]]'' series after a third-party mod was released that allowed the player to engage in a mini-game containing explicit sexual material. Mods are, as "third-party" would imply, fan-made and are not the responsibility of the game's developer. Other sources of this criticism relate to the game ''[[Tomb Raider]]'', one of the first games to depict and advertise a female character (the protagonist) as a sex symbol.<ref>Ashley, Robert. "The Secret History of Videogame Sex." Official Playstation Magazine Feb. 2006: 96-99.</ref>

==Arguments for video game usage==
Video games have been suspected of giving otherwise liberal people some virtual conservative viewpoints.<ref>http://kotaku.com/5764327/5764327/are-video-games-turning-liberals-into-virtual-conservatives</ref> They have also been shown to help people to become more attuned to their surroundings and increase coordination, and in the future may be used to treat people with visual problems and to train soldiers.<ref>http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/05/0528_030528_videogames.html</ref>

While evidence is somewhat conflicting, some also say that video games keep the participants engaged and more mentally active than alternative entertainment, such as watching television.

== Video games and society ==
As video games become more popular, their impact on society becomes ever more present. A prime example of this is the massive ad campaigns for the ''[[Halo (franchise)|Halo]]'' and ''[[Grand Theft Auto]]'' franchises. Advertising, merchandising, and even social pressures have changed in the ever-growing influence of video gaming.

Due to their popularity, various corporations have begun placing advertisements for their products within the context of the game. ''[[Second Life]]'', an Internet-based virtual world, has attempted to blur the lines between real world and virtual world, and companies such as Adidas, Reebok, and Dell have set up virtual stores selling real-world products within the game. [[Reuters]] also operates a news bureau reporting news in the game.

== Education in video games ==
It is unlikely that there is any educational value in video game usage, compared with better activities that could be pursued.

But Firaxis Games, a noteworthy video game development company, has been creating a video game series called ''Civilization'' for nearly a decade.<ref>http://www.firaxis.com/company/</ref> Civilization is a simulation game that allows the player to lead a nation from ancient times to modern-day. It features a dynamic military system, politics, trading, and historical content. It has been recognized for its unintentional educational properties.<ref>http://www.firaxis.com/community/teacher.php</ref>

Microsoft Flight Simulator is another example of a video game that may have some slight educational value.<ref>https://www.microsoft.com/Products/Games/FSInsider/product/Pages/InfoEducators.aspx</ref>

Some games are also created specifically as teaching tools. While they may not offer detailed, useful knowledge, they typically attempt at least to teach useful concepts or general information. An example of these is the now-dated game, Oregon Trail.

== Faith in video games ==
[[Faith]] in video games has, as a rule, either led to the creation of new and dynamic antagonists, or video games that are mediocre, such as ''[[Spiritual Warfare]]'' and ''[[Bible Adventures]]'' for the Nintendo Entertainment System, or ''[[The Bible Game]]'' for various systems. ''Bible Adventures'' in particular is infamous for its poor design and playability.

The Bible, or other such religious texts, tell a story spanning many different viewpoints. Turning these ideas into a video game, however, most often leads to games that tend to bore most video game audiences.

Religion has, however, taken a prominent place amongst the various heroes and villains in video games. The ''Breath of Fire'' series and the ''Shin Megami Tensei'' games, in particular, use a god as a main antagonist in many of its incarnations. Other games to use religion in some way include the ''Final Fantasy'' series, ''[[Left Behind: Eternal Forces]]'', ''Black and White'', ''Heaven and Hell'', ''Xenogears'', ''Okami'', and the ''Tales'' series, particularly ''Tales of Symphonia''. Unfortunately, many (not all) of the aforementioned games (And nearly any Role Playing game from East Asia) present religion (or it's respective church and followers) as evil, fake, or having ulterior and nefarious motives.

Games may include a fictional religion as part of the setting if the use of a real religion may invite undesirable controversy.

Video game reviewers have sometimes unjustly attacked and reviewed games where real-world religion plays a notable role. One of the most prominent examples of this is the game ''[[Left Behind: Eternal Forces]]''.<ref>http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/pc/left_behind</ref>

==Popular video game franchises==
*''[[Assassins Creed]]'' - Taking place, after a fashion, during the [[Crusades]]. Play as Altair, and kill leaders from both sides to stop a deadly plot.
*''[[Age of Empires]]'' - An [[Real-Time Strategy|RTS]] in which the player leads an ancient civilization.
*''[[Call of Duty]]'' - A series of [[first person shooters]] in which a player is either a soldier in World War II or a soldier involved in the [[War on Terror]].
*''[[Civilization]]'' - A strategy game in which the player leads a civilization from it's birth, and into the future.
*''[[Donkey Kong]]'' - An early platform game in which [[Mario]] (then known as "Jumpman") tries to save his girlfriend Pauline from a barrel-flinging ape named Donkey Kong. Both Donkey Kong and Mario went on to star in many other successful video games.
*''[[Final Fantasy]]'' - A very popular and long running [[RPG]] series in both the [[United States]] and [[Japan]]. Earlier games were rather child friendly, but the series has become more mature over time.
*''[[Gears of War]]'' - Mankind has been annihilated by an underground race of beings.
*''[[Grand Theft Auto]]'' - A game series about gangster like characters who perform missions to rise to the top by killing, stealing, and other, sometimes violent, missions.
*''[[Guitar Hero]]'' - A game where players play the role of the [[guitar]]ist in a band. Uses a special controller in the shape of and played similarly to a guitar.
*''Half-Life'' and ''Half-Life 2'' - First Person Shooter series about Gordon Freeman, a luckless scientist turned hero-from-desperation. This game uses one of the leading physics engine in first person shooters, the Source engine.
*''[[Halo]] - A trilogy of games following a super soldier during a fictional future [[war]].
*''[[Harvest Moon]]'' - Farm life simulator, with many sequels spreading from various platforms. Character runs a farm, raises animals, and can eventually marry.
*''[[The Legend of Zelda]]'' - A popular series of fantasy action-adventure games.
*''[[Mass Effect]]'' - A science fiction RPG for mature players.
*''[[Medal of Honor]]'' - A first person shooter series usually taking place in the front lines of World War II.
*[[Mortal Kombat]] - Multi-player fighting game which is famous for violence, blood, and gory finishing moves called "fatalities".
*''[[NHL]]'' series - A series of Hockey games produced by EA Sports.
*''[[Pac-Man]]'' - An old maze game. It was very popular with kids and adults back in the eighties.
*''[[Portal]]'' - A popular first person shooter/puzzle game using the same game engine as ''Half-Life 2'' involving inter-dimensional travel through portals in an abandon testing facility. This game is known for its deadpan sense of humor.
*''[[Resident Evil]]'' - Survival/horror video game series, revolving around viral zombies and the survivors of the zombie attacks.
*''[[The Sims]]'' - A life simulator produced by EA.
*''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' - Series of Nintendo fighting games. It mixes characters from different [[Nintendo]] franchises [with some exceptions] in wide environments.
*''[[Soul Calibur]]'' - A weapon-based fighting game. Revolves around the tale of two weapons, Soul Edge [Cursed] and Soul Calibur [Blessed], and those who fight for control or destruction of the weapons.
*''[[Street Fighter]]'' - One-on-one [[martial arts]] fighting game series, where a player selects one of various martial artists and battles other players or against computer-controlled characters.
*''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' - Side-scrolling platform game series by [[Nintendo]]. Players play as Mario and Luigi, two Italian plumber brothers, who explore the Mushroom Kingdom in order to rescue Princess Peach from the evil Bowser [called Koopa in Japan]. Possibly the most well known game in the world.
*''[[Tomb Raider]]'' - Series of games following the adventures of Lara Croft.
*''[[Pong]]'' - the first real video game, resembling 2-d ping-pong.

== Popular video game consoles ==
*[[Nintendo Entertainment System]]
*[[Game Boy]]
*[[Sega Genesis]] (named Sega Mega Drive in other countries)
*[[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]]
*[[PlayStation]]
*[[Nintendo GameCube]]
*[[PlayStation 2]]
*[[Xbox]]
*[[Xbox 360]]
*[[Nintendo DS]]
*[[Wii]]
*[[Nintendo 3DS]]
*[[Xbox One]]
*[[PlayStation 4]]
*[[Nintendo Switch]]
*[[PlayStation 5]]

==See also==
*[[Young mass murderers]]
*[[Video game controversy]]
*[[Jack Thompson]]
*[[Video game industry]]
*[[Addiction]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
*[http://www.whattheyplay.com/ What They Play - the parent's guide to video games]
*[http://www.leftbehindgames.com/index.php Left Behind Games - a Christian, family-friendly video game company]
*[https://www.theepochtimes.com/chapter-fourteen-popular-culture-a-decadent-indulgence_2685394.html Chapter Fourteen: Popular Culture–A Decadent Indulgence], ''The Epoch Times'' (from ''How the Specter of Communism Is Ruling Our World'').

[[Category:Entertainment]]
[[Category:Video Games]]
[[Category:Computers]]

Same-sex marriage

2022-02-16T04:55:54Z

KyleMT: Subject-Verb Disagreement

{{Homosexuality}}
'''Same-sex "marriage"''' (also called '''sodomite "marriage"''', '''homosexual "marriage"''' or '''"gay marriage"''') is a [[liberal]] attempt to advance the [[homosexual agenda]] and force the public to pay benefits for relationships that are not procreative and typically are not even monogamous. This is not only contrary to thousands of years of success based on a one-man/one-woman marriage system and in direct violation of the [[Bible]]<ref>It's a direct challenge to and nullification of Genesis 2:24, ''Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife''; of coarse, not every child has a mother and father anyway, so God must be unfair as well, the atheist theorizes.</ref> and most other religious teachings,<ref>"Same-sex marriage uses force of secular law to justify what the scripture of ''most modern religions'' has clearly labeled a sin: i.e., [[homosexual]] relations. At least one nation that has adopted same-sex "marriage" now requires the largest Christian church there to perform them also, despite its clear contradiction with the [[Bible]]</ref> but also antisocietal as can be shown by scientific device of [[Gedankenexperiment#Marriage vs. Homosexual Life-style|thought experiment]] used for investigation of nature of things.

On June 26, 2015, the United States Supreme Court, in a 5-4 ruling in the case of ''[[Obergefell v. Hodges]]'', illegally claimed that same-sex "marriage" was "legal" in all 50 states, despite not having the power or authority to make such a ruling. As a result, local, state and federal laws (as well as state constitutional provisions) that distinguish between heterosexual marriage and same-sex "marriage" are claimed by same-sex "marriage" supporters to be "unconstitutional" under the Fourteenth Amendment, even though, in fact, no such "right" to same-sex "marriage" exists in the Fourteenth Amendment or anywhere else in the Constitution. Contrary to [[Liberal deceit|the claims]] of many liberals, the decision advanced [[big government]] by making the definition of marriage a federal and constitutional issue, in addition to a government issue.

Same-sex "marriage" is legal in twenty-two countries: the [[Netherlands]], [[Belgium]], [[Brazil]], [[Spain]], [[Canada]], [[South Africa]], [[Norway]], [[Sweden]], [[Portugal]], [[Iceland]], [[Argentina]], [[Denmark]], [[Uruguay]], [[Finland]], [[Luxembourg]], [[Ireland]], [[New Zealand]],<ref>http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10878200</ref> [[France]], the [[United States]], [[Germany]]<ref>https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-41460032</ref> and the [[United Kingdom]] (excluding Northern Ireland) Additionally, in [[Mexico]], same-sex "marriage" is legal in the states of [[Quintana Roo]], [[Chihuahua]], [[Guerrero]] and [[Coahuila]], as well as in [[Mexico City]], a federal district similar to Washington, D.C. Other countries, such as [[Colombia]] and [[Chile]], recognize [[civil unions]] and [[domestic partnership]]s.<ref>[http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-03/05/content_311998.htm Countries worldwide address gay marriage]</ref><ref>[http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-08-05/tasmania-to-back-gay-marriage-intensifying-pressure-on-gillard]</ref>

In [[Norway]] and [[Sweden]], the adoption of same-sex "marriage" has led to a loss in respect for the marriage institution itself even for traditional couples. In [[Massachusetts]], the legalization of same-sex "marriage" led to a decline in property values.<ref>Florida, Richard, and Charlotta Mellander. "Journal of Economic Geography." There Goes the Metro: How and Why Bohemians, Artists and Gays Affect Regional Housing Values. Oxford University Press, 8 July 2009. Web. 30 June 2015. <http://joeg.oxfordjournals.org/content/10/2/167>.</ref> Also in response to the introduction of same-sex "marriage" the State Department of Public Health changed marriage certificates to read "Party A" and "Party B" instead of husband and wife.

In May 2012, voters in [[North Carolina]] banned both same-sex "marriage" and homosexual unions. North Carolina thereby became the 29th state to pass an [[amendment]] against same-sex "marriage", by a huge 61-39% margin.<ref>https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/north-carolina-voters-ban-gay-marriage-civil-unions/story?id=16307081#.T6nLvOjlvKY</ref> [[Barack Obama]]—heavily dependent on donations from homosexuals for his reelection—rushed to prop up the homosexual agenda by endorsing same-sex "marriage" after its stunning defeat in this [[swing state]].

Some studies and polls about same-sex "marriage" conducted in a few countries generally claim support for same-sex "marriage" increases with higher levels of education, and that younger people are more likely to support the legalization of it than older generations due to propaganda campaigns targeting the younger generation.<ref>{{cite web|title=Survey - Generations at Odds: The Millennial Generation and the Future of Gay and Lesbian Rights|url=http://publicreligion.org/research/2011/08/generations-at-odds/|publisher=[[Public Religion Research Institute]]|accessdate=25 September 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Pew Forum: Part 2: Gay Marriage|url=http://www.pewforum.org/PublicationPage.aspx?id=647|publisher=[[Pew Research Center]]|accessdate=25 September 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Poirier|first=Justine|title=Same-Sex Marriage: Let's Make a Change|url=http://www.montrealites.ca/justice/same-sex-marriage-lets-make-a-change.html|publisher=Montréalités Justice|accessdate=25 September 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Data Points: Support for Legal Same-Sex Marriage|url=http://chronicle.com/article/Chart-Support-for-Legal/64683/|accessdate=25 September 2012|newspaper=The Chronicle of Higher Education|date=16 March 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Support for Same‐Sex Marriage in Latin America|url=http://www.vanderbilt.edu/lapop/insights/I0844.enrevised.pdf|publisher=[[Vanderbilt University]]|accessdate=25 September 2012}}</ref> Polls show the most religious people regardless of age are more likely to oppose it.<ref>{{cite news|last=Waldman|first=Steven|title=A Common Missed Conception|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/life/faithbased/2003/11/a_common_missed_conception.html|accessdate=25 September 2012|newspaper=[[Slate (magazine)]]|date=19 November 2003}}</ref> Prior to 2012, in each U.S. state to hold a voter referendum on the issue, the public rejected same-sex marriage laws by a small majority.<ref>{{cite news|title=Maine voters reject gay-marriage law|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/feedarticle/8789627|accessdate=20 September 2012|newspaper=Associated Press via [[The Guardian]]|date=4 November 2009}}</ref> However, In 2012, [[Maine]], [[Washington]] and [[Maryland]] voted in favor of same-sex marriage. In April 2013, [[Rhode Island]] became the tenth state to begin recognizing same-sex marriage.<ref>https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/ri-track-10th-state-gay-marriage-19038311</ref> Additionally, recent polls from liberal poll organizations claim to indicate that more than half of Americans "support" same-sex "marriage", approximately 53%.<ref name=Gallup2011>{{cite web|last=Newport|first=Frank|title=For First Time, Majority of Americans Favor Legal Gay Marriage|url=https://www.gallup.com/poll/147662/First-Time-Majority-Americans-Favor-Legal-Gay-Marriage.aspx|publisher=[[The Gallup Organization|Gallup]]|accessdate=25 September 2012}}</ref><ref name=ABC2012>{{cite web|url=http://www.langerresearch.com/uploads/1137a2GayMarriage.pdf |title=ABC News/Washington Post poll: Strong Support for Gay Marriage Now Exceeds Strong Opposition – 23 May 2012 |format=PDF |accessdate=16 September 2012}}</ref><ref name=CNN2012>{{cite web|url=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2012/images/06/06/rel5e.pdf |title=CNN Opinion Research – May 29-31, 2012 |format=PDF |accessdate=16 September 2012}}</ref>

Campaigns advocating same-sex "marriage" were at the forefront of the [[Homosexual rights advocacy|homosexual rights movement]]'s attempt to elevate [[homosexuality]] to the same moral plane as [[heterosexuality]], overturning centuries of established tradition whereby homosexuals would keep their (according to many Christians) sinful acts hidden. Some opponents of same-sex "marriage" claim its purpose is to destroy the [[family]] as an institution, merely to secure a legal basis for [[sexual freedom]]. According to some opponents of same-sex "marriage", the primary purpose of marriage is to bring joy to society as much as to safeguard the development of happy families, and it is not for individual glory. They believe that unrelated people living together make each other miserable and harm society. Among the many reasons homosexuals might advocate same-sex "marriage" are the ability to make emergent healthcare decisions for a loved one in the absence of a durable power of attorney or living will, the alteration of the laws of intestate succession to include homosexual partners, and the same tax treatment as heterosexual married couples.

Current [[United States]] [[law]] defines "marriage" as "one man, one woman" for purposes of the federal [[Defense of Marriage Act]], which prohibits the federal government from recognizing same-sex relationships as marriages for any purpose, even if permitted under state law, and permits a state to disregard a same-sex "marriage" entered into in another state. However, due to the liberal [[Supreme Court]] overturning section 3 of DOMA as "unconstitutional", the federal government currently recognizes homosexual "marriages" as equal to the traditional, correct marriage. An interesting consequence of the federal definition of "marriage" is that it specifically rules out [[polygamy]]. 

== Background ==
Public opinion about same-sex "marriage" has shifted rapidly. In the United States, the period between 2012 and 2015 marked a rapid shift in the public debate on this issue. While religious teachers continue to discuss this important topic, the matter has not received much public discussion since 2015. Indeed, in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, it was not a major issue raised by the candidates. Of the responses in a May 2016 Gallop Poll, 61% favored same-sex "marriage" and 37% opposed it.<ref>https://www.gallup.com/poll/117328/Marriage.aspx Retrieved March 3, 2017</ref> Responses in a 2016 Pew Forum poll found that only 27% of white evangelical Protestants and 39% of black Protestants favor same-sex "marriage" while it is supported by a majority of other religious groups and 80% of the nonaffiliated category.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pewforum.org/2016/05/12/changing-attitudes-on-gay-marriage/|date=May 12, 2016|title=Changing Attitudes on Gay Marriage|accessdate=March 7, 2017}}</ref>

In the United States, marriage is primarily governed by each individual state and marriage laws differ from state to state. Several states allow [[civil union]]s between two people of the same sex, and 37, [[Massachusetts]], [[Connecticut]], [[Vermont]], [[New Hampshire]], [[New York]], [[Maryland]], [[Maine]], [[Washington]], [[Rhode Island]], [[Iowa]], [[California]], [[Delaware]], [[Minnesota]], [[New Jersey]], [[Hawaii]], [[Illinois]], [[Oregon]], [[Idaho]], [[Nevada]], [[Utah]], [[Wyoming]], [[Montana]], [[Colorado]], [[Arizona]], [[Kansas]], [[Oklahoma]], [[Florida]], [[North Carolina]], [[South Carolina]], [[Virginia]], [[West Virginia]], [[Alaska]] and [[New Mexico]], plus the [[Washington, D.C.|District of Columbia]], currently issue same-sex "marriage" licenses, although most of these states were illegally forced to do so by activist federal courts acting outside of their mandate. Only in [[Maine]], [[Maryland]], and [[Washington]] has same-sex "marriage" been approved by popular vote. [[Minnesota]] was the first state, in 2012, in which voters voted against a state constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman. Same-sex "marriages" were legal in [[Alabama]] for one month in 2015 following a federal court decision, but were halted by the Alabama Supreme Court pending the June 2015 ruling of the United State Supreme Court on the matter. Same-sex "marriages" are recognized by the federal government since the overturning of section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act, however, recognition varies between departments of the federal government, with some departments referring to the legality or non-legality of the "marriage" in which the "couple" resides, and others referring to the legality or non-legality of the "marriage" according to where the "marriage" took place.

In 1996 Congress recognized the likelihood that [[liberal]] activists would soon seek changes to the laws in some states that pertain to homosexuals. It considered the possibility of test cases reaching the Supreme Court, and of the court conceivably ruling that a state—even though it prohibits same-sex "marriage" itself—must honor same-sex "marriages" performed in another state pursuant to the Full Faith and Credit Clause of the United States Constitution. The Defense of Marriage Act, which was passed and signed by President Clinton, prevents this possibility, and also prevents the Federal Government from recognizing marriage as anything other than a union between a man and a woman. Its Constitutionality has not yet been tested under the Full Faith and Credit Clause, the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, or the Due Process Clause of the 5th Amendment.

In 1999 a Vermont court ruled that under its constitution, it was not required to allow same-sex "marriage" but was required to make provisions to grant same-sex couples legal rights identical to those provided by marriage. Vermont responded by creating "civil unions," which are legally distinct from marriages but convey the same rights. In 2009, the Vermont legislature overrode the governor's veto to pass a bill allowing same-sex "marriage".

In 2003 the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled that under Massachusetts' constitution, same-sex couples could not be denied Massachusetts marriage licenses, making Massachusetts the first state to issue same-sex "marriage" licenses. As of April 2009, same-sex "marriage" was legal in four states, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, and Iowa.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/08/us/08vermont.html?_r=1&hp ''Vermont Legislature Makes Same-Sex Marriage Legal'']</ref><ref>[http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081010/ap_on_re_us/connecticut_same_sex_marriage Conn. high court rules gay couples can marry]</ref>

Beginning in 2008, the states of Washington, and [[Oregon]] also provide for same-sex unions. Washington later legalized same-sex "marriage". [[Hawaii]] provides certain benefits to same sex couples.<ref>[http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/connecticut/ny-bc-ct--civilunions-optio0531may31,0,341613.story?coll=ny-region-apconnecticut Newsday]</ref> The State of New Hampshire issued civil unions until the summer of 2009, when it passed a bill approving same-sex "marriage" <ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/04/us/04marriage.html "New Hampshire Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage"]</ref> The state began issuing same-sex "marriage" licenses in January, 2010.
[[File:Barack and Michael.png|right|200px|thumb|The Obamas came out openly for gay marriage in 2012.<ref>https://medium.com/the-progressive-teen/the-obama-legacy-the-legalization-of-gay-marriage-94e13b12370a</ref>]]
In the fall of 2009, a same-sex "marriage" bill was introduced to the [[Washington, D.C.]] city council by At-Large Council Member David Catania (who is openly homosexual). After two days of testimony involving nearly 250 witnesses,<ref>[https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/D_C_-Council-hears-from-both-sides-in-gay-marriage-debate-8442433-66188647.html ''D.C. Council hears from both sides in gay marriage debate'']</ref> the council voted to approve the bill, 11-2. Once signed by the Mayor, the bill went to Congress for a mandatory [[DC Home Rule|30-day review period]]. While opponents of the bill vowed to fight it in Congress<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/15/AR2009121500945.html "DC Council Approves Same-Sex Marriage"]</ref> it passed and became law in 2010.

Five years after ''Hernandez v. Robles'', a New York Court of Appeals case in which the court declined to legalize same-sex "marriage" in New York via judicial fiat, the New York legislature voted for same-sex "marriage" on June 24, 2011.<ref>https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/breaking-gay-marriage-passes-in-new-york</ref>

Same-sex "marriages" were legal for a brief period in the state of [[California]], but the people of that state voted to repeal the law in the fall of 2008,<ref>[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122586056759900673.html "California Votes for Prop 8"]</ref> through a ballot initiative known as [[Proposition 8]]. The legislature of Maine approved a same-sex "marriage" bill in May 2009 <ref>[https://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/05/06/maine.same.sex.marriage/index.html "Lawmakers approve same-sex marriage in N.H., Maine"]</ref> but opponents lobbied to have the bill put up to a popular vote, and it was defeated by the voters in the fall of 2009.<ref>[https://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/11/04/maine.same.sex/index.html "Maine rejects same-sex marriage law"]</ref> Same-sex "marriage" eventually became legal again in California in 2013 after the United States Supreme Court declined to rule on the case after deciding that those defending it did not have standing to do so, after the gubernatorial administration of California and the attorney general of California had refused to defend the law.

In Israel, all marriages must be performed by a religious organization - there is no "civil" marriage. Specific religions may determine the definition of marriages that they perform, and none currently recognize same-sex couples. However, a Supreme Court decision determined that Israel must recognize all marriages performed outside the country, same-sex or opposite-sex. In September 2011, an Orthodox Jewish rabbi in Israel attempted to marry homosexual males to homosexual females so they could start a conventional family. However, the plan drew criticism both from liberals, who said the plan was meant to discourage homosexuality, and from conservatives, who argued the plan promoted loveless relationships.<ref>"Israeli rabbi pairs gays to lesbians" http://news.yahoo.com/israeli-rabbi-pairs-gays-lesbians-061904417.html</ref>

In the Netherlands overseas territories of [[Aruba]], [[Curacao]], and [[Sint Maarten]], same-sex "marriages" are not performed, but all marriages performed in the mainland portion of the country (including same-sex) are recognized. In [[Brazil]], same-sex civil unions can be converted to marriages by state judges on a case-by-case basis. Additionally, the state of [[Rhode Island]] recognizes, but does not perform, same-sex "marriages." Furthermore, [[California]] recognizes all same-sex "marriages" performed in or out of state before the passage of [[Proposition 8]].

Some opponents of same-sex "marriage" believe that the religious ceremony of marriage is governed by each denomination and is unaffected by laws passed by civil authority. Same-sex "marriage" is forbidden in Orthodox Judaism, Catholicism, and most mainstream Protestant denominations. In Conservative Judaism (no relation to the political philosophy known as "conservatism"), synagogues and rabbis are allowed, but not required, to recognize and perform same-sex "marriages". Reform Judaism also allows rabbis to use "good faith" on this issue, but as the least-religious branch of Judaism, they take this stance on most issues. Additionally, homosexuality (and by extension same-sex "marriage") is forbidden in [[Islam]].

Many [[libertarian]]s argue [[marriage privatization|eliminating any legal definition of "marriage"]] and simply granting legal benefits to all couples under a neutral name would solve this problem and satisfy both sides. This is called "marriage privatization". Many religious conservatives still feel this is unacceptable - see that article for more details.

Public attitudes toward same-sex "marriage" parallels attitudes toward homosexuality.

==Morality==
Social [[conservatives]] regard same-sex "marriage" as immoral, and argue that use of the word "[[marriage]]" is a misnomer, because the [[Form of Solemnization of Matrimony|marriage services]] of Christian denominations define marriage as the union of a man and a woman. Some social liberals try to use this debate as an excuse to take the socially-conservative view of marriage out of the law. In some Christian marriage ceremonies, the wedding will begin with a statement along the lines of: "Dearly beloved: We have come together in the presence of God to witness and bless the joining together of this man and this woman in Holy Matrimony,"<ref>''The Book of Common Prayer,'' Episcopal Church, The Church Hymnal Corporation and the Seabury Press, 1979: "The Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage," p. 423</ref> a definition which was also written into United States federal law in 1996.<ref>[http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode01/usc_sec_01_00000007----000-.html US Code - Title 1, section 7]</ref>

Dr. [[James Dobson]]'s [[Focus on the Family]] organization prefers the phrase ''same-sex "marriage"'' (which is also the phrasing preferred by Conservapedia), with quotation marks around the word "marriage," to call attention to his belief that marriage—civil as well as religious—is intrinsically a union between a man and a woman, and that that same-sex unions are counterfeits.<ref>[http://www.family.org/socialissues/A000000464.cfm Same-Sex 'Marriage' and Civil Unions], ''Focus on the Family's'' website</ref>

Use of the term "same-sex 'marriage'" was unheard of a few decades ago; however, these unions are now among a number of issues advocated by [[liberal]] activists. They argue that heterosexual people are allowed to marry and so the homosexual population should be given that right too.

Some advocates of same-sex "marriage" view marriage as a purely civil matter, which in the history of the United States is a position taken particularly strongly by Puritan colonists, who viewed the interjection of religion into the franchise of marriage as scandalous to Christ's Church.

== Motivation for advocating it==
[[Image:Cycle.gif|thumbnail|200px|right|A recent study by the [[Canada|Canadian]] government states that "violence was twice as common among homosexual couples compared with [[heterosexual]] couples".<ref>http://www.statcan.ca/english/research/85-570-XIE/2006001/findings/risk.htm Aforementioned Canadian Study.</ref>]]
[[James Dobson]] cites Stanley Kurtz to argue that the motivation of those advocating same-sex "marriage" is not to secure the benefits of marriage for homosexual couples, but to destroy the institution of marriage itself:
:...most gays and lesbians do not want to marry each other. That would entangle them in all sorts of legal constraints. Who needs a lifetime commitment to one person? The intention here is to destroy marriage altogether. With marriage as we know it gone, everyone would enjoy all the legal benefits of marriage (custody rights, tax-free inheritance, joint ownership of property, health care and spousal citizenship, etc.,) without limiting the number of partners or their gender. Nor would "couples" be bound to each other in the eyes of the law. This is clearly where the movement is headed.<ref>Stanley Kurtz, "Beyond Marriage," The Weekly Standard, August 4/August 11, 2003. - cited in [http://www.focusonthefamily.com/docstudy/newsletters/A000000771.cfm Marriage on the Ropes], Dr. James Dobson, retrieved from ''Focus on the Family'', 15 May 2007.</ref>

Homosexuals are beginning to admit they want what Mollenkott proposes, namely the destruction of the concept of [[monogamy]] and [[traditional marriage]] altogether. What they really are after is a society that recognizes every sexual arrangement as normal - even [[group sex]]ual liaisons and [[polygamy]].<ref name=pjones>
Peter Jones, ''The God of Sex: How Spirituality Defines Your Sexuality'', page 22</ref>

In reality nobody is trying to stop homosexuals from [[Sexual intercourse|doing what they want to do]], or tell them they can't live together, or have a domestic partnership. The only reason many people oppose same-sex "marriage" is to prevent the definition of "marriage", more of a religious institution than a legal one, from changing, and to avoid being forced to have to recognize a union between two persons of the same gender as if it were equivalent to a marriage between a man and a woman.

==Child-rearing and adoption==

According to a March, 2007 report, there are 65,000 adopted children in the U.S. being raised by same-sex couples. The same report says 14,100 foster children were being raised by one or more homosexual or lesbian foster parents.<ref>[https://www.cnn.com/2007/US/06/25/gay.adoption/index.html Gay adoption: A new take on the American family]</ref>

In Great Britain, the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has expressed its full support to the stand taken by the Catholic Church opposing regulations on homosexual adoption. The Catholic Church sought to be exempt from the new law. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams of the Church of England, supports the Catholic Church's efforts declaring that the rights of conscience cannot be subject to laws. Catholic leaders have already said that its teachings prevent its agencies placing children with homosexuals and they will have to close if bound by the rules. The MCB, the UK's leading Muslim umbrella group embracing over 400 affiliated organizations, said that while it supported anti-discrimination laws, homosexuality is forbidden in Islam.<ref>[http://www2.irna.com/en/news/view/menu-234/0701266670200554.htm UK Muslim group backs Christian opposition to gay adoption rules London], Islamic republic News Agency, Jan 26, 2007.</ref>

Several states, including [[New York]], allow any two adults living together to adopt a child regardless of marital status or sex. This law provided a method for same-sex couples to adopt children even before New York legalized same-sex "marriage".

==Homosexual promiscuity==
''See also:'' [[Homosexuality and promiscuity]]

Studies indicate that homosexual couples have higher rates of promiscuity than heterosexual couples.<ref>[http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=IS04C02 Comparing the Lifestyles of Homosexual Couples to Married Couples]</ref> Allowing homosexuals to "marry" would make them seek more partners.<ref>2004 General Social Survey, Statistics Canada, Canada's National Statistical Agency, July 7, 2005</ref>

==Homosexual violence and abuse==
In addition, studies report that [[Homosexual Couples and Domestic Violence|homosexual couples have significantly higher incidences of violent behavior]]. These studies are not surprising given what pathologists have stated regarding the commonness and brutality of homosexual murders{{fact}} (see [[Homosexuality and Murders]]). The prevalence of violence and emotional abuse in same-sex domestic partnerships. One survey found 53% of homosexuals felt if the high incidence of violence against partners in homosexual relationships was known and understood by the heterosexual population, it would hinder the drive for homosexual rights.

Domestic abuse is divided into two categories, emotional abuse and physical abuse. While homosexual domestic abuse has not been studied to the extent that heterosexual relationships have, [[Homosexual Couples and Domestic Violence|preliminary studies indicate a much higher level of abuse]].

==Family breakdown ==
Bishop Harry Jackson has shown how same-sex "marriage" is causally linked to the breakdown of the family in recent decades, particularly the black family.<ref>[https://townhall.com/columnists/harryrjacksonjr/2008/10/13/the_naacp_abandons_the_black_family The NAACP Abandons the Black Family]</ref> As noted in the 1965 [[Daniel Patrick Moynihan|Moynihan]] Report,<ref>[http://www.dol.gov/oasam/programs/history/webid-meynihan.htm The Negro Family: The Case for National Action]</ref> the breakdown of the African-American family is a national concern. He has attributed support for same-sex "marriage" in the District of Columbia and Maryland to a demonic force called the [[Queen of Heaven]].<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=GMnaW-0rQ-U Harry Jackson, Cindy Jacobs Rally Against Same-Sex Marriage]</ref>

Subsequent to same-sex "marriage" becoming law in [[Massachusetts]], property values declined and many left the State, in contrast to those states that do not recognize it.{{citation needed}}

One study published in liberal magazine ''Time'', however, claims that the children of same-sex couples or homosexual parents have equal or higher scores in psychological evaluations as well as cognitive. Researchers Nanette Gartrell, a professor of psychiatry at the University of California at San Francisco, and Henry Bos, a behavioral scientist at the University of Amsterdam, led a study focused on planned lesbian families in which a lesbian couple had chosen to adopt children or undergo artificial insemination to start a family. The study claims that these children were shown to have higher self esteems and confidence which in turn enabled them to have higher test results academically than their straight-parent counterparts.<ref>[http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1994480,00.html],Study: Children of Lesbians May Do Better Than Their Peers</ref>

Same sex union stability has been studied in Norway and Sweden using registered partnerships.
Although in these countries patterns in divorce risks are rather similar in same-sex and opposite-sex marriages, marriages and that unions of lesbians are considerably less stable, or more dynamic, than unions of homosexual men. Divorce risk for female partnerships is practically double that for male partnerships. The authors argued a higher propensity for divorce in same-sex couples is perhaps not surprising given this group's lower exposure to normative pressure to maintain lifelong unions.
<ref>[http://link.springer.com/article/10.1353/dem.2006.0001],Andersson, Gunnar, et al. "The demographics of same-sex marriages in Norway and Sweden." Demography 43.1 (2006): 79-98.</ref>

==Social dysfunction==
Legalization of same-sex "marriage" is correlated with social betterment<ref>[http://www.allaboutlove.org/same-sex-marriage-countries.htm Same Sex Marriage Countries]</ref> that states and countries banning it have avoided. States and countries legalizing same-sex "marriage" have markedly different levels of quality of life from those that have banned it. For example, 8 of the 10 states with the highest median income have legalized same-sex "marriage" (Maryland, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Hawaii, Delaware, and California).

==Collapse of civilizations==
Some ancient civilizations that recognized same-sex "marriage" was successful, while some that refused to recognize collapsed.<ref>[http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Slippery-Slope-Of-Same-Sex-Marriage&id=824855 The Slippery Slope of Same Sex Marriage]</ref> However, [[Correlation is not causation]], and there is not even a large enough data set to get a correlation.

==Legal disadvantages for heterosexuals==
Legalization of same-sex "marriage" would confer [[special rights]] on homosexuals, thereby placing heterosexuals at a legal disadvantage.<ref>[http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2009/December/New-Jersey-Lawmakers-Drop-Same-Sex-Marriage-Bill/ New Jersey Lawmakers Drop Same-Sex Marriage Bill], from [[CBN]]</ref>

The fact that the strongest predictor of support for same-sex "marriage" is level of education<ref>[http://www.gainesville.com/article/20090902/ARTICLES/909021016?p=1&tc=pg UF study: Education best predicted support for gay marriage ban]</ref> shows that [[brainwashing]] into [[professor values]] has a corrosive effect on morality.

According to Bill Borst, a regular substitute radio host for conservative [[Phyllis Schlafly]] on WSIV, rights are a [[zero-sum game]].<ref>[http://bbprof.wordpress.com/2010/11/18/the-new-three-rs/ The New Three R's], by Bill Borst</ref> If this is true, granting same-sex couples the right to "marry" will necessarily come at the expense of the rights of others.

==See also==
*[[Obergefell v. Hodges]]
*[[Anti-Defamation League]]
*[[Gay bowel syndrome]]
*[[Homosexuality and the Bible]]
*[[Homosexuality and biblical interpretation]]
*Marriage vs. Homosexual Life-style in [[Gedankenexperiment#Marriage vs. Homosexual Life-style|Thought experiment]]
*[[Same-sex marriage bans]]
*[[Christian Nations Rejecting Homosexual Marriage]]
*[[Social experiment]]

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=35em}}

==External links==
*[http://www.nogaymarriage.com/tenarguments.asp Gay Marriage: Why Would It Affect Me? Ten Arguments Against Same Sex Marriage], NoGayMarriage.com
*[http://www.robgagnon.net/homoPresbyTodayArticle.htm Why “Gay Marriage” Is Wrong, by Robert A. J. Gagnon, Ph.D.]

[[Category:Homosexual Agenda]]
[[Category:Hollywood Values]]

Barack Hussein Obama

2022-02-16T04:53:40Z

KyleMT: Clarification

{{Officeholder
|name=Barack Hussein Obama II
|image= Obama 2014.jpeg
|party=[[Democratic Party]]
|spouse=[[Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama]]; may have had a prior marriage.<ref>Corsi, Jerome R. (July 19, 2012). [https://www.wnd.com/2012/07/was-barack-obama-married-in-college/ "Was Barack Obama married in college?"]. WorldNetDaily website. See [[WND]]</ref>
|religion=Islam (See [[Obama's Religion]])
|offices={{Officeholder/president
|country=the United States
|number=44th
|terms=January 20, 2009 – January 20, 2017
|vp=[[Joe Biden]]
|preceded=[[George W. Bush]]
|former=n
|succeeded=[[Donald Trump]]
}}
{{Officeholder/senator
|state=Illinois
|terms=January 3, 2005 – November 16, 2008
|preceded=Peter Fitzgerald
|former=y
|succeeded=[[Roland Burris]]
}}
{{Officeholder/misc
|office=Illinois Senate, 13th District
|terms=January 8, 1997 – November 4, 2004
|preceded=[[Alice Palmer]]
|succeeded=Kwame Raoul
}}
}}

'''Barack Hussein Obama II''' (born in [[Honolulu, Hawaii]] on August 4, 1961, age 60) was the 44th President of the [[United States]]. Elected as America's first "post-racial" president according to mainstream [[fake news]] media, Obama exacerbated racial tensions and left a dismal legacy of a divided<ref>Pollak, Joel B. (July 22, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/07/22/pollak-barack-obama-wrote-playbook-on-political-division/ Pollak: Barack Obama Wrote the Playbook on Political Division]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved July 22, 2019.</ref> America along [[Marxist]] class, racial, and "[[gender confusion|gender normative]]" lines.<ref>https://www.cnn.com/2016/10/05/politics/obama-race-relations-poll/</ref> In his final year in office, Barack Obama illegally meddled in the [[2016 Presidential election]] and attempted to blame the [[Russian]]s for it.<ref>https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2018/02/10/poll-americans-overwhelmingly-believe-obama-improperly-surveilled-trump-campaign/</ref> In early January 2017, Obama empowered holdovers in his administration to engage in [[sedition]] against the [[Trump transition]] team and newly elected [[Trump administration]].<ref>*https://consortiumnews.com/2017/06/08/soft-coup-on-trump-hiding-in-plain-sight/ *[http://archive.is/9KxFz How Obama Ran the Trump Coup], By Robert A. Taft, Feb 17, 2020. https://www.investmentwatchblog.com/it-was-exactly-like-sedition-the-obama-trump-transition-was-more-like-sedition/</ref> Barack Obama is the first American president since the transition of [[James Buchanan]] to [[Abraham Lincoln]] who refused a peaceful transfer of power to his elected successor. Despite his personal involvement,<ref>https://www.foxnews.com/politics/read-declassified-susan-rice-email-about-jan-5-2017-oval-office-meeting-with-obama</ref> Obama was not [[impeachment and removal|impeached]] for [[Spygate]] [[crime]]s after leaving office.<ref>https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/matt-margolis/2020/05/09/this-oval-office-meeting-attended-by-obama-and-biden-was-key-to-the-anti-trump-plot-n389501</ref>

According to [[Joe Biden]], who served for more than four decades in the nation's capital, there were no clean, bright, and articulate Blacks prior to Barack Obama.<ref>https://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/01/31/biden.obama/</ref> Obama was the first partial non-birthing person of color to hold the office of president. Obama was selected for admission to [[Harvard Law School]]. In a paper he wrote as a student, he dismissed the American dream as "unfounded optimism" while noting that [[Donald Trump]] is the true idol of the American working class.<ref>Obama wrote: “[Americans have] a continuing normative commitment to the ideals of individual freedom and mobility, values that extend far beyond the issue of race in the American mind. The depth of this commitment may be summarily dismissed as the unfounded optimism of the average American—I may not be Donald Trump now, but just you wait; if I don’t make it, my children will.” ([http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2017/05/everything-wrong-with-obama-in-two-sentences-with-a-twist.php Everything Wrong with Obama in Two Sentences-with a Twist]").</ref>

Obama insisted on successful policies, such as [[ObamaCare]], and yet had an arrogant dismissal of his critics.<ref>
*[https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/dec/7/assessing-the-obama-legacy-he-has-failed/ Assessing the Obama legacy], Washington Times, December 7, 2016
*[https://www.nationalreview.com/article/442299/barack-obama-progressive-arrogance-leads-backlash Its Arrogance and Condescension Finally Catches Up with the Left], ''National Review'', 2016
*[https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/11/17/president-obamas-biggest-mistake-in-office-thinking-you-can-separate-politics-from-policy/?utm_term=.802d414c3589 President Obama admits his biggest mistake: Arrogance], ''Washington Post'', 2015</ref> A hard veil of censorship and domestic spying abuses fell during his administration on investigative journalists, political opponents, and critics.<ref>https://www.amazon.com/Smear-Shady-Political-Operatives-Control/dp/0062468162</ref> Much of Obama's personal life was shrouded in mystery<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sca-BjFJb_Q</ref> as a fawning media promoted his agenda of uprooting cultural norms. Critics of Obamacare or [[gay marriage]] typically were smeared as racist. The US Intelligence Community was used to spy on, harass, and intimidate independent journalists and political opponents.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20120925054433/http://wikileaks.org:80/gifiles/docs/1210665_obama-leak-investigations-internal-use-only-pls-do-not.html</ref> His presidency was marred by anemic economic growth, rising federal debt, his poor foreign policies and multiple political scandals.<ref>
*[https://www.realclearmarkets.com/articles/2016/02/01/barack_obamas_sad_record_on_economic_growth_101987.html Barack Obama's Sad Record on Economic Growth], Real Clear Markets, February of 2016
*[https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/terence-p-jeffrey/debt-under-obama-9000000000000 Debt Under Obama Up $9,000,000,000,000], CNS News, October 2016
*[https://foreignpolicy.com/2017/01/18/barack-obama-was-a-foreign-policy-failure/ Barack Obama Was a Foreign-Policy Failure], ForeignPolicy.com
*[https://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/2016/08/20/obamas-legacy-of-failure-in-the-middle-east/ Obama’s Legacy of Failure in the Middle East], ''Foreign Policy Journal'', 2016
*[https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/01/02/18-major-scandals-obama-presidency/ 18 Major Scandals in Obama’s ‘Scandal-Free’ Presidency], Breitbart, January of 2017
*[http://akdart.com/obama101.html Lists of Obama scandals], Andrew K. Dart, http://akdart.com updated January 2019.</ref> Obama separated families at the border and locked children in cages.<ref>https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-07-01/fact-check-did-obama-detain-90000-children-border</ref> Pursuing a foreign policy that undermined American interests, he developed close relations with foreign dictators and shunned democratic movements.<ref>Pollak, Joel B. (July 12, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2019/07/12/pollak-everything-joe-biden-said-about-donald-trumps-foreign-policy-actually-describes-barack-obamas/ Pollak: Everything Joe Biden Said About Donald Trump’s Foreign Policy Actually Describes Barack Obama’s]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved July 12, 2019.</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/HeshmatAlavi/status/1038127594682675200 Heshmat Alavi]. ''Twitter''. September 7, 2018. Retrieved July 16, 2019.</ref> He failed to see the backlash against his "transformational" [[Cultural Marxist]] programs and said in February 2016, "I continue to believe that Mr. [[Donald Trump|Trump]] will not be president."<ref>[https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/obama-i-continue-believe-trump-will-not-be-president-n519751 Obama: ‘I Continue to Believe Trump Will Not Be President’], NBC, 2016</ref> Some people say that Obama is the worst president in history.<ref>Bedard, Paul (September 7, 2018). [https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/washington-secrets/list-200-reasons-why-obama-is-worst-president-in-history List: 200 reasons why Obama is ‘worst president in history’]. ''Washington Examiner''. Retrieved September 7, 2018.</ref>

[[Barack Obama and abortion|Obama is pro-abortion]]. In fact, he was the most pro-abortion president to date.<ref>[https://www.sba-list.org/suzy-b-blog/obama-most-pro-abortion-president-ever "Obama: The most pro-abortion president ever"] (July 12, 2011). The Susan B. Anthony List website/The Suzy B Blog.</ref> Obama dedicated himself to promoting abortion—rather than reduce them as he promised. Just to name a few of the administrative actions by which he has done this would include expanding abortions through [[Obamacare]], appointing many pro-abortion judges and officials, moving to strip medical professionals of rights of conscience, and forcing taxpayers to support the pro-abortion movement around the globe.

Obama partnered with [[al Qaeda]] and [[Islamic State]] elements in [[Syria]] for a [[regime change]] war against [[Bashar al Assad]].<ref>https://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/asia/item/19583-moderate-rebels-armed-by-obama-join-al-qaeda-isis</ref> Assad was a voice for pluralism and inclusion, protecting Christians, Jews, Yazidis and minorities against Obama-backed [[Islamofascist]]s.<ref>https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2011/09/2011912135213927196.html</ref>

Despite framing himself as an advocate for the poor, speaking about income inequality and [[socialism]], Obama is a [[limousine liberal]] as his life after his presidency attests. Obama is famously known for inciting mob [[violence]] by promising to "punish our enemies,"<ref>https://menrec.com/5-times-obama-encouraged-violence-republicans/</ref> and "if they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun,"<ref>https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/campaigns/44441-obama-on-gop-if-they-bring-a-knife-to-the-fight-we-bring-a-gun</ref>

==Biography==
'''Early controversies'''
{{TOC right}}
:''Main article : [[Early life and career of Barack Hussein Obama]]''
Obama claims to have been born in [[Honolulu, Hawaii]] on August 4, 1961, to Stanley Ann Dunham and possibly [[Barack Obama Sr.]]—a [[bigamy|bigamist]] who already had a wife in Kenya.<ref name=msnbc>[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23257295/ns/msnbc_tv-documentaries/t/obama-becomes-rising-star-among-democrats/ "Obama becomes rising star among Democrats: Transcript of 'The Candidates: Barack Obama'"] (February 20, 2008). MSNBC. Retrieved from NBC News website/MSNBC TV documentaries. See [[MSNBC]].</ref> Some contend that this story is a complete fabrication. [[Obama]] was reportedly given a social security number whose first three digits were assigned at that time to applications coming from zip codes in Connecticut.<ref>Beginning in 1972, all [[Social Security]] numbers were issued from a central office in Baltimore, Maryland. [https://www.ssa.gov/history/ssn/geocard.html "The SSN numbering scheme"] (March 2001 or bef.) Social Security: Official Social Security website/History/Social Security Numbers.</ref> Obama traveled to Pakistan, India, and Indonesia in 1981, however, he never obtained a U.S. passport until 2004 after he was elected to the United States Senate. During the 2008 presidential primaries, a firm headed by [[John Brennan]] hacked into the [[U.S. State Department]]'s visa files and accessed Obama's passport files using whichever Social Security numbers Obama was using at the time.<ref>http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/03/22/passport.files/index.html</ref> An FBI informant and whistleblower who worked for Brennan, and was the key witness, was found murdered by a gunshot wound two weeks later.<ref>https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/apr/19/key-witness-in-passport-fraud-case-fatally-shot/</ref> Obama later appointed Brennan to a key White House position and as [[CIA]] director in his second term. Brennan was referred for [[criminal]] investigation in 2019 in Obama's [[Spygate]] scandal.

Claims that Obama was born in [[Kenya]] have been traced to sources hired by Obama. In 1991, Obama's literary agent, Acton & Dystel, published a promotional booklet stating that Obama was born in Kenya.<ref>Multiple references:
*Pollak, Joel B. (May 17, 2012). [https://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/05/17/The-Vetting-Barack-Obama-Literary-Agent-1991-Born-in-Kenya-Raised-Indonesia-Hawaii "The vetting—exclusive—Obama's literary agent in 1991 booklet: 'Born in Kenya and raised in Indonesia and Hawaii'"]. Breitbart website/Big government. See [[Breitbart.com]].
*Newby, John (May 17, 2012). [http://www.examiner.com/article/publisher-s-1991-booklet-says-barack-obama-was-born-kenya "Publisher's 1991 booklet says Barack Obama 'was born in Kenya'"]. Examiner.com website/News/Politics/Republican.</ref> The claim that Obama was born in Kenya remained on the agent's website until 2007.<ref>Shapiro, Ben (May 17, 2012). [https://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/05/17/Obama-pamphlet-in-use-2007 "Obama's lit agency used 'born in Kenya' bio until 2007"]. Breitbart website/Big government. See [[Breitbart.com]].</ref> Internet archives confirm this information.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070403190001/http://www.dystel.com/clientlist.html "Client list"]. Dystel and Goderic Literary Management website. Retrieved from April 3, 2007 archive at Internet Archive.</ref> In addition to the information from literary agents, Michelle Obama stated in a speech that Kenya is Obama's "homeland".<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLzJz2A2N1c "Michelle Obama: Kenya is Barack Obama's homeland!"] (Michelle Obama speaking at the 2008 LGBT Democratic Convention delegate luncheon hosted by the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund and the Human Rights Campaign: "The world as it should be", August 26, 2008) (April 7, 2010). YouTube video, 0:30, posted by Rubystars0000. See [[Human Rights Campaign]].</ref> At a speech in Kenya shortly after his presidency ended, Obama publicly stated that, "Now, three years ago, I visited Kenya as the first sitting American President to come from Kenya."<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L36sGc4Id2I Obama's speech at the launch of Sauti Kuu Foundation in Kogelo] at YouTube (Obama's admission starts at 5:48 of the video)</ref>

Obama's birth parents divorced in 1963 when his mother discovered Barack Obama Sr. was already married to a woman living in Kenya.<ref>Birrell, Ian (August 12, 2011). [https://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/books/article-2024819/Barack-Obamas-father-Bigamist-drunk-wife-beater.html "Barack Obama's father: Bigamist, drunk and wife-beater, [review of] ''The Other Barack'' by Sally H. Jacobs (Pubic Affairs £20)"]. MailOnline/U.K./Books [U.K.] This is one of the first misleading statements about Barack Obama when he was introduced to America as Keynote Speaker at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Advance publicity billed him as the "son of Kenyan economist" when, in fact, Obama Sr. was forced out of the graduate program at Harvard because of his bigamy. He returned to Kenya. Obama at the age 9 once briefly met his father who served in the corrupt Kenyan socialist regime's Department of [[Economic Planning]]. Obama Sr. killed himself in a drunken car accident.</ref> When Obama was 2 years old his mother married Lolo Soetoro, an [[Indonesian]] geologist. At age 6 his mother and adoptive father took him to Jakarta, Indonesia for 4 years while his mother pursued a Ph.D. in Anthropology requiring fieldwork there.<ref name="db mother">{{cite web|url=https://server5.kproxy.com/servlet/redirect.srv/sruj/scclqomayrvxbo/stuv/p2/blogs-and-stories/2011-05-03/a-singular-woman-by-janny-scott-review-by-stacy-schiff/#|publisher=The Daily Beast website|date=May 3, 2011|title="Dreams of his mother": Review of ''A Singular Woman'' by Janny Scott|author=Stacy Schiff}} See [[The Daily Beast]].</ref> His mother then returned to Hawaii and abandoned him there with his grandparents (Stanley and Madelyn Dunham, who had moved to Hawaii in 1959) <ref name=revealed>Malveaux, Suzanne (August 20, 2008). [http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0808/20/se.02.html Transcript of "Barack Obama Revealed"]. CNN website/Transcripts. See CNN</ref> so she could return to Indonesia after her divorce. In Honolulu Obama attended the exclusive Punahou Academy where, according to classmates and the ''[[Huffington Post]]'', he had sex with older white men for money to buy drugs.<ref>https://www.huffpost.com/entry/barack-obama-gay-hustler-_n_4242447</ref> In 1986 Obama's high school pot dealer was beaten to death with a hammer by his gay lover over drugs and breaking wind in his face.<ref>https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2547667/EXCLUSIVE-Obamas-high-school-pot-dealer-future-president-thanked-good-times-yearbook-beaten-death-gay-lover-fights-flatulence-drugs.html</ref> Obama's grandfather arranged for his friend, the noted Communist writer [[Frank Marshall Davis]], to serve as a mentor and role model for an impressionable African-American youth.

Other siblings of Obama's include his half-sister Maya Soetoro-Ng and 7 other children born to his father by 4 different women.<ref name=raisingobama>Purdum, Todd (March 2008). [https://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/03/obama200803 "Raising Obama"]. ''Vanity Fair''.</ref> For much of his early life, prior to his transfer to [[Columbia University]], he went by his nickname, "Barry." In the summer of 1988, before attending [[Harvard Law School]] (he'd just been accepted), he visited Kogelo, Kenya, to learn more about his father's family. When his mother died in 1995, he and his sister Maya scattered her ashes over Hawaii's south shore.<ref name=revealed />

Obama attended [[Jeremiah Wright|Reverend Jeremiah Wright]]'s Trinity United Church from 1984 to 1988 during his time as a [[community organizer]] (''See [[Barack Obama#1984-1988.2C Community Organizer|1985-1988, Community Organizer]] section''). Obama credits Wright with his alleged conversion to Christianity, and had both his daughters, Sasha and Malia, baptized there.<ref name=revealed />

===Education===
At age 6, Obama attended schools in Indonesia, the first a Catholic school while he was in kindergarten, and later a public school which taught religion. The school had mostly Muslim students (since most Indonesians are Muslim). In ''[[Dreams From My Father (autobiography)|Dreams from My Father]]'', Obama writes, "In the Muslim school, the teacher wrote to my mother that I had made faces during [[Koran]]ic studies."<ref>Obama, Barack (1995). ''Dreams from My Father'' (New York: Times Books), p. 14. Quoted at [http://www.ontheissues.org/Archive/Dreams_From_My_Father_Principles_+_Values.htm "Dreams from my father: On principles & values"]. OnTheIssues website. See [[Dreams From My Father (autobiography)|''Dreams from my Father'']]</ref> ''Insight'' magazine first reported [[Hillary Clinton]]'s organization had "questions about Obama’s Muslim background: ''Are the American people ready for an elected president who was educated in a [[Madrassa]] as a young boy and has not been forthcoming about his Muslim heritage?"''<ref>Schlussel, Debbie (January 19, 2007). [http://www.debbieschlussel.com/2899/hillary-clinton-agrees-with-schlussel-obama-suspicious-deceptive-on-muslim-background/ "Hillary Clinton agrees with Schlussel: Obama suspicious, deceptive on Muslim background"]. Debbie Schlussel website. See [[Debbie Schlussel]].</ref>

In 1971, at age 10, Barack Obama moved to Hawaii, and his grandparents helped him gain entrance to the prestigious Punahou Academy in Honolulu where he began substance abuse and illegal drugs.<ref>Johnson, Luke (May 25, 2012). [https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/25/obama-pot-smoking-details_n_1545904.html "Obama pot-smoking details revealed in David Maraniss book"]. The Huffington Post website. See [[Huffington Post]].</ref> He was accepted through a scholarship for disadvantaged minorities while he was in 5th grade.<ref name=revealed /> At this elite high school with 1,200 students he was just 1 of 3 black students. Obama failed to make the starting lineup of the school's state champion basketball team his senior year. He wrote a poem for the school's literary magazine, ''Ka Wai Ola''.<ref name=raisingobama />

In 1979, he began a 2-year stint at Occidental College college in Los Angeles,<ref name=msnbc /> and then transferred to Columbia University in New York, which he graduated from in 1983.<ref name=pragmatic>Scott, Janny (July 30, 2007). [https://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/30/us/politics/30obama.html?pagewanted=all "In Illinois, Obama proved pragmatic and shrewd"]. ''The New York Times'' website. See ''[[New York Times]]''.</ref> During this time he published an anti-military tirade embracing Soviet General Secretary [[Leonid Brezhnev]]'s <ref>Obama supported [[Communist Party of the Soviet Union]] General Secretary Brezhnev's foreign policy over both Presidents [[Jimmy Carter]] and Ronald Reagan's decision to deploy the MX Missile in Europe.
* See Pond, Elizabeth (November 24, 1981). [https://www.csmonitor.com/1981/1124/112439.html "Brezhnev offers Schmidt moratorium on nuclear missiles"]. ''Christian Science Monitor''. See also ''[[Christian Science Monitor]]''.
* See also Obama, Barack (March 10, 1983). [https://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/images/nytint/docs/obama-s-1983-college-magazine-article/original.pdf "Breaking the war mentality"]. Columbia [University] ''Sundial''. Retrieved from archive at ''The New York Times'' website. See also ''[[The New York Times]]''.</ref> proposal for a nuclear freeze in the campus newspaper and allegedly spoke at an Anti-Apartheid rally,<ref name=revealed /> although several prominent student leaders said they did not remember him there. Professor Michael L. Baron was impressed by Obama and wrote him a recommendation for Harvard Law School.<ref name=differs>Scott, Janny. (October 30, 2007). [https://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/30/us/politics/30obama.html?pagewanted=all "Obama's account of New York years often differs from what others say"]. ''The New York Times''. See ''[[The New York Times]]''.</ref> From 1983 to 1988, Obama took time off from his education to work as a financial analyst and later a community organizer in Chicago. In the winter of 1988, Barack Obama decided to attend Harvard Law School, and left Chicago for Cambridge, Massachusetts. In his 2nd year a power struggle broke out among the dominant white liberals over control of the ''[[Harvard]] Law Review''. Obama was elected its first black president as a compromise candidate largely with help of conservatives following a "marathon voting session" in which he finally won on the 19th ballot.<ref name=raisingobama /> This led to national attention and numerous job offers, which Obama passed up, at age 30, to pursue his political career in Chicago.<ref>Multiple references:
*[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23257295/ns/msnbc_tv-documentaries/t/obama-becomes-rising-star-among-democrats/ "Obama becomes rising star among Democrats: Transcript of 'The Candidates: Barack Obama'"] (February 20, 2008). MSNBC. Retrieved from NBC News website/MSNBC TV documentaries. See MSNBC.
*Malveaux, Suzanne (August 20, 2008). [http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0808/20/se.02.html Transcript of "Barack Obama Revealed"]. CNN website/Transcripts. See [[CNN]]</ref>

When Obama was attending Harvard Law School, he dreamed of him or his children becoming like [[Donald Trump]].<ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/05/03/obama-once-dreamed-being-trump-manuscript-shows.html Obama once dreamed of being Trump, manuscript shows]. ''Fox News''. May 3, 2017. Retrieved May 3, 2017.</ref>

'''Personal life'''
According to ''Rising Star'' by David J. Garrow, in 1986 Obama tried hard to convince Sheila Miyoshii Jager, someone of Dutch and Japanese ancestry, to marry him.<ref name="MarryBefore"/> She refused his request to marry him due to her age. By 1987, Obama had his sights on becoming U.S. president.<ref name="MarryBefore">[https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/05/03/book-barack-obama-asked-woman-to-marry-him-before-meeting-michelle.html Book: Barack Obama asked woman to marry him before meeting Michelle]. ''Fox News''. May 3, 2017. Retrieved May 3, 2017.</ref>

[[File:Michael Robinson.jpeg||thumb|350px|right|Michelle (Robinson) Obama, Barack Obama's domestic partner.]]
Barack Obama met his mate known then as Michelle Robinson, while he was an intern and Michelle was on staff at Sidley Austin LLP, a very large corporate law firm.<ref name=msnbc /> Despite company policy prohibiting relations between staff and interns, the two became involved. The two continued a long-distance relationship while he finished law school, and on October 18, 1992,<ref>[https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/03/obama-anniversary-20-years-married_n_1935840.html "Obama anniversary: Barack & Michelle celebrate 20 years of marriage (photos)"] (October 3, 2012). Huffington Post website. Huffington Post says it was October 3, 1992. See [[Huffington Post]].</ref> were joined in a domestic union officiated by Reverend [[Jeremiah Wright]] at Trinity United Church,<ref>http://hillbuzz.org/time-to-tell-everyone-you-know-about-jeremiah-wrights-down-low-club-barackobama-presobama-26407</ref> a church which has supported gay marriage since the 1970s.<ref name=revealed /> Michelle has not practiced law since 1994 when she failed to renew her law license, allegedly to start a family.<ref>https://rumble.com/embed/v9nrn5/?pub=a6ncj</ref> Malia, the couple's oldest daughter, was born in 1999, and Natasha (often called Sasha) in 2001.<ref name=msnbc />

===Early employment===
'''1983–1984: financial analyst and writer'''

In 1983 Obama [[collude]]d with [[Russia]] to further Russian [[foreign policy]] interests against the United States in an essay entitled ''Breaking The War Mentality'' published in Columbia University's weekly magazine, ''The Sun Dial.''<ref>https://2012election.procon.org/sourcefiles/obama-article-sun-dial-columbia-breaking-war-mentality.pdf</ref>

In 1984 Obama worked as a writer and financial analyst for Business International Corporation to help pay off some of his student loans. Business International Corporation was a small newsletter-publishing and research firm which aided multinational companies in understanding overseas markets. Obama served as a writer/researcher for a company reference service, Financing Foreign Operations, and wrote for their newsletter, ''Business International Money Report''. His supervisor was Cathy Lazere.<ref>Multiple references:
*Scott, Janny (October 30, 2007). [https://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/30/us/politics/30obama.html?pagewanted=all "Obama's account of New York years often differs from what others say"]. ''The New York Times''. See ''[[The New York Times]]''.
*Henig, Jess (June 21, 2008). [https://www.factcheck.org/2008/06/obama-polishes-his-resume-2/ "Obama polishes his resume"]. FactCheck.org website.
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20091003011550/http://www.analyzethis.net/2005/07/09/barack-obama-embellishes-his-resume/ "Barack Obama embellishes his resume"] (July 9, 2005). Analyze This website. Retrieved from October 3, 2009 archive at Internet Archive.</ref>

====1984–1988: community organizer====
In 1984, Obama was hired by the New York Public Interest Research Group, a non-profit organization promoting environmental, consumer, and government reforms. He also was paid just under $10,000 annually as a full-time organizer for Harlem's City College to mobilize student volunteers.<ref name=differs />

From 1985 to 1988, Obama worked as a community organizer on the South Side of Chicago <ref>The Developing Communities Project (DCP) of the Calumet Community Religious Conference (CCRC)</ref> funded with a $25,000 grant by [[Bill Ayers]]' Woods Fund. ''[[The New York Times]]'' reported he was paid $1,000 a year, with $2,000 extra for a car<ref>Multiple references:
*Malveaux, Suzanne (August 20, 2008). [http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0808/20/se.02.html Transcript of "Barack Obama Revealed"]. CNN website/Transcripts. See [[CNN]].
*Scott, Janny (September 9, 2007). [https://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/09/us/politics/09obama.html?pagewanted=all "In 2000, a streetwise veteran schooled a bold young Obama]." ''The New York Times''. See ''[[The New York Times]]''.</ref> however stories vary wildly. Jerry Kellman, who hired him, says it was "$10,000 a year and a $2,000 car allowance". Obama himself gave different numbers; his memoir says $10,000 (as well as the car), in his Wesleyan speech he gave it as "$12,000 a year plus $2,000 for an old, beat-up car", and when he announced his candidacy for president, it was "a group of churches had offered me a job as a community organizer for $13,000 a year".

Ryan Lizza at ''[[The New Republic]]'' reported that "Jean Rudd of the Woods Fund...had provided Kellman with his original $25,000 to hire Obama". Ari Berman reported in ''[[The Nation]]'' that the "[Woods Fund] gave a $25,000 grant to the Developing Communities Project, which hired Obama". CBS Channel 2 in Chicago ran a story with a document showing that Obama's proposed salary in 1987 was $25,000, a number that the Obama campaign confirmed while insisting at the same time his original salary was $13,000.<ref>Beckwith (April 23, 2008 or bef.). [http://theobamafile.com/obamaworks.htm "Community organizing"]. The Obama File website/Politics.</ref> Many of the organizers that Obama worked with in Chicago were experienced in the methods of [[Saul Alinsky]], and taught Obama many of the methods found in his book ''[[Rules for Radicals]]''.<ref>[https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2012/03/14/how%20saul%20alinsky%20taught%20barack%20obama%20everything%20he%20knows%20about%20civic%20upheaval/ How Saul Alinsky Taught Barack Obama Everything He Knows About Civic Upheaval]</ref>

During this time Obama joined Reverend Wright's Trinity United Church because in the words of Suzanne Malveaux of ''[[CNN]]'', "It was the church to join if you wanted to be one of Chicago's black movers and shakers." At the time, community organizing involved close affiliation with churches, which was how Obama met Wright. Obama abandoned the fight against asbestos contamination in the Altgeld Gardens housing project to pursue personal interests and a career by enrollment at Harvard Law School in the winter of 1988.<ref name=revealed />
[[File:Barack-Hussein-Obama-mit-Louis-Farrakhan-528x524.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Barack Obama with the notorious [[anti-Semite]], [[Louis Farrakhan]]. Farrakhan calls [[Jews]] "pigs and dogs." The [[Anti-Defamation League]] identifies Farrakhan as the nation's “leading anti-Semite."<ref>[https://www.adl.org/resources/profiles/the-nation-of-islam The Nation of Islam], Anti-Defamation League.</ref>]]
'''1988–1996: law practice'''
In 1988 Obama gained work as a Summer Associate at one of the most prestigious corporate law firms in the world, Sidley Austin LLP,<ref>Multiple references:
*Lattman, Peter (May 11, 2007). [https://blogs.wsj.com/law/2007/05/11/sidley-austin-when-barack-met-michelle/ "When Barack met Michelle"]. Wall Street Journal website/Business/Law Blog/Lawyers and Law Firms. See ''[[Wall Street Journal]]''.
*Malveaux, Suzanne (August 20, 2008). [http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0808/20/se.02.html Transcript of "Barack Obama Revealed"]. CNN website/Transcripts.</ref> whose partners included [[Newton Minow]], thanks to the recommendation of Minow's daughter Martha, a professor at Harvard Law School. It was at the Sidley Austin firm that Obama would meet Michelle Robinson, his future domestic partner.<ref name=raisingobama /> From 1993 to 1996 he practiced civil rights law including suing Citibank to force them into making [[Subprime loan|subprime mortgage]]s to minority borrowers.<ref>Schweizer, Peter (October 5, 2009). [https://www.forbes.com/2009/10/03/community-reinvestment-act-mortgages-housing-opinions-contributors-peter-schweizer.html "A poisonous cocktail: Expanding the Community Reinvestment Act"]. ''Forbes'' website. See [[Forbes]]. In ''Selma S. Buycks-Roberson v. Citibank'', lead attorney Obama alleged that although his clients had been denied mortgages "because of delinquent credit obligations and adverse credit," they were really victims of institutional racism. The suit was brought about by the Community Reinvestment Act, so called affirmative action mortgage lending. The plaintiffs won $60,000, and the court awarded Sidley Austin $950,000 for the work of Obama and two other attorneys.</ref> After graduating from Harvard he was hired by Miner, Barnhill, & Galland, a small politically connected law firm.<ref>Lattman, Peter (May 11, 2007). [https://blogs.wsj.com/law/2007/05/11/sidley-austin-when-barack-met-michelle/ "When Barack met Michelle"]. Wall Street Journal website/Business/Law Blog/Lawyers and Law Firms. See ''[[Wall Street Journal]]''.</ref> It was at Miner, Barnhill, & Galland that he would meet influential real estate developer [[Tony Rezko]].<ref name=revealed />

'''1991–1992: Project Vote'''
In 1991 Obama was recruited by Sandy Newman to head the Chicago chapter of Project Vote!,<ref name=revealed /> and in 1992 was the Executive Director, overseeing a voter registration drive which registered 125,000 black voters and was credited with defeating popular incumbent Democrat Senator Alan Dixon in the primary and electing [[Carol Moseley-Braun]] as a reprisal for Dixon's support for Supreme Court Justice [[Clarence Thomas]].<ref name=PurdumandScott>Multiple references:
*Purdum, Todd (March 2008). [https://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/03/obama200803 "Raising Obama"]. ''Vanity Fair''.
*Scott, Janny (July 30, 2007). [https://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/30/us/politics/30obama.html?pagewanted=all "In Illinois, Obama proved pragmatic and shrewd"]. ''The New York Times'' website. See ''[[New York Times]]''.</ref>

'''1991-1995: Author'''

In 1995 Obama published ''[[Dreams From My Father (autobiography)|Dreams From My Father]]'' about his life and family background.<ref name=msnbc /> It was in a 1992 book Obama claimed to have been born in Kenya.

====1995: Nation of Islam====

According to the ''Encyclopedia Britannica'', prior to the information being scrubbed from its website in mid-April 2008 during the Democratic Presidential Primaries, Obama was one of three prominent organizers of black supremacist group the [[Nation of Islam]]'s [[Million Man March]] on Washington, D.C.<ref>Hoft, Jim (April 2, 2008). [https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2008/04/wright-obama-helped-organize-march-with-louis-farrakhan/ "Wright & Obama helped organize march with Louis Farrakhan"]. Gateway Pundit website. See [[Gateway Pundit]]</ref>

'''1992–2004: lecturer at University of Chicago'''
Obama taught part-time at the [[University of Chicago]] Law School<ref name=raisingobama /> from 1992 to 2004. Though Obama erroneously describes himself as a "constitutional law professor",<ref>Whiteman, Timothy (April 5, 2013). [http://www.examiner.com/article/obama-complains-of-being-constrained-by-a-system-founding-father-put-place "Obama complains of being 'constrained by a system' Founding Fathers put in place"]. Examiner.com/News/Politics/Republican.</ref> he was actually only a senior lecturer and the class he taught the most times was called "Current Issues in Racism and the Law".<ref>Holt, Mytheos (September 20, 2012). [https://www.theblaze.com/stories/2012/09/20/obamas-favorite-course-to-teach-at-the-university-of-chicago-revealed/ "Obama’s favorite course to teach at the University of Chicago revealed"]. The Blaze/Stories/Media. See [[The Blaze]].</ref> He was a Lecturer from 1992 to 1996, teaching 3 courses per year<cite>, and a senior lecturer from 1996 to 2004. After Obama was criticized for lying about his job title, the University of Chicago released a statement stating that senior lecturers are considered Law School faculty and regarded as professors but not full-time or tenured. Obama was invited to join the faculty in a full-time, tenured track position several times during this period but declined each time.<ref>[https://www.law.uchicago.edu/media "Media inquiries: Statement regarding Barack Obama"] (March 2008 or bef.). University of Chicago Law School website. See [[University of Chicago]]</ref>
[[File:Bookbio.jpg|right|300px|thumb|The Birther movement was started by Obama himself.]]
====2004 Democrat keynote speech====
Obama rose to prominence as an Illinois state senator invited to give the 2004 Democratic Party Nomination Convention Keynote Speech. Gloria Borger, later chief political analyst at CNN, appeared on the state media channel [[PBS]] ''Washington Week in Review'' program, and introduced the unkown Obama to America as a "Kenyan economist" running for the U.S. Senate in 2004. In the most memorable line of the speech, Obama said,
{{quotebox-float|"Tonight, there is not a liberal America and a conservative America -- there is the United States of America. There is not a Black America and a White America and Latino America and Asian America -- there’s the United States of America."<ref>http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/convention2004/barackobama2004dnc.htm</ref>}}
The words were spoken to enthusiastic applause. In the confused and befuddled atmosphere of 2004, two nights later the Democrat presidential nominee, Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, said the exact opposite:
{{quotebox-float|"After September 11th all our people rallied to President Bush's call for unity to meet the danger. There were no Democrats. There were no Republicans. There were only Americans. And how we wish it had stayed that way."<ref>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A25678-2004Jul29.html</ref>}}
Likewise, Kerry's words were met with thunderous applause.

===Awards===
Obama shares the distinction with [[Richard Nixon]] and [[Josef Stalin]] as twice being named ''[[Time magazine]]'' person of the year.

'''2009 Nobel Peace Prize'''

On October 9, 2009, Barack H. Obama became the third sitting U.S. President<ref name=wilsons>Wilson, Scott (October 10, 2009). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/09/AR2009100900914.html "President Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize"]. ''Washington Post'' website. See [[Washington Post]].</ref> to be awarded the [[Nobel Peace Prize]] "''for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples''".<ref>[https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2009/press.html "The Nobel Prize for 2009: Press release"] (October 9, 2009). Nobel Prize website [Oslo, Norway]/Nobel Prizes/Peace/Laureates/2009. Accessed May 13, 2012.</ref> Obama stated that he was "surprised and deeply humbled" to receive the unexpected award,<ref>CNN (October 9, 2009). [https://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/10/09/nobel.peace.prize/index.html?eref=ib_us "Obama: Nobel Peace Prize is 'Call to Action'"]. CNN website/World/Europe.</ref> and also said, "To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who've been honored by this prize—men and women who have inspired me and inspired the entire world through their courageous pursuit of peace".<ref name=wilsons /> The award was widely criticized given Obama's then lack of accomplishments.<ref>Multiple references:
*Chazan, Guy and MacDonald, Alistair (October 11, 2009) [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125509603349176083.html "Nobel Committee's decision courts controversy"]. ''The Wall Street Journal'' website/World.
*Associated Press (October 9, 2009). [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/10/09/obamas-peace-prize-draws-criticism-liberals/ "Obama's Peace Prize draws criticism, even from some liberals"]. Fox News website/Politics. See [[Associated Press]].</ref>

==1996–2003: Illinois State Senate==
'''1996 election'''
{{See also|Radical roots of Barack Hussein Obama|Maoist Thought}}
In 1995 a cadre of like-minded individuals gathered for a fundraising event in the early career of Barack Obama hosted by [[Weather Underground]] (WUO) [[terrorist]] [[William Ayers|William "Bill" Ayers]]. Besides Obama, those in attendance were Ayers wife [[Bernardine Dohrn]],<ref>Geyer, Georgie Anne and Beech, Keyes (October 1970). "Cuba: School for U.S. Radicals [five part series]". ''Chicago Daily News''/''Chicago Sun-Times''. Excerpted in
[https://vault.fbi.gov/Weather%20Underground%20(Weathermen) ''Foreign Influence: Weather Underground Organization (WUO)''] (August 20, 1976), pp. 113-115. FBI. Retrieved from "Weather Underground (Weathermen)" webpage PDF rendering, part 3 of 6, pp. 5-7 at FBI website/FBI Records: The Vault. Located by The Real Barack Obama blog. See ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]''.</ref> and Carl Davidson, veterans of [[guerrilla warfare]] training in [[Cuba]] just prior to the 1968 Democrat National Convention riots. Ayers and Dohrn have taken credit for, and never denied, bombing the [[U.S. Capitol]], the [[Pentagon]] and the [[State Department]].

Ayers and Dohrn used their celebrity status among [[leftist]]s to launch Obama's career. Ayers, Dohrn and [[Jeff Jones]]<ref>Klein, Aaron (August 13, 2009). [https://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=106653 "Obama's 'green jobs czar' worked with terror founder"]. WorldNetDaily website. "[[Van Jones]]...served on board of..." "activist group where ex-Weatherman serves as top director"'. See [[WorldNetDaily]].</ref> are authors of ''[[Bill Ayers#Prairie Fire Organizing Committee and Maoist thought|Prairie Fire: The Politics of Revolutionary Anti-imperialism]]'', the title taken from [[Quotations from Chairman Mao|''The Sayings of Mao Zedong'']].<ref>[https://archive.org/details/QuotationsFromChairmanMaoTse-tung/ ''Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-Tung''] (1966), 2nd ed. Retrieved from Internet Archive.</ref> The book declares "we are [[communist]] men and women."<ref>Klehr, Harvey (1988). ''Far Left of Center: The American Radical Left Today'' (New Brunswick: Transaction Books), p. 109.</ref> Ayers later jokingly, publicly admitted to ghostwriting Obama's book, ''[[Dreams From My Father (autobiography)|Dreams From My Father]]''<ref>Cashill, Jack (March 28, 2011). [https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2011/03/ayers_affirms_he_wrote_dreams.html "Ayers affirms he wrote ''Dreams from my Father''"]. American Thinker website/Blog. See [[American Thinker]].</ref> and Obama was to appoint several openly avowed Maoists to prominent White House and Executive Branch positions.<ref>Fund, John (October 21, 2009). [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704597704574487431322664964.html "From Mao to Obama"]. ''Wall Street Journal'' website.</ref>

===A Charter of Negative Liberties===
In a 2001 interview on WBEZ FM Chicago Public Radio, Senator Obama said some critically disparaging things about the [[United States Constitution]]. He said:

<blockquote>If you look at the victories and failures of the civil rights movement and its litigation strategy in the court, I think where it succeeded was to vest formal rights in previously dispossessed peoples. So that I would now have the right to vote, I would now be able to sit at the lunch counter and order and as long as I could pay for it I’d be okay. 
But the Supreme Court never ventured into the issues of redistribution of wealth and sort of more basic issues of political and economic justice in this society. And to that extent as radical as people tried to characterize the Warren court, it wasn’t that radical. It didn’t break free from the essential constraints that were placed by the founding fathers in the Constitution, at least as it’s been interpreted, and the Warren court interpreted it in the same way that generally the Constitution is a charter of negative liberties. It says what the states can’t do to you, it says what the federal government can’t do to you, but it doesn’t say what the federal government or the state government must do on your behalf. And that hasn’t shifted. One of the I think tragedies of the civil rights movement was because the civil rights movement became so court focused, I think that there was a tendency to lose track of the political and community organizing and activities on the ground that are able to put together the actual coalitions of power through which you bring about redistributed change and in some ways we still suffer from that.<ref>[https://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2008/11/03/barack-obamas-poor-understanding-of-the-constitution Barack Obama's Poor Understanding of the Constitution]</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jr9mLB3yKs Obama Constitution Negative Liberties.flv]</ref><ref>[https://www.wnd.com/2008/10/79225/ Obama rips U.S. Constitution]</ref></blockquote>

'''Backstabbing fellow Democrats'''

Barack Obama ran for the Illinois state senate in 1996. He was initially supported by incumbent [[Alice Palmer]], who declared she would run for the U.S. Congress. However, when her bid for Congress failed on November 28, 1995, she tried to run for her old seat in the March 1996 election. Her supporters asked Obama to step aside, although whether this was with her permission remains uncertain.<ref name=pragmatic /> Not only did Obama not step down, he gathered a team of high-priced lawyers, including fellow Harvard Law School graduate Thomas Johnson, to challenge his opponent's petition signatures on technicalities after the filing deadline had passed. Such tactics are legal and frequently used in Chicago; in 2006 they eliminated 67 of the 245 aldermanic candidates;<ref name=bareknuckle>Jackson, David and Long, Ray (April 4, 2007). [http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2007-04-04/news/0704030881_1_petitions-voter-rights-candidates "Barack Obama: Showing his bare knuckles"]. ''Chicago Tribune'' website. See ''[[Chicago Tribune]]''.</ref> yet nevertheless led to the term "hardball" by ''The New York Times''<ref name=pragmatic /> and "cutthroat" by David Mendel as reported by both CNN<ref name=revealed /> and MSNBC.<ref name=msnbc /> The ''Chicago Tribune'' declared Obama had mastered "the bare-knuckle arts of Chicago electoral politics", noting "The man now running for president on a message of giving a voice to the voiceless first entered public office not by leveling the playing field, but by clearing it."<ref name=bareknuckle /> As one of Obama's four opponents, eliminated through his ballot challenges, would put it: {{cquote|"Why say you're for a new tomorrow, then do old-style Chicago politics to remove legitimate candidates? He talks about honor and democracy, but what honor is there in getting rid of every other candidate so you can run scot-free? Why not let the people decide?"
—Gha-is Askia, 1996 Illinois Senate candidate<ref>Jackson, David & Long, Ray (April 3, 2007). [https://web.archive.org/web/20130123154440/http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/obama/chi-070403obama-ballot-archive,0,5297304,full.story "Obama knows his way around a ballot"]. ''Chicago Tribune'' website. Retrieved from January 23, 2013 archive at Internet Archive.</ref>}} Mark Ewell, another candidate, filed 1,286 signatures, and Obama's challenges left him 86 short of the minimum requirement (757).<ref name=spivak>Spivak, Todd (February 28, 2008). [https://www.houstonpress.com/2008-02-28/news/barack-obama-screamed-at-me/ "Barack Obama and me"]. ''Houston Press'' website.</ref> Ewell filed a federal lawsuit contesting the election board's decision but Tom Johnson intervened, and Ewell's case was dismissed just a few days later. Ewell and other Obama opponents were using early 1995 polling sheets to verify signatures of registered voters, but city authorities had just purged 15,871 unqualified people from the 13th district list, and Obama's challenges used the more recent, updated list. Askia was left 69 signatures short of the requirement. If names were printed instead of signed in cursive, they were declared invalid. If they were good but the person registering the signatures wasn't a registered voter (e.g. underage) they were invalid.<ref name=hardball>Griffin, Drew & Johnston, Kathleen (May 29, 2008). [https://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/05/29/obamas.first.campaign/ "Obama played hardball in first Chicago campaign"]. CNN website. Article text begins: "When the Democratic National Committee meets Saturday on the thorny issue of seating the Florida and Michigan delegations..."</ref> Palmer had according to Obama campaign consult Ronald Davis, used two children to help gather her petition signatures. To this day Palmer denies the challenges were valid, and maintains she could have overcome the objections with more time and resources.<ref name=bareknuckle /> Thanks to his lawyers, Obama would win the election without a single other candidate on the ballot.

'''2000 election'''
: ''Main Article: [[Illinois 1st congressional district election, 2000]]''
In 2000, Obama lost his only political election when he chose to run against experienced incumbent and former [[Black Panther]] Bobby L. Rush for the U.S. Congress in a 65% black district. Rush's name recognition began at 90%, Obama's at 11%. Michelle Obama opposed taking on such an iconic figure dear to the community and threatened divorce.<ref>Bates, Daniel (May 16, 2012). [https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2145035/Michelle-Obama-prepared-divorce-papers-separate-Barack-leaving-suicidal.html "New book claims Michelle Obama prepared divorce papers to separate from Barack—leaving him so depressed friends feared he'd kill himself"]. ''Daily Mail'' website. See ''[[Daily Mail]]''.</ref> Establishment Democrats considered Obama "a white man in [[blackface]]".<ref>Gilmore, Jim (reporter, producer). (October 9, 2012). [https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/government-elections-politics/choice-2012/transcript-29/ "Transcript of 'Barack Obama' in Kirk, Michael and Wiser, Mike (producers) '''Frontline'': The Choice 2012'"]. PBS website/WGBH/Frontline/film/The Choice 2012.</ref> Rush said of Obama, "He went to Harvard and became an educated fool," adding, "We’re not impressed with these folks with these eastern elite degrees."<ref>Ballasy, Nicholas (March 28, 2012). [https://dailycaller.com/2012/03/28/bobby-rush-in-2000-obamas-a-harvard-educated-fool-who-thinks-he-knows-all-about-the-civil-rights-protests/ "Bobby Rush in 2000: Obama a Harvard ‘educated fool’ who ‘thinks he knows all about’ the ‘civil rights protests’"]. Daily Caller website. See [[Daily Caller]].</ref> Todd Spivak would give voice to this impression of Obama, noting that
{{cquote|"My view of Obama then wasn't all that different from the image he projects now....One thing I can say is, I never heard him launch into the preacher-man voice he now employs during speeches. He sounded vanilla, and activists in his mostly black district often chided him for it."<ref name=spivak />}}
Rush would go on to win the Primary with 61.02% of the vote; Obama received 30.36%.<ref>Scott, Janny (September 9, 2007). [https://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/09/us/politics/09obama.html?pagewanted=all "In 2000, a streetwise veteran schooled a bold young Obama]." ''The New York Times''. See ''[[The New York Times]]''.</ref> The loss led to Obama considering dropping out of politics altogether, particularly after the September 11, 2001 attacks, since his name sounds similar to "Osama bin Laden".<ref name=msnbc />

'''State Senate voting record'''

Obama entered the Illinois Senate promising change to a corrupt system. He mixed often radical votes with more pragmatic agreements. Possibly one of his most radical votes was against requiring medical care for aborted children who survive [[abortion|the procedure]] – in fact, the Illinois Planned Parenthood Council ascribed him a 100% rating for his consistently pro-choice votes.<ref name="cbs illinois">{{cite web|url=https://server5.kproxy.com/servlet/redirect.srv/sruj/sbgpzfpr/snop/p2/stories/2007/01/17/politics/main2369157.shtml|title=Obama record may be gold mine for critics|publisher=CBS News website|last=Clark|first=Amy|date=January 17, 2007}} See [[CBS News]].</ref> He was criticized for using the statehouse as a stepping stone for a more illustrious career: Steven J. Rauschenberger, a [[Republican]], said prior to Obama's election as president: “He is a very bright but very ambitious person who has always had his eyes on the prize, and it wasn’t Springfield. If he deserves to be president, it is not because he was a great legislator.”<ref name="nyt illinois">{{cite web|publisher=''The New York Times'' website|title=In Illinois, Obama proved pragmatic and shrewd|last=Scott|first=Janny|date=July 30, 2007|url=https://server5.kproxy.com/servlet/redirect.srv/sruj/sboxugmc/snop/p2/2007/07/30/us/politics/30obama.html}}.</ref>

The statehouse was majority Republican, so the Senator was sometimes forced to compromise. He formed allegiances across party lines to pass [[campaign finance]] reform that banned most gifts by lobbyists, prohibited spending campaign money for legislators’ personal use and required electronic filing of campaign disclosure reports.<ref name="nyt illinois"/> Obama also helped pass a so-called “driving-while-black bill”, which required the police to collect data on the race of drivers they stopped as a way to monitor [[racial profiling]].<ref name="nyt illinois"/>

Obama established himself as a chief spokesperson in opposition to the [[War on Terror]] during an October 2002 rally at Federal Plaza in Chicago<ref>The rally was organized by Chicagoans Against War in Iraq (CAWI) later renamed Chicagoans Against War and Injustice. See Davidson, Carl (November 2, 2006). [https://web.archive.org/web/20100811115415/http://www.noiraqwar-chicago.org/?page_id=2 "About CAWI"]. Chicagoans Against War and Injustice website. Retrieved from August 11, 2010 archive at Internet Archive.</ref> [[community organizing|organized]] by veteran [[Mao]]ist and webmaster of [[Progressives for Obama]],<ref>[https://www.linkedin.com/in/carldavidson Carl Davidson] (2010 or bef.) LinkedIn [Profile page/Experience/Webmaster]. Retrieved March 13, 2010 and February 13, 2016.</ref> [[Carl Davidson]].

'''2003 Emil Jones deal'''
: ''Main Article: [[2003 Barack Obama deal with Emil Jones]]''
When Illinois' U.S. Senator Peter Fitzgerald announced he would be retiring in April 2003, Obama jumped at the opportunity, declaring that he would be a candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2004.<ref name=msnbc /> To boost his chances Obama approached the newly crowned president of the Illinois Senate, Emil Jones Jr., with a proposal. According to Jones, whom Obama has since called his "godfather"<ref name=godfather>Associated Press (March 31, 2008). [https://www.cbsnews.com/news/obamas-political-godfather-in-illinois/ "Obama's political 'godfather' in Illinois"]. CBS News website. See [[Associated Press]], CBS News.</ref> the conversation went as follows:
{{cquote|"After I was elected president, in 2003, he came to see me, a couple months later. And he said to me, he said, ‘You’re the senate president now, and with that, you have a lot of pow-er.’ And I told Barack, ‘You think I got a lot of pow-er now?,’ and he said, ‘Yeah, you got a lot of pow-er.’ And I said, ‘What kind of pow-er do I have?’ He said, ‘You have the pow-er to make a United States sen-a-tor!’ I said to Barack, I said, ‘That sounds good!’ I said, ‘I haven’t even thought of that.’ I said, ‘Do you have someone in mind you think I could make?,’ and he said, ‘Yeah. Me.’"<ref name=PurdumandScott/>}}
Because of the deal, Obama's entire Illinois Senate legislative record was, as longtime Obama reporter Todd Spivak put it, built in a single year. During his 7th and final year in the Illinois Senate, Obama sponsored an incredible 26 bills into law, including many he now points to when criticized as inexperienced<ref name=spivak />—as CNN's Suzanne Malveaux observed, "With help from on high, Obama got his name on hundreds of bills that he pushed through."<ref name=revealed /> Jones not only had Obama craft legislation addressing daily tragedies to raise his political profile,<ref name=godfather /> he also appointed Obama head of almost all high-profile legislation in the Illinois Senate, angering other state legislators with more seniority who'd spent years supporting the bills.<ref name=spivak /> Illinois State Senator Rickey Hendon, the original sponsor of the famous racial profiling bill requiring videotaped confessions in police interrogations, complained bitterly about Jones' decision.<ref>Multiple references:
*Malveaux, Suzanne (August 20, 2008). [http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0808/20/se.02.html "Transcript of 'Barack Obama Revealed'"]. CNN website/Transcripts.
*Spivak, Todd (March 25, 2004). [http://www.illinoistimes.com/Springfield/article-922-in-the-black.html "In the black"]. ''Illinois Times''.</ref> Jones' influence had a major impact on Obama's chances in the 2004 elections, preventing major political players from backing Obama's opponents. To quote Emil Jones,{{cquote|"He knew if he had me in the run for the Senate, it would put a block on the current mayor. The current mayor and the father of the controller, which was Dan Hynes, they were roommates in Springfield when the mayor was a state senator, so they had a relationship. Another big financial backer for the governor was Blair Hull. Barack knew if he had me it would checkmate the governor, ’cause the governor couldn’t come out and go with Blair Hull, ’cause the governor needs me. Same with the mayor. So he had analyzed and figured all of that out. He knew I could help him with labor support. And I could put a checkmate on some of the local politicians that didn’t know him, but they couldn’t really go against me."
—Emil Jones<ref name=raisingobama />}}

==2004–2008: U.S. Senate==
:''See also: [[Early life and career of Barack Hussein Obama#U.S. Senate .282004-2008.29|Barack Obama:U.S. Senate (2004-2008)]], [[United States Senate election in Illinois, 2004]]''
[[File:Obama picking his nose.png|thumb|225px|left|Barack Obama]] Obama was a relatively undistinguished Senator.

'''2004 Primary election'''
Despite initially trailing in the polls to frontrunner [[Blair Hull]],<ref>Spivak, Todd (March 25, 2004). [http://www.illinoistimes.com/Springfield/article-922-in-the-black.html "In the black"]. ''Illinois Times''.</ref> Obama greatly benefited from what the ''Chicago Tribune'' called "the most inglorious campaign implosion in Illinois political history"<ref name=mendell>Mendell, David (March 17, 2004). [http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2004-03-17/news/0403170332_1_blair-hull-gery-chico-blacks-and-liberal-whites "Obama routs Democratic foes"]. ''Chicago Tribune'' website. See ''[[Chicago Tribune]]''.</ref> when pressure from journalists and opposing candidates, just weeks before the election, forced the unsealing of Hull's messy divorce files.<ref name=blairhull>Voegeli, William (March 19, 2004). [https://web.archive.org/web/20070826095930/http://www.claremont.org/publications/pubid.339/pub_detail.asp "The rise and fall of Blair Hull"]. The Claremont Institute website. Retrieved from August 26, 2007 archive at Internet Archive. See [[Claremont Institute]].</ref> The files revealed Hull's ex-wife's accusations of verbal and physical abuse.<ref name=spivak /> Hull would afterward criticize the media, stating, "As for the press, I will never read the newspaper the same way again."<ref name=mendell /> Obama would go on to win the Primary with 53% of the vote.<ref name=blairhull /> Obama's unexpected victory led to him being termed a "rising star" by the media.<ref>Howlett, Debbie (March 18, 2004). [https://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/2004-03-18-obama-usat_x.htm Dems "See a rising star in Illinois Senate Candidate"]. ''USA Today'' website/News/Politics-Elections/Nation/Campaign 2004. See ''[[USA Today]]''.</ref>

'''2004 General election, Jack Ryan'''

Once again Obama found himself trailing to popular front-runner [[Jack Ryan]], and once again a candidate's campaign imploded thanks to media intervention. In an unprecedented move, the ''Chicago Tribune'' and local TV station WLS sued to force the unsealing of Ryan's divorce files, despite opposition from both Ryan and his wife, Jeri Ryan, who in the files accused Jack Ryan of trying to coerce her to perform sex acts in public. Though Ryan advisors told him he could still win if using a negative attack on Obama, Ryan refused to engage in what he considered dirty politics.<ref name=abandon>Associated Press (June 26, 2004). [https://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/state/2004-06-25-ryan_x.htm "Jack Ryan abandons Senate bid"]. ''USA Today'' website/News/Politics-Elections/State/Campaign 2004. See [[Associated Press]].</ref> Ryan then dropped out of the race (per request by the Illinois GOP<ref name=idealist>Sangwan, Rahul (October 1, 2004). [https://web.archive.org/web/20060924232703/http://www.dartmouthindependent.com/archives/2004/10/jack_ryan_81_th.html "Jack Ryan '81: The conservative idealist"]. ''Dartmouth Independent'' website. Retrieved from September 24, 2006 archive at Internet Archive.</ref>), following which the Illinois GOP scrambled to find a replacement, leaving Obama uncontested for weeks to campaign and build up public support. On top of all this, Obama was selected to give the keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention (July 27<ref>Obama, Barack (June 26, 2004). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A19751-2004Jul27.html "Transcript: Illinois Senate candidate Barack Obama [Keynote address at 2004 Democratic National Convention]"]. Transcribed by FDCH E-Media. ''Washington Post'' website. See ''[[Washington Post]]''.</ref>), catapulting him into the national spotlight, and leading to further media publicity terming him a "rising star".<ref>Page, Susan and Despeignes, Peronet (July 28, 2004). [https://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/president/2004-07-28-obama-speech_x.htm "Rising star brings Democrats to their feet"]. ''USA Today'' website/News/Politics-Elections/Nation/President/Campaign 2004. See ''[[USA Today]]''.</ref>

'''2004 General election, Alan Keyes'''
: ''Main Article: [[Obama born alive controversy]]''
After a number of candidates including former [[Chicago Bears]] coach Mike Ditka declined to run,<ref>CNN (August 9, 2004). [https://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/08/08/senate.illinois.keyes/ "Keyes challenges Obama for Illinois Senate seat"]. CNN website/Politics/America Votes 2004. See [[CNN]].</ref> the Illinois GOP finally settled on fiery [[Alan Keyes]], a former Ambassador to the Economic and Social Counsel of the United Nations,<ref name=spivak /> with less than 3 months left before the November 2004 election.<ref name=msnbc /> His sudden entrance into the state for the election was initially attacked in the press as "carpetbagging".<ref>Multiple references:
*"[http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2004-08-06/news/0408060313_1_mr-keyes-judy-baar-topinka-alan-keyes "The GOP's rent-a-senator"] (August 6, 2004). ''Chicago Tribune'' website. See ''[[Chicago Tribune]]''.
*[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A50885-2004Aug8.html "Mr. Keyes the carpetbagger"] (August 9, 2004). ''Washington Post'', p. A14. Retrieved from ''Washington Post'' website. See ''[[Washington Post]]''.
*Pearson, Rick (September 5, 2004). [http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2004-09-05/news/0409050304_1_selfish-hedonist-alan-keyes-illinois-republican-party "Keyes, state GOP gearing up blame campaign"]. ''Chicago Tribune'' website/News.</ref> Keyes repeatedly claimed his primary motivation for entering a race he had seemingly no chance of winning was his disgust at Obama's votes on the popular [[Born Alive]] bills.<ref>Keyes, Alan (August 18, 2004). [https://www.mail-archive.com/newsandviews@chuckmuth.com/msg00699.html "How YOU can help Alan Keyes for Senate!"] Message from Keyes2004 Inc. to multiple internet mailing lists. Retrieved from archive of newsandviews internet mailing list at The Mail Archive website.</ref> Keyes, from his first day of arriving in Illinois (August 9, 2004),<ref name=assails>Associated Press (August 9, 2004). [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5654128/ "Keyes assails Obama's abortion views"]. NBC News website/Politics.</ref> accused Obama of having voted against bills mandating medical care for newborn children, and supporting "infanticide" (the term twice used in the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act<ref>United States Congress (October 21, 2003). [https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/108/s3/text/enr "S. 3 (108th): "Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003"], sec. 2, subsec. 14, paras. G and O. Govtrack.us website/Congress/Bills/108th Congress/Senate bill 3/Text.</ref>) where hospitals left newborn infants to die like garbage.<ref>Multiple references:
*Keyes, Alan (June 2008 or bef.) [http://www.keyesarchives.com/transcript.php?id=341 "Alan Keyes on the Tavis Smiley Show"]. Alan Keyes Archives website. Transcript of interview by Tavis Smiley. ''Tavis Smiley Show'' (New York City: National Public Radio, August 31, 2004). See [[NPR]].
*Keyes, Alan (June 2008 or bef.) [http://www.keyesarchives.com/transcript.php?id=337 "Alan Keyes on CBS2 Chicago This Morning"]. Alan Keyes Archives website. Transcript of interview with ''CBS This Morning'' show. ''CBS This Morning'' (Chicago: CBS 2, August 30, 2004).</ref> Obama in a debate on October 13, 2004, defended himself against Keyes' accusations of infanticide by claiming that Illinois law was already sufficient.<ref>[http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2004-10-13/news/0410140004_1_alan-keyes-senate-race-first-of-three-debates "Debate or discussion?"] (October 13, 2004). ''Chicago Tribune'' website/News.</ref>

However, Keyes' rhetoric, calling Obama's votes "the slaveholder's position"<ref name=assails /> and saying "Jesus Christ would not vote for Obama"<ref>Keyes, Alan (June 2008 or bef.). [http://www.keyesarchives.com/transcript.php?id=348 "Alan Keyes on the Scott Thomas Show (AM1160 - WYLL)"]. Alan Keyes Archives website. Transcript of interview by Scott Thomas. ''Scott Thomas Show'' (Chicago: WYLL, AM 1160, September 7, 2004).</ref> was widely ridiculed by the press. Keyes' unabashed criticism of homosexuality as "selfish hedonism" was also targeted.<ref>Multiple references:
*Pearson, Rick (September 5, 2004). [http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2004-09-05/news/0409050304_1_selfish-hedonist-alan-keyes-illinois-republican-party "Keyes, state GOP gearing up blame campaign"]. ''Chicago Tribune'' website/News.
*Associated Press (September 2, 2004). [https://www.nbcnews.com/id/5897569/ns/politics/t/keyes-cheneys-gay-daughter-practicing-selfish-hedonism/#.VsR94_krKWg "Keyes: Cheney's gay daughter practicing selfish hedonism"]. NBC News website/Politics.
*Pallasch, Abdon M. (September 2, 2004). [https://web.archive.org/web/20040903052923/http://www.suntimes.com/output/elect/cst-nws-keyes02.html "Keyes' gay slam roils GOP"]. ''Chicago Sun-Times'' website/News/Elections. Retrieved from September 3, 2004 archive at Internet Archive. See ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]''. This article misquotes [[Liz Cheney]]; previous bulleted reference in this multiple reference gives full quote verified by CNN transcript.</ref> Obama would ultimately win the election, 70% to 27%.<ref>[http://cnn.hu/ELECTION/2004/pages/results/states/IL/S/01/index.html "America votes 2004: Election Results, U.S. Senate/Illinois"] (November 2, 2004). CNN Hungary website/Elections.</ref>

'''U.S. Senate voting record'''
Obama's incomplete term in the U.S. Senate was largely not noteworthy. In voting against raising the [[debt limit]] in 2006 Obama famously said, "The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. government can’t pay its own bills. ... I therefore intend to oppose the effort to increase America’s debt limit."<ref>Multiple references:
*''Washington Post'' FACT CHECKER, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/annotating-obamas-2006-speech-against-boosting-the-debt-limit/2013/01/14/aa8cf8c4-5e9b-11e2-9940-6fc488f3fecd_blog.html Annotating Obama’s 2006 speech against boosting the debt limit], Washington Post, Glenn Kessler, 01/15/2013.
*Kaplan, Rebecca (April 11, 2011). [https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2011/04/obama-once-opposed-debt-ceiling-hike/237129/ "Obama once opposed debt ceiling hike"]. ''The Atlantic'' website/Politics.</ref> In 2008 as candidate for president Obama called George W. Bush's request to raise the debt limit "irresponsible" and "unpatriotic".<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kuTG19Cu_Q "Obama says adding $4 trillion to debt is unpatriotic [July 3, 2008]"] (August 23, 2011). YouTube video, 0:38, posted by maywhitley31.</ref>
[[File:Obama eating a booger.png|right|225px|thumb|Obama in deep thought.]]
The ''National Journal'' ranked him the most liberal senator in 2007.<ref name="ranked">{{cite web|url=https://server5.kproxy.com/servlet/redirect.srv/sruj/sbgpzfpr/snop/p2/8301-502163_162-3775451-502163.html|title="''National Journal'': Obama most liberal senator in 2007"|author=Montopoli, Brian|date=January 31, 2008|publisher=CBS News website}}. See [[CBS News]].</ref>

Obama frequently used the [[filibuster]] to obstruct the operations of government,<ref>O'Keefe, E. (2010, February 4). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/03/AR2010020303801_pf.html Obama criticizes Senate Republicans for delaying confirmation votes]. ''Washington Post''.</ref> and voted against the [[minimum wage]] bill<ref>Multiple references:
*Gill, Kathy (May 26, 2007). [https://web.archive.org/web/20070905140628/http://uspolitics.about.com/od/legislatio1/a/HR2206.htm "HR 2206 - Emergency appropriations [110th Congress, House of Representatives, signed into law May 25, 2007]"], About.com website/News & Issues/U. S. Politics: Current Events/Legislation. Retrieved from September 5, 2007 archive at Internet Archive.
*[http://more.gov.mtopgroup.com/2007/05/votes-hr-2206-iraq-supplemental.html Votes - H.R. 2206: Iraq Supplemental], May 28, 2007. Retrieved from Deeper Inside the Mountain, June 4, 2007.</ref> he introduced because it included a provision to pay active duty U.S. troops. He voted for the $700 billion TARP program to bailout the big banks after receiving more than $120,000 in contributions from [[Fannie Mae]], a government-sponsored entity<ref>more than any other political candidate for office since 1989. [https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2008/09/update-fannie-mae-and-freddie.html Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Invest in Lawmakers], By Lindsay Renick Mayer, September 11, 2008. opensecrets.org</ref> taken into conservatorship for mismanaging its affairs and responsible for all the big banks' problems.

According to Opensecrets.org, of the 671,269 contributions to Obama during his time in the Senate, [[Goldman Sachs]], JP Morgan, Citigroup, and Morgan Stanley were among the top 20 biggest money donors to his campaigns.<ref>Multiple references:
*[https://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/contrib.php?cid=N00009638&cycle=2008 Top 20 Contributors, 2007-2008]
*[http://www.votesmart.org/finance.php?can_id=9490 Barack Obama II's Campaign Finances]</ref> All four subsequently received approximately $70 billion in taxpayer assisted [[bailout]] money from the [[TARP]] program he voted for.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2008/10/14/business/14bailout.graphic2.html ''Beneficiary Banks'', ''The New York Times''. 2008-10-14.]</ref> UBS AG, a foreign bank and the 12th largest donor to Obama,<ref>[https://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/contrib.php?cycle=2008&cid=N00009638 Top 20 Contributors, 2007-2008]</ref> was fined $780 billion in February 2009 in a U.S. Federal Court on charges it helped thousands of Americans evade taxes.<ref>[https://www.investmentnews.com/article/20090219/FREE/902199983 ''UBS fined $780 million in tax evasion scandal,''] Investment News, February 19, 2009.</ref> After just four short years, Obama still ranks number one over all time of Big Pharma money recipients with slightly under $5 million, followed by Hillary Clinton with a little more than $3.5 million.<ref>https://www.opensecrets.org/industries/summary.php?ind=H04&cycle=All&recipdetail=S&mem=Y</ref> Since entering the Senate, prescription opioid deaths in the U.S. rose from 12,000 per year to over 46,000 per year.<ref>https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/data/prescribing.html</ref>

==Presidential campaigns==
Contrary to popular myth at the end of the [[Cold War]], Communism did not die, it only went into remission. The rise of Barack Obama and passage of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) signaled a renewed attack on basic constitutional rights and a revival of a spectre haunting humanity.

===2008===
{{main article|Barack Hussein Obama 2008 Presidential campaign}}
Unlike Democrat contenders Hillary Clinton and John Kerry, Obama's hands were not "stained" with the Iraqi war resolution; a number of Democrats wanted to punish candidates for acting [[bi-partisan]] and called for his candidacy. His only career accomplishment until then had been the delivery of a speech at the 2004 [[Democratic National Convention]].

Through heavy use of [[early voting]] by the Democrat political machine, Obama was elected president in 2008 in the midst of a severe economic meltdown and a foreign policy crisis. Obama outspent [[John McCain]] by hundreds of millions of dollars in 2008,<ref>[https://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/contriball.php?cycle=2008 "Candidate comparison: Top contributors 2008 cycle"] (betw. September–November 2013). OpenSecrets.org website.</ref> and spending more than a billion dollars from special interests to snag reelection in 2012.<ref>Multiple references:
*[https://www.opensecrets.org/pres12/candidate.php?cycle=2012&id=N00009638 "Barack Obama (D): Candidate summary, 2012 cycle/Source of funds"] (betw. March–June 2013). Opensecrets.org website. 34% Individual contributions, 67% large and corporate.
*[https://www.opensecrets.org/pres12/index.php "2012 presidential race/Overall spending"] (betw. August–September 2015). OpenSecrets.org website. These special interests count of over $1 billion may have decreased at least for a time since August–September 2015, where a grand total of individual contributions of less than $1 billion is reflected, but the grand total is presumably incomplete (shown, for example, by the uncounted University of California contributions revealed when comparing the subtotal from the time before August–September 2015 to the time afterwards, the subtotal thus ''increasing''), has every chance of remaining close to its precise revised estimated amount at the beginning of that time (of $964 million) and does not include Super PAC contributions, which is ''indirect'' spending.
**([https://web.archive.org/web/20150304050735/https://www.opensecrets.org/pres12/contrib.php?cycle=2012&id=N00009638 Link to version of this reference] on March 4, 2015 [whose pertinent subtotal which follows was the same back to the time indicated in the first bulleted reference] which shows $1,212,245 in contributions from the University of California. This is ''vs.'' $1,350,139 in contributions shown in the version indicated by the Internet Archive to have been published between August–September 2015 and shown in versions at least for a time thereafter [version retrieved on February 7, 2016 shows the same amount].)</ref>
Former [[Democrat]] Presidential candidate [[Joe Lieberman]] endorsed Obama's opponent [[John McCain]] in 2008 and declined to endorse Obama for the [[Presidential Election 2012|2012 presidential election]].<ref>Lillis, M. (2012, April 22). [https://thehill.com/video/campaign/222929-lieberman-declines-to-endorse-in-presidential-race Sen. Lieberman declines to endorse in presidential race]. ''The Hill''.</ref>

'''Primary election'''

In 2007–08, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton competed for the Democrat nomination. Hillary Clinton cleverly resurrected the "Born Alive" controversy surrounding Obama that had lain largely dormant since 2004 (notwithstanding the continuing mentions by [[Jill Stanek]]), by accusing Obama of not being pro-choice for voting "Present" on a number of abortion-related bills<ref>Bettelheim, Adriel (2008, February 13). "[https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2008/feb/13/obamas-present-tension/ Obama's 'Present' Tension]." ''PolitiFact''.</ref>—including the Born Alive ones,<ref>Multiple references:
*Berman, Russell (2008, January 17). "[https://www.nysun.com/national/clinton-obama-should-vote-no-on-abortion-issue/69700/ Clinton: Obama Should Vote 'No' On Abortion Issue She Backed]." ''[[New York Sun]]''.
*Hernandez, Raymond & Drew, Christopher (2007, December 20). "[https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/20/us/politics/20obama.html?pagewanted=all It's Not Just 'Ayes' and 'Nays': Obama's Votes in Illinois Echo]." ''The New York Times''.</ref> and cowardly ducking the votes.<ref>Multiple references:
*''Politi-Fact''. "[https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2008/feb/13/hillary-clinton/yes-but-its-complicated/ Response to Hillary Clinton Comment for January 21st, 2008]." Truth-o-Meter.
*Dorning, Mike (2007, December 20). "[http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2007/12/criticism_of_obama_present_vot.html Clinton Camp Criticizes Obama 'Present' Votes]." The Swamp. ''Chicago Tribune''.</ref> This led to criticism of Obama by two pro-choice organizations, Emily's List, and the [[National Organization for Women]].<ref>Multiple references:
*Dorning, Mike (2008, January 14). "[http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2008/01/obama_campaign_mounts_defense.html The Swamp: Obama Campaign Defends His Abortion-Rights Record]." ''Chicago Tribune''.
*Dorn, Michael (2008, February 6). "[http://voices.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/2008/02/obamas_voting_record_on_aborti_1.html Obama's Voting Record on Abortion]." ''Washington Post''.
*Newton-Small, Jay (2008, January 14). "[http://swampland.time.com/2008/01/14/obama_campaign_defends_present/ Obama Campaign Defends 'Present' Abortion Votes]." ''[[Time Magazine]]''.</ref> However, Pam Sutherland, the long-time head of Illinois Planned Parenthood, came to Obama's aid, criticizing Clinton for making the attack, and stating repeatedly that Obama's present votes were part of a broader strategy used by Planned Parenthood to keep Illinois voters from knowing their state senators were voting against the controversial and popular bills.<ref>Hernandez, Raymond & Drew, Christopher (2007, December 20). "[https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/20/us/politics/20cnd-obama.html?_r=2&hp&oref=slogin Obama's Vote in Illinois Was Often Just 'Present']." ''The New York Times''.</ref><ref>Follmer, Max (2008, March 28). "[https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/01/14/obama-emphasizes-prochoic_n_81460.html Obama Emphasizes Pro-Choice Voting Record as Clinton Questions 'Present' Votes]." ''[[Huffington Post]]''.</ref>
{{cquote|"He came to me and said: ‘My members are being attacked. We need to figure out a way to protect members and to protect women. A ‘present’ vote was hard to pigeonhole which is exactly what Obama wanted. What it did was give cover to moderate Democrats who wanted to vote with us but were afraid to do so" because of how their votes would be used against them electorally. A ‘present’ vote would protect them. Your senator voted ‘present.’ Most of the electorate is not going to know what that means."
-Pam Sutherland, President/CEO of Illinois Planned Parenthood Council, 1980-2012<ref>Davis, Teddy (2007, July 17). "[https://web.archive.org/web/20130414215754/https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2007/07/obama-abortion/ Obama Abortion Dodges Blessed by Planned Parenthood], ''[[ABC News]]''.</ref>}}As the contest in Iowa drew near one of Obama's gay lovers Donald Young, the openly homosexual choirmaster at Trinity United Church where the Obamas were members, was shot to death.<ref>https://www.wnd.com/2012/09/claim-obama-hid-gay-life-to-become-president/</ref> Hillary Clinton organizers began circulating evidence that Obama was secretly a Muslim.<ref>[https://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/10/barackemail/ Obama Under the Clinton Microscope], By JEFF ZELENY, ''The New York Times'', December 10, 2007</ref><ref>[http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/12/06/clinton-volunteers-anti-obama-e-mail-causes-stir/ Clinton volunteer's sending of anti-Obama e-mail causes stir]. December 6, 2007. CNN</ref><ref>[https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=92143 Hillary Clinton Press Release - Sen. Obama Rewrites History], December 2, 2007, references Obama in the Muslim school in Indonesia in 3rd grade, quoting the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', 3/15/07</ref><ref>[https://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/world/americas/article1995587.ece Obama ‘was educated in madrassa’], Tim Reid and Tom Baldwin, ''[[The Times of London]]'', January 20, 2007.</ref> Clinton also made the claim repeatedly that while Obama was leading in Delegates she was winning the Popular Vote,<ref>Koffler, Daniel (2008, May 28). "[https://www.huffingtonpost.com/daniel-koffler/hillary-clinton-and-the-p_b_103913.html Hillary Clinton and the Popular Vote: Not Wrong, but Meaningless]." ''Huffington Post''. Barone, Michael (2008, March 28). "[https://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/barone/2008/03/28/projection-clinton-wins-popular-vote-obama-wins-delegate-count Projection: Clinton Wins Popular Vote, Obama Wins Delegate Vote]." ''U.S. News''.</ref> though this was in part because Obama hadn't been registered in Michigan.<ref>Romano, Andrew (2008, August 2). "[https://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/blogs/stumper/2008/06/02/clinton-s-popular-vote-claim-close-but-not-quite.html Clinton's Popular Vote Claim? Close--But Not Quite*]." ''[[Newsweek]]''.</ref><ref>''[[RealClearPolitics]]''. "[http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/democratic_vote_count.html 2008 Democratic Popular Vote]."</ref> Obama's advantage with super-delegates over Clinton was about 2-to-1.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Superdelegate endorsements for Friday 6/6|work=Democratic Convention Watch|url=https://server5.kproxy.com/servlet/redirect.srv/sruj/scyaetcar/szvnvskmbmff/p1/2008/06/superdelegate-endorsements-for-friday.html}}</ref> Obama was able to attract the support of [[liberals]] by pointing out that he had come out against the [[Iraq War]] "from the beginning" whereas Clinton had voted in favor of the war in 2002.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://server5.kproxy.com/servlet/redirect.srv/sruj/shkoagohk/sopq/p2/news/politics/election2008/2008-01-31-democrats-debate_N.htm|title=Obama, Clinton stress differences on Iraq, issues|author=David Jackson|work=USA Today|language=English}}</ref> On June 7, 2008, Hillary Clinton withdrew from the Primaries, conceding the race and endorsing her opponent,<ref>''Associated Press''. "[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24993082/ns/politics-decision_08/t/clinton-ends-historic-bid-endorses-obama/ Clinton Ends Historic Bid, Endorses Obama]." [[MSNBC]]</ref> when Obama passed the 2,118 Delegates required; winning 2,201 delegates to Clinton's 1,896.<ref>''CNN''. "[https://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/primaries/results/scorecard/#D Election Center 2008].</ref>

'''Jeremiah Wright controversy'''
[[File:Obamaatcampdavid.jpg|thumb|right|Obama desecrates a Christian symbol at Evergreen Chapel]]
{{See also|Barack Obama and Liberation Theology}}
One major dilemma that arose for Obama during his campaign was his connection to his preacher [[Jeremiah Wright]]. Obama and his wife (raised a Baptist) were members of the Trinity [[United Church of Christ]]<ref>[http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1776246/posts Trinity United Church of Christ Website (Barack Hussein Obama's Church)]</ref> in Chicago, a church that embraced [[black liberation theology]] and its emphasis on empowering so-called "oppressed groups" against "establishment forces". This denomination was the first in America to ordain gays as ministers.<ref>[https://www.mcclatchydc.com/227/story/31079.html Obama's church pushes controversial doctrines], March 20, 2008</ref> Church pastor Jeremiah Wright had been making inflammatory comments and posting his sermons online for sale. These include the statement "G-d damn America," and in describing the September 11th attacks, "We have supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and black [[South Africa]]ns, and now we are indignant because the stuff we have done overseas is now brought right back to our own front yards. America's chickens are coming home to roost."<ref>[https://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/Story?id=4443788 Obama's Pastor: G-d Damn America, U.S. to Blame for 9/11], [[ABC News]]</ref> In addition, Rev. Wright blamed America saying "We supported Zionism shamelessly while ignoring the Palestinians and branding anybody who spoke out against it as being [[anti-Semitic]]."

In April 2008, after 20 years in the church, candidate Obama made public statements poised to set him at odds with the man who conducted his wedding and baptized his children. With the negative publicity persisting, a month later Obama ended the friendship, left Wright's church, and blamed the media.<ref>[http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/05/31/obama-resigns-church-membership-in-chicago/ Obama Drops Church Membership in Chicago], [[Fox News]] May 31, 2008</ref> Obama claimed “It’s not fair to the other members of the church who seek to worship in peace...", and distanced himself from Wright's sermons as "a bunch of rants that aren't grounded in the truth."<ref>USA Today, [https://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20080430/1a_offlede30_dom.art.htm ''Obama breaks with former pastor, Candidate cites rants on U.S. role in terror, AIDS''], by Kathy Kiely and David Jackson</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20081211092533/https://www.usnews.com/usnews/politics/bulletin/bulletin_080430.htm ''Obama Says He Is Outraged By Wright's "Rants"'']</ref>

===Born Alive record resurfaces===
On June 30, 2008, Obama's voting record on the "Born Alive" bills came once more to the forefront when CNN gave voice to the growing controversy and revealed the defense Obama had been using since 2004–2008, that the Illinois bills he'd voted against were different from the federal bill, was false, since he'd brought up for a vote a bill word for word identical to the federal bill in the Health and Human Services Committee he chaired, and voted against it, defeating it.<ref>''CNN''. "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPZCXcTwZPY How He Really Voted on Abortion: Obama's Record Under Attack]." ''The Situation Room''. Uploaded to ''YouTube'' by [[Jill Stanek]].</ref><ref>''CNN''. "[http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0806/30/sitroom.02.html Transcripts: June 30, 2008]." The Situation Room.</ref> This led in August to a confrontation between Obama and the [[NRLC]].<ref>''[[National Right to Life Committee]]''. "[https://www.nrlc.org/news/2008/NRL08/ObamaCoverup.html Obama Cover-up Revealed on Born-Alive Abortion Survivor's Bill]." NRL News, Vol. 35, Issue 7-8, pg. 5.</ref> After Obama accused critics of 'lying'<ref>Brody, David (2008, August 16). "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Skq5M1Ksp_c McCain/Obama Forum]." ''CNN''. Uploaded to ''YouTube'' by [[Jill Stanek]]. David Brody (August 16, 2008). "[http://blogs.cbn.com/thebrodyfile/archive/2008/08/16/obama-gets-heated-on-born-alive-infant-protection-act.aspx Obama Gets Heated on Born Alive Infant Protection Act]." ''[[CBN]] News''. The Brody File.</ref> the NRLC challenged the assertion, and the Obama campaign conceded he "misspoke" and had voted against an identical bill to the "federal bill that everybody supported" but focused on Obama's new claim, that Illinois law was already sufficient to protect newborn children.<ref>Berman, Russell (2008, August 18). "[https://www.nysun.com/national/obama-facing-attacks-from-all-sides-over-abortion/84059/ Obama Facing Attacks From All Sides Over Abortion Record]." ''[[New York Sun]]''.</ref> The NRLC promptly declared "Senator Barack Obama's four-year effort to cover up his full role in killing legislation to protect born-alive survivors of abortions continues to unravel."<ref>Johnson, Douglas (2008, August 18). "[https://www.nrlc.org/ObamaBAIPA/Obamacoveruponbornalive.htm Obama Cover-up on Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Continues to Unravel After Sen. Obama Says NRLC is 'Lying']." ''[[National Right to Life Committee]]''.</ref>

'''Result'''
Obama made an effort to portray John McCain as similar to George W. Bush, drawing attention to McCain's refusal to criticize the unpopular president. McCain was particularly criticized for saying of how many years we should be willing to stay in Iraq, "Make it a hundred."<ref>Dobbs, Michael (2008, April 2). "[http://voices.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/2008/04/mccains_100year_war.html FactChecker: McCain's '100-Year War']." ''Washington Post''.</ref>{{cquote|"John McCain went on television and said that there has been great progress economically over the last seven-and-a-half years. John McCain thinks our economy has made great progress under George W. Bush? How could somebody who has been traveling across this country, somebody who came to Erie, Pennsylvania, say we’ve made great progress?"
-Barack Obama<ref>Zeleny, Jeff (2008, April 18). "[https://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/18/obama-criticizes-mccain-on-economic-stance/ Obama Criticizes McCain on Economic Stance]." ''The New York Times''.</ref>}} On August 22, Obama selected [[Joe Biden]] as his running mate for the vice presidency,<ref>''CNN'' (2008, August 23). "[http://articles.cnn.com/2008-08-23/politics/biden.democrat.vp.candidate_1_biden-john-mccain-barack-obama?_s=PM:POLITICS Obama Introduces Biden as Running Mate]."</ref> which would be contrasted one week later with John McCain's selection of [[Sarah Palin]].<ref>Cooper, Michael & Bumiller, Elisabeth (2008, August 29). "[https://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/30/us/politics/29palin.html?pagewanted=all Alaskan is McCain's Choice; First Woman on G.O.P. Ticket]. ''The New York Times''.</ref>

On November 2, 2008, Barack Obama won the presidential election with 365 electoral votes to John McCain's 173.<ref>(2008, November 14). "[http://elections.nytimes.com/2008/results/president/explorer.html Electoral Explorer]." Election Results 2008. ''The New York Times''.</ref> Obama received 53% of the popular vote to John McCain's 46%.<ref>(2008, November 17). "[https://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/president/ President]." Election Center 2008. ''CNN''.</ref>

===2012===
:''Main article: [[Presidential Election 2012]]''
During his campaigns, Obama said that he intended to "[[Redistribution of wealth|spread the wealth around]]" and was portrayed as saying that entrepreneurs and employers deserve no credit for building their businesses.<ref>Multiple references:
*Zuckerman, Mortimer B. (July 16, 2010). [https://www.usnews.com/opinion/mzuckerman/articles/2010/07/16/obamas-anti-business-policies-are-our-economic-katrina "Obama's anti-business policies are our economic Katrina"]. ''U.S. News and World Report'' website.
*Barnes, Fred (July 22, 2009). [https://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/016/619dvjlm.asp "An anti-business president"]. ''The Weekly Standard''. Vol. 14, No. 38. Retrieved at The Weekly Standard website. See [[The Weekly Standard]].
*Shedlock, Mike (August 20, 2010). [http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/2010/08/small-businesses-are-not-hiring-why.html "Small businesses are not hiring—Why should they?"] Blogspot website/Mish's global economic trend analysis.
*Wright, C. Edmund (February 12, 2012). [https://www.americanthinker.com/2010/02/dear_mr_president_why_we_are_n.html "Dear Mr. President: Why we are not hiring"]. American Thinker website. See [[American Thinker]].</ref> On March 1, 2013 Obama issued [[Executive Order|executive orders]] to implement his [[Budget sequester|sequester]] of budget cuts which<ref>Bedard, Paul (February 27, 2013). [https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/dnc-boosts-obama-job-cut-threat-of-750000-to-2-million/article/2522664?custom_click=rss "Sequester hype: DNC adds 1.25 million job cuts to Obama's 750,000"]. ''Washington Examiner'' website. Article located by [[Weasel Zippers]] website.</ref> has been widely criticized for destroying jobs in what was an anemic and fragile recovery.<ref>Foys, Bob (February 26, 2013). [http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-02-26/news/chi-20130226-foys_briefs_1_sequester-president-obama-press-secretary-jay-carney "President Obama's sequester"]. ''Chicago Tribune'' website. See [[Chicago Tribune]].</ref>

Warren L. Dean Jr., an adjunct professor of law at [[Georgetown University]] Law Center, wrote:
*{{obama income inequality}}

Obama's illegal domestic spying on political opponents and [[FISA abuse]] began in June 2012 before the November 2012 presidential election and was continued beyond his term of office by holdovers.<ref>https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2019/05/24/evidence-of-obama-administration-political-surveillance-beginning-mid-2012/</ref>

According to a [[NBC News]] poll, from August 2014, Obama's approval rating was a dismal 40%,<ref>Murray, Mark (August 5, 2014). [http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/poll-americans-dissatisfied-economy "Poll: Obama’s approval rating hits all-time low"]. MSNBC website. See [[MSNBC]]</ref> showing that six in ten Americans disapproved of his [[liberal]] policies. Given that liberals frequently engage in [[Liberal lies|deceit]], the actual approval ratings could be much lower. When Obama left office, the same pollsters who prognosticated a blowout win for Hillary Clinton maintained Obama's approval rating was above 50%.

===Birth certificate controversies===
: ''Main article: [[Barack Obama Controversies#Birth Certificate]]''
On April 27, 2011,<ref>CNN Political Unit (2011, April 27). "[http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/04/27/white-house-releases-obama-birth-certificate/ White House Releases Obama Birth Certificate]." ''CNN''.</ref> a long-running controversy surrounding Obama's birth was largely put to rest<ref>Winter, J. (2011, April 29). "[https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/04/29/expert-says-obamas-birth-certificate-legit/ Expert: No Doubt Obama's Birth Certificate is Legit]." ''[[Fox News]]''. Tuchman, G. (2011, April 25). "[http://articles.cnn.com/2011-04-25/politics/birthers.obama.hawaii_1_birther-controversy-obama-opinion-research-corporation?_s=PM:POLITICS Obama Birther Claims Have No Merit]." ''CNN''. (2011, April 27). "[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42779923/ns/politics-white_house/t/obama-releases-detailed-us-birth-certificate/ Obama Releases Detailed U.S. Birth Certificate]." ''MSNBC''.</ref> when Obama had his long-form birth certificate posted at WhiteHouse.gov.<ref>"[https://us-east-1.tchyn.io/snopes-production/uploads/2014/02/obama-longform.jpg Certificate of Live Birth]." Originally ordered by Obama to be posted on ''WhiteHouse.gov'', but it is no longer there.</ref>[[Donald Trump]], who had been critical of Obama for allowing the divisiveness to linger was then leading Republicans in polls for the upcoming GOP primary<ref>James, F. (2011, April 15). "[https://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2011/04/15/135446314/poll-donald-trump-birther-darling-leads-gop-field-at-26 Donald Trump, Birther In Chief? Poll Has Him Leading GOP Field with 26 Percent]." ''NPR''.</ref> and has been credited with bringing final resolution to the issue. The birth certificates of Michelle Robinson, which would disclosure her birth-sex, and the two children which would clarify their birth parentage, however, remain undisclosed.

The following is a synopsis of previous events leading up to the release:

Hillary Clinton top advisor [[Sidney Blumenthal]], and his son, Max Blumenthal, were the origin of the rumors in 2008 that Barack Hussein Obama was a Muslim in order to stir up fear among white Democrats and women, intended for Hillary's benefit.<ref>[https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-great-islamophobic-crusade/ The Great Islamophobic Crusade], CBSNEWS, December 19, 2010. cbsnews.com</ref> McClatchy Washington Bureau Chief James Asher relayed, "Mr. Blumenthal and I met together in my office and he strongly urged me to investigate the exact place of President Obama’s birth, which he suggested was in Kenya."<ref>https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/election/article102354777.html</ref> Snope's has identified a claim that a 1991 promotional booklet by Barack Obama's then-literary agency, Acton & Dystel, touted Obama as "born in Kenya and raised in Indonesia and Hawaii" as being true.<ref>http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/birthers/booklet.asp</ref>

[[Hillary Clinton 2008 presidential campaign|Hillary Clinton's 2008 campaign]] team then began spreading [[Islamophobic]] rumors that Obama was a [[Muslim]] schooled in a ''madrassa'' as a child in Indonesia.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/sep/05/bill-clinton-barack-obama-bromance-long-slow-making Bill Clinton and Barack Obama: an alliance long and slow in the making], Gary Younge, ''Guardian'' UK.</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080506093354/http://www.stop-obama.org/?page_id=23 Who is BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA?] Mission Statement, stop-obama.org</ref> A group registered as People United Means Action (PUMA) was made up of Hillary Clinton supporters who not only opposed Barack Obama's nomination but also sought to delegitimize his presidency.<ref>https://youtu.be/bifsEkjTAc8</ref> PUMA members charged that the media directed [[sexism]] and [[misogyny]] at Clinton during the 2008 primary campaign and expressed anger at [[Democratic Party]] leaders' failure to speak out or otherwise respond appropriately.

Hillary Clinton had received a majority of votes in the 2008 Democratic primaries and PUMA felt the [[Superdelegate]]s robbed Hillary of the nomination.

'''Retribution killings'''

Obama transformed the Bush administration War on Terror from a preventative measure against terrorism to a cry for vengeance, mob bloodlust, and retribution killings which spawned a fresh, new, and larger cycle of violence.

On May 1, 2011, Obama misled the public when he announced <ref>Obama, B. (2011, May 2). "[https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/05/02/osama-bin-laden-dead Osama Bin Laden Dead]." ''White House''.</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kf1SLhNoUNY Nobel Prize Winner with a kill list].</ref> that Osama bin Laden was "killed in a firefight" after a U.S. special operations group infiltrated a compound in [[Abbottabad raid|Abottobad]], Pakistan.<ref>Baker, P., Cooper, H., & Mazzetti, M. (2011, May 1). "[Bin Laden is Dead, Obama Says]." ''The New York Times''. "[https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Osama_Bin_Laden/ Target Bin Laden: The Death of Public Enemy #1]." ''ABC News''. ''[[NPR]]''. "[https://www.npr.org/series/135908383/osama-bin-laden-dead Special Series: Osama Bin Laden Killed]."</ref> Attacks, murders, and kidnappings of Americans have since escalated as reprisals for bin Laden's death. [[Al Qaeda]], once broken and on the run, operates openly as the jihad has now become global. Relations with Pakistan, a longtime ally throughout the Cold War and War on Terror, became strained. The government of Pakistan denied White House claims it allowed Americans to kill Muslims on its territory.<ref>''Associated Press'' (2011, May 10). "[https://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/05/10/pakistani-president-claims-bin-laden-deal/ Former Pakistani President Claims There Was Never Bin Laden Deal With U.S.]." Retrieved from ''Fox News''.</ref> For all his duplicity and criticism of the War on Terror, Obama experienced only a temporary blip in approval ratings.<ref>Dao, J. & Sussman, D. (2011, May 4). "[https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/05/us/politics/05poll.html For Obama, Big Rise in Poll Numbers After Bin Laden Raid]." ''New York Times''. ''Pew Research Center'' (2011, May 2). "[https://www.people-press.org/2011/05/03/public-relieved-by-bin-ladens-death-obamas-job-approval-rises/ Public 'Relieved' by Bin Laden's Death, Obama's Job Approval Rises]." Jones, J.M. (2011, May 5). "[https://www.gallup.com/poll/147437/obama-approval-rallies-six-points-bin-laden-death.aspx Obama Job Approval Rallies Six Points to 52% After Bin Laden Death]." ''Gallup''.</ref><ref>''[[CBS News]]/Associated Press'' (2012, May 1). "[https://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57424622/1-year-after-osama-bin-laden-killed-still-no-answers-from-pakistan/ 1 Year After Osama bin Laden Killed, Still No Answers from Pakistan]."</ref>

An NBC investigation revealed Obama was informed of bin Laden's whereabouts one full year before he attempted to use it as an election year issue. NBC further reported that there was no "firefight" at all, contradicting what the president told the nation.<ref>[https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3077864/NBC-investigatin-says-bama-DID-edit-role-Pakistan-killing-Bin-Laden-change-facts-credit.html NBC investigation claims Obama knew where bin Laden was ONE YEAR before 2011 raid and backs Seymour Hersh's claim Pakistan intelligence hid al-Qaeda chief], [[Daily Mail ]]</ref> As early as the day after bin Laden was executed, it was learned bin Laden was not armed in the alleged "firefight" that Obama claimed took place.

'''Defends Mohammad'''

After the [[Benghazi terrorist attack]] which his administration knowingly and fraudulently blamed on the creator of an irreverent YouTube video critical of the founder of Islam, Obama made a speech at the UN in which he said, {{Cquote|The future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam.<ref>https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/09/25/remarks-president-un-general-assembly</ref>}}
Four Americans died in the terrorist action intended to commemorate the [[9/11 attack]]s. The attack occurred on the US Consulate at Benghazi, part of the territory of the United States. Administration officials did nothing to repel the attack in progress while huddling to discuss the domestic political ramifications for the upcoming presidential election, less than two months away. The creator of the video was jailed on bogus charges unrelated to the video. In 2015, a series of terrorist attacks in France, Denmark and the United States claimed the lives of at least 15 people with dozens injured, including security and police officers, motivated by Muslim extremists defending what, in their view were, unflattering depictions of the founder of Islam, [[Mohammad]].

'''Voting irregularities'''

According to Stanley Kurtz - author of ''Radical-in-Chief: Barack Obama and the Untold Story of American Socialism'' (2010) Obama in 1995 sought and obtained the endorsement of a left-wing third party, the [[New Party]] in his quest to be elected to the Illinois State Senate.<ref>Kurtz, S. (2012, June 7). [https://www.nationalreview.com/articles/302031/obamas-third-party-history-stanley-kurtz Obama's Third-Party History]. ''[[National Review Online]]''.</ref> Obama's "Fight the Smears" campaign has denied this, as has [[Politico]]'s Ben Smith.<ref name=pollack>Pollack, J.B. (2012, June 7). [https://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/06/07/Obama-Caught-Lying-Again-He-WAS-Member-of-New-Party-Says-Kurtz Obama Caught Lying Again: He WAS Member of 'New Party', Says Kurtz]. ''Breitbart.com'' Smith, B. (2008, October 25). [https://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/1008/The_dread_New_Party.html The Dread New Party]. ''[[Politico]]''.</ref> Others who claim he was affiliated with the New Party/ACORN include [[The Blaze]]'s Billy Hallowell,<ref>Hallowell, B. (2012, June 7). [https://www.theblaze.com/stories/report-new-documents-show-obama-was-a-member-of-the-far-left-new-party/ News Docs Reportedly Show Obama Was a Member of the Far-Left 'New Party']. ''The Blaze''.</ref> [[Breitbart News Network|Breitbart]]'s Joel Pollack, [[Human Events]]' Erick Erickson,<ref>Erickson, E. (2008, June 10). [http://www.humanevents.com/2008/06/10/obama-and-the-new-party/ Obama and the New Party]. ''[[Human Events]]''.</ref> Newsbusters' P.J. Gladnick,<ref>Gladnick, P.J. (2008, October 12). [http://newsbusters.org/blogs/p-j-gladnick/2008/10/08/will-msm-report-obama-membership-socialist-new-party#ixzz21JfE3z1z Will MSM Report on Obama Membership in Socialist New Party?] ''[[Newsbusters]]''.</ref> Rick Moran at AmericanThinker.com,<ref>Rick Moran. [https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2008/06/obamas_alliance_with_marxists.html Obama's Alliance with Marxists], ''American Thinker'', June 03, 2008.</ref> and various writers at [[Discover the Networks]] (which include Kurtz and Erickson).<ref>[http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/groupProfile.asp?grpid=7434 NEW PARTY (NP)], ''[[Discover the Networks]]''.</ref>

Kurtz in 2012 has claimed to find minutes of the New Party Chicago chapter that say, "''Barack Obama, candidate for State Senate in the 13th Legislative District, gave a statement to the membership and answered questions. He signed the New Party 'Candidate Contract' and requested an endorsement from the New Party. He also joined the New Party.''"<ref name=pollack /> Obama campaign strategist David Axelrod responded to Kurtz with silence and when asked if that meant "yes or no", Axelrod stated, "You can take that as I have no idea what you are talking about."<ref>Pollack, J.B. (2012, June 7). [https://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/06/07/Exclusive-Axelrod-Plays-Dumb-on-Obama-and-Socialist-New-Party Exclusive: Axelrod Plays Dumb on Obama and Socialist New Party]. ''[[Breitbart.com]]''.</ref>

'''"You didn't build that"'''===
{{main|You didn't build that}}
On July 13, 2012, at a campaign event in [[Virginia]], Obama attacked [[capitalism]] in a speech that immediately stirred up controversy. Speaking about the government's role in the success of private business, he said:<ref>[https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/07/13/remarks-president-campaign-event-roanoke-virginia Remarks by the President at a Campaign Event in Roanoke, Virginia], White House</ref>
{{cquote|If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you’ve got a business - you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen.}} The [[Romney]] campaign has used "If you’ve got a business—you didn’t build that" in ads to show America that Obama believes it is government that creates business rather than hard-working individuals. The Obama campaign has alternatively stated that the sentenced was poorly worded since he was not giving a scripted speech and that when Obama said "that" he was referring to roads and bridges. Obama points to a later portion of his speech in which he said, "The point is, is that when we succeed, we succeed because of our individual initiative, but also because we do things together," to support his claim.

'''Results'''

On November 6, 2012 Barack Obama won reelection with 332 electoral votes to Mitt Romney's 206.<ref>[https://www.politico.com/2012-election/results/map/ 2012 Presidential Election], Politico</ref> Obama received 51% of the popular vote (65,899,660 votes) to Romney's 47% (60,932,152 votes).<ref>[https://www.fec.gov/pubrec/fe2012/2012presgeresults.pdf Official 2012 Presidential General Election Results], [[Federal Election Commission]]</ref>

==2009–2017: Presidency==
{{See also|Obama administration|Biden family corruption timeline}}
The [[liberal claptrap]] that elected Obama seems silly today. It was claimed, for example, that Obama had millions of followers on Twitter, when allegedly some 70% of them were fake.<ref>Jackson, David (August 24, 2012). [http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2012/08/obama-has-millions-of-fake-twitter-followers/1#.UDfQVqA2et_ "Obama has millions of fake Twitter followers"]. USA Today website/The Oval blog. See [[USA Today]].</ref> And although the [[lamestream media]] promoted Obama as a great orator, in fact, he relied almost entirely on teleprompters for his speeches and press conferences, and at one point even had teleprompters set up for him in a middle school classroom in order to speak to the media.

[[File:Obama and George H. W. Bush.jpg|thumb|right|300px|President Barack Obama meets with former President [[George H. W. Bush]] in the Oval Office, Feb. 15, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza).]]
Five years into Obama's presidency the number of people holding jobs still was 3 million below the all-time high of 138 million<ref>The effectiveness of [[American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009|Stimulus]] and deficits: [http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/graph/fredgraph.png?graph_id=112811 Job growth under President Obama's first term;] Source: [[United States Department of Labor]].</ref> workers – despite an increase of 10 million people in population over the same period of time.<ref>[https://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/graph/fredgraph.png?graph_id=112809 U.S. Population growth during Obama's first four years in office.] Source: [[U.S. Census Bureau]].</ref> Despite the "Hope and Change" rhetoric, from 2007 to 2017, the rate of Americans ages 10 to 24 who died by [[suicide]] rose by 56 percent, from 6.8 deaths per 100,000 persons to 10.6.<ref>https://www.investmentwatchblog.com/why-has-there-been-a-56-percent-increase-in-suicide-among-young-americans-in-just-10-years/</ref> Under Obama and Senate Democrats<ref>The Democrat-controlled Senate did not propose, vote on, or pass a budget for nearly five years. [https://www.cnn.com/2013/03/23/politics/senate-budget-bill/index.html Senate passes its first budget proposal in four years,] Ted Barrett and Alison Harding, CNN, March 23, 2013.</ref> budget management, the United States suffered its largest [[Federal budget deficit|deficit]]s<ref>Edwards, B. et. al. (2009, November 6). [https://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/107xx/doc10708/11-06-mbr.htm Monthly Budget Review: Fiscal Year 2009]. ''[[Congressional Budget Office]]''. Delisle, E.C. et. al. (2010, November 5). [https://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/118xx/doc11873/NovemberMBR.pdf Monthly Budget Review: Fiscal Year 2010]. ''[[Congressional Budget Office]]''.</ref> in history and its credit-worthiness downgraded from [[Standard and Poor's]]. Obama assured Americans that unemployment would not rise above 8% if his [[economic stimulus]] program was adopted, however, it rose and stagnated in the 8-10% range<ref>Di Leo, L & Lynch, S.N. (2010, August 20). [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704476104575439172480870774.html Jobless Claims Jump in New Sign Recovery is Sputtering]. ''Wall Street Journal''.</ref><ref>[[United States Bureau of Labor Statistics]]. [https://data.bls.gov/PDQ/servlet/SurveyOutputServlet?data_tool=latest_numbers&series_id=LNS11300000&years_option=specific_years&include_graphs=true&to_month=1&from_month=2 Databases, Tables & Calculators by Subject: Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey]. ''[[United States Department of Labor]]''. Data extracted on: July 19, 2010 (4:31:11 PM).</ref> for the entirety of his first term.

Patrick H. Caddell and Douglas E. Schoen, writing in the ''[[Wall Street Journal]]'', noted, "Rather than being a unifier, Mr. Obama has divided America on the basis of race, class and partisanship." The commentators also note Obama's approach to governance has encouraged [[radical left]]ists to pursue a similar strategy on his behalf. Mary Frances Berry, former head of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission, acknowledged that the [[Obama administration]] has taken to polarizing America around the issue of race as a means of diverting attention from other issues, saying, "Having one's opponent [[race card|rebut charges of racism]] is far better than discussing [[Unemployment|joblessness]]."<ref>Berry, M.F. (2010, July 20). [https://www.politico.com/arena/perm/Mary_Frances_Berry_91E3D9D5-C40D-440C-9D48-1C50CBC60C87.html Energy Arena, Driving the Conversation: Contracting Out U.S. Security? And will Branding Tea Party Racist Work?] ''[[Politico]]''.</ref> Caddell and Schoen, who worked for President Carter and Clinton, respectively, further stated, "Mr. Obama has also cynically [[class warfare|divided the country on class lines]]. He has taken to playing the populist card time and time again. He bashes Wall Street and insurance companies whenever convenient to advance his programs, yet he has been eager to accept campaign contributions and negotiate with these very same banks and [[corporation]]s behind closed doors in order to advance his political agenda... President Obama's divisive approach to governance has weakened us as a people and paralyzed our political culture."<ref>Caddell, P.H. & Schoen, D.E. (2010, July 28). [http://online.wsj.com/article/NA_WSJ_PUB:SB10001424052748703700904575391553798363586.html Our Divisive President]. ''Wall Street Journal''.</ref>

Obama appointed numerous communists and [[Red diaper baby|red diaper babies]] to important administration positions.<ref>McQuillan, Karin (June 3, 2019). [https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/barack-obama-populated-the-us-government-with-communists Barack Obama populated the US government with communists]. ''LifeSiteNews'' (from the ''American Thinker''). Retrieved June 4, 2019.</ref> He abused his presidential power several times during his presidency.<ref>Pollak, Joel B. (June 12, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/06/12/pollak-joe-biden-democrats-loved-obamas-abuses-of-presidential-power/ Pollak: Joe Biden, Democrats Loved Obama’s Abuses of Presidential Power]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved June 12, 2019.</ref>

===Domestic policy===
Obama's economic [[stimulus]] package in response to the [[Crash of 2008]] took seven years to return [[unemployment]] to historically acceptable levels. Economic growth remained below 2.0% throughout his two terms as poverty and income inequality increased.

Obama sought to end the "schoolhouse-to-jailhouse pipeline" by bribing public school districts through grants for not having law enforcement authorities arrest students for arrestable offenses – this policy led to a major school shooting in Florida over a year after he left office.<ref>Multiple references:
*Richardson, Valerie (March 5, 2018). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/mar/5/nikolas-cruz-avoided-police-scrutiny-help-obama-po/ Obama policies to end ‘schoolhouse-to-jailhouse pipeline’ helped keep Nikolas Cruz off police radar]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
*Sperry, Paul (March 1, 2018). [https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2018/02/28/obama_administration_school_discipline_policy_and_the_parkland_shooting.html Behind Cruz's Florida Rampage, Obama's School-Leniency Policy]. ''RealClear Investigations''. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
*Evans, M. Catharine (February 26, 2018). [https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2018/02/how_federal_funding_kept_nikolas_cruz_from_getting_arrested_and_unable_to_purchase_firearms.html How federal funding kept Nikolas Cruz from getting arrested and unable to purchase firearms]. ''American Thinker''. Retrieved March 5, 2018.</ref>

Under Barack Obama's lack of leadership, an Inspector General appointed by Obama discovered, for the first time in history, that the top two personnel appointed by Obama to head the [[FBI]] had both violated the law.<ref>https://sharylattkisson.com/2019/09/indicting-a-sandwich/</ref> Additionally, the Obama Administration prosecuted more whistleblowers as spies than other administrations.<ref>Mora, Edwin (October 3, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/10/03/flashback-obamas-war-on-whistleblowers-more-prosecuted-as-spies-than-ever-before/ Flashback–‘Obama’s War on Whistleblowers’: More Prosecuted as Spies than Ever Before]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved October 3, 2019.</ref>

====Obamacare: 8 years of stagnant growth====
[[File:CRIMINALS-600x400.jpg|right|350px|thumb|President Obama and [[Chuck Schumer]] with Democrat megadonor and convicted [[rape|rapist]] [[Harvey Weinstein]].<ref>https://usbacklash.org/harvey-weinstein-caught-on-recorded-nypd-phone-sting-telling-his-sexual-assault-victim-it-wont-happen-again/</ref> Schumer, who shepherded Obamacare through Congress, later called it a mistake.<ref>https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/11/chuck-schumer-passing-obamacare-in-2010-was-a-mistake/449700/</ref> ]]
{{main article|Obamacare}}
Not wanting the [[Financial crisis of 2008]] "to go to waste," America embarked on a grand socialist experiment. Thanks to "stupidity of the American voter" in the words of the bill's author, Obama passed his signature legislation, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) on March 10, 2010. Also known as Obamacare. In keeping with his progressive ideals, the bill used coercive measures to force Americans to buy insurance they didn't want or need.

The employer mandate – the requirement that employers pay 50% of a workers insurance – held down new job creation and wages. Overall [[GDP]] growth barely exceeded 1% throughout Obama's years, while population continued to grow at a 2.5% rate, thus steadily impoverishing the nation as a whole.

The act originated in the Democrat-controlled House, was amended and passed the Senate just prior to Sen. [[Ted Kennedy]]'s death with no Republicans and 44 Democrats voting to oppose. 60 Democrats in total lost their seats afterward in the 2010 Midterms.

In what was construed as a de facto rejection of the bill, [[Massachusetts]] voters elected a [[Republican]] candidate, [[Scott Brown]], who promised to vote against the bill if given the chance.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://server5.kproxy.com/servlet/redirect.srv/sruj/scczbaciweaamvs/sqdcjqy/p1/thefix/senate/scott-brown-wins-massachusetts-senate-race.html|work=Washington Post|author=Chris Cillizza|date=January 19, 2010|title=Scott Brown wins Massachusetts Senate special election race|language=English}}</ref> After Obama made a promise to issue an [[executive order]] that would ultimately prohibit the use of taxpayer subsidies to pay for [[abortion]] services,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://server5.kproxy.com/servlet/redirect.srv/sruj/sboxugoa/sjwewdpoy/p1/2010/mar/22/nation/la-na-healthcare-passage22-2010mar22/3|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|language=English|title=House passes historic healthcare overhaul|date=March 22, 2010|author=Noam N. Levey and Janet Hook}}</ref> the Democratic [[House of Representatives]] would pass the bill as it left the Senate 219–212, with 34 Democrats and all other parties dissenting.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://server5.kproxy.com/servlet/redirect.srv/sruj/swxn/sfsaszlku/p1/2010-03-21/politics/health.care.main_1_health-care-entire-house-democratic-caucus-pre-existing-conditions?_s=PM:POLITICS|date=March 21, 2010|author=Alan Silverleib|work=CNN|language=English|title=House passes health care bill on 219-212 vote}}</ref>

The [[individual mandate]] required everyone to purchase health care insurance or suffer punitive measures, with the typical [[Marxist]] provisions for exemptions and transfer payments from taxpayers to protected classes of Democrat voters. The individual mandate was upheld by the [[Supreme Court]] with Chief Justice [[John Roberts]] – himself the victim of Obama era [[FISA abuse]] – casting the tie-breaking vote.

The forced transfer of wealth from job creation to healthcare (including illegal immigrants) impoverished the country and left a generation of younger Obama supporters unemployed or underemployed.

====Economic policy====
[[File:Keynes.jpg|thumbnail|right|190px|[[Barack Obama]] advocates the use of discredited [[Keynesian economics|Keynesian economic concepts]]<ref>[http://centurean2.wordpress.com/2011/03/20/fabian-john-maynard-keynes-the-stealthy-enemy-of-human-freedom/ John Maynard Keynes the stealthy enemy of human freedom]</ref><ref>[https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-02-22/deathbed-of-keynesian-economics-will-be-in-u-k-matthew-lynn.html Deathbed of Keynesian Economics will be in the UK]</ref><ref>[http://www.iwf.org/inkwell/show/23102.html Will the G8 Repudiate the Philosophy of Living Beyond Our Means?]</ref><ref>[http://www.keynesatharvard.org/book/KeynesatHarvard-ch09.html KEYNES AT HARVARD Economic Deception as a Political Credo BY ZYGMUND DOBBS]</ref>]]

{{see also|Obamunism|American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009}}
Critics of the Obama administration have coined the word "[[Obamunism]]" to describe Barack Obama's [[socialism|socialistic]] and "[[fascism]] light" [[economic planning]] policies.<ref>[[Benito Mussolini]] defined fascism as the wedding of state and corporate powers. Accordingly, trend forecaster [[Gerald Celente]] labels [[Obama administration corporate bailouts|Obama's corporate bailouts]] as being "fascism light" in nature.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://server5.kproxy.com/servlet/redirect.srv/sruj/shoyazuxrvzm/srst/p1/articles/daily-intel/2009/07/20/obamunism-inc|work=The Big Money|publisher=Washington Post.[[Newsweek]] Interactive Co. LLC|language=English|title=Obamunism, Inc.|author=David Sessions|date=July 20, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://server5.kproxy.com/servlet/redirect.srv/sruj/sndlobjsqjkxhdorzklbov/sbcd/p1/small-business-interviews/gerald-celente-6944|author=Jim Blasingame|title=Is the government creating a bailout bubble?}}</ref> Obamunism can also refer to Obama's [[Obama administration fiscal policy|ruinous fiscal policies]] and [[Obama administration monetary policy|reckless monetary policies]].<ref name="gerard">{{cite web|url=https://server5.kproxy.com/servlet/redirect.srv/sruj/sjraxnucybwxm/p2/article/120883-monetary-policynot-obama-s-stimulusis-what-needs-watching|title=Monetary Policy-Not Obama's Stimulus-Is What Needs Watching|author=Gerard Jackson|date=February 16, 2009|work=Seeking Alpha}}</ref><ref name="bam">{{cite web|work=[[New York Post]]|date=May 17, 2009|url=https://server5.kproxy.com/servlet/redirect.srv/sruj/scczblb/smno/p1/seven/05172009/postopinion/editorials/bams_wise_words_169731.htm|title=BAM'S WISE WORDS}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://server5.kproxy.com/servlet/redirect.srv/slxv/snqlfvftx/syhfw/p1/2009/03/24/bush-deficit-vs-obama-deficit-in-pictures/|title=Bush Deficit vs. Obama Deficit in Pictures|work=The Foundry|publisher=[[Heritage Foundation]]|author=Conn Carroll|date=March 24, 2009}}</ref> As seen in his own actions, Barack Obama instructed his advisors to find loopholes that would enable the president to act as a [[dictator]] by pushing through legislation and increases in spending without congressional authority.<ref>Naked Emperor News (2011, October 12). [https://www.theblaze.com/stories/executive-dictatorship-obama-instructs-advisers-to-push-through-stimulus-projects-without-pesky-congressional-authorization/ Exclusive Dictatorship: Obama Instructs Advisors to Push Through Stimulus Projects Without Pesky 'Congressional Authorization']. ''[[The Blaze]]''.</ref>

Nevertheless, budgets passed under President Obama have included the smallest average annualized growth of federal spending (1.4%) since before President Reagan. Federal spending grew an average of 8.7% per year during Reagan's first term and an average of 8.1% per year during George W. Bush's second term.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://server5.kproxy.com/servlet/redirect.srv/sruj/sbomdbt/smno/p2/sites/rickungar/2012/05/24/who-is-the-smallest-government-spender-since-eisenhower-would-you-believe-its-barack-obama/|title=Who Is The Smallest Government Spender Since Eisenhower? Would You Believe It's Barack Obama?|publisher=[[Forbes]]|author=Rick Ungar|date=May 24, 2012}}</ref>

[[Wall Street]] firms and banks that were bailed out were among Obama's biggest campaign supporters.<ref>''OpenSecrets.org''. [https://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/contrib.php?cycle=2008&cid=N00009638 Barack Obama: Top Contributors]. The Center for Responsive Politics.</ref> Therefore, the Obama administration bailouts of corrupt, unproductive, and reckless Wall Street firms was hardly surprising, and many argue that it was not helpful in making the United States economy more productive and prosperous by encouraging more risk taking through letting banks off with a slap on the wrist. Others argue that bailing out the banks kept credit flowing and prevented a much deeper recession and a total collapse of the financial system. The government will recoup some though not all of its capital infusions over time. A 2005 study found that government corporate bailouts are often done for mere political considerations and the economic resources allocated exhibit significantly worse economic performance than resources allocated using purely business considerations.<ref>Faccio, M. et. al. (2005, March 1). [http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=676905 Political Connections and Corporate Bailouts]. ''Social Science Research Network''.</ref> Proponents of [[free market]] capitalism said Bernanke should not have bailed out failing firms and instead should have allowed free market capitalism to quickly recover as it did in the depression of 1920 without government intervention (free market capitalists assert that government intervention drags out economic recessions and depressions).<ref>Woods, T.E. (2009, April 10). [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czcUmnsprQI Why You've Never Heard of the Great Depression of 1920]. ''[[Ludwig von Mises Institute]]''. Hosted on ''YouTube''.</ref>

The Obama administration has been sharply criticized for [[Obama administration deficit spending|its massive deficit spending]] and [[Obama administration monetary policy|its reckless monetary policy]] via vast increases in the [[money supply]], although inflation under Bernanke has been below the historic mean.<ref name="gerard"/><ref name="bam"/><ref>Carroll, C. (2009, March 24). [http://blog.heritage.org/2009/03/24/bush-deficit-vs-obama-deficit-in-pictures/ Bush Deficit vs. Obama Deficit in Pictures]. ''The Foundry''. [[Heritage Foundation|The Heritage Network]].</ref> Celente predicts that if a "second American Revolution" occurs in a peaceful and productive manner, it may include a [[Third Party System|third party movement]] of governance that will advocate a more [[free market]] [[capitalism]] approach to the American economy and a more strict interpretation of the [[United States Constitution]] as far as the authors' [[original intent]].

During what the [[White House]] billed as [[Recovery Summer]], one half million workers per week continued losing their jobs. His signature legislative achievement, [[ObamaCare]],has been found to be [[unconstitutional]]<ref>Schoenberg, T. & Fisk, M.T. (2010, December 13). [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-13/u-s-health-care-law-requirement-thrown-out-by-judge.html Obama's Health-Care Law Ruled Unconstitutional Over Insurance Requirement]. ''Bloomberg''.</ref> by several judges and constitutional by others, and is credited as a major cause of uncertainty, high [[unemployment]],<ref>[http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=33220 Obamacare: Unemployment You Can Believe In], [[Human Events]]</ref> lagging job creation,<ref>Foster, J.D. (2010, August 5). [http://blog.heritage.org/2010/08/05/it%E2%80%99s-official-medicare%E2%80%99s-finances-shadowed-by-uncertainty/ It’s Official: Medicare’s Finances Shadowed by Uncertainty]. ''The Foundry''. [[Heritage Foundation|The Heritage Network]].</ref> and risk of a credit default crisis.<ref>Samuelson, R.J. (2010, March 29). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/28/AR2010032802353.html With health bill, Obama has sown the seeds of a budget crisis]. ''Washington Post''.</ref><ref>Cramer, J. (2010, March 19). [http://newsbusters.org/blogs/jeff-poor/2010/03/19/mad-money-cramer-health-care-passage-will-topple-stock-market 'Mad Money' Cramer: Health Care Passage 'Will Topple the Stock Market']. ''[[Newsbusters]]''.</ref>

His 2012 Budget plan has been roundly criticized in the mainstream and liberal press as not a serious effort to deal with the nation's economic crisis.<ref>[https://www.republican.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/blog?ID=1551d6f5-2ac9-4b8d-97ab-74def354024e Newspapers Call Out White House: ‘What Would That Path Be, Mr. President?’]</ref>

[[Jeffrey Tucker]] wrote, "President Obama's economic policy has been catastrophic for liberty, enterprise, and the American dream—the very archetype of what not to do to end recession."<ref>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1118186176/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=anncoulter-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1118186176 Debacle: Obama's War on Jobs and Growth and What We Can Do Now to Regain Our Future]</ref>

According to conservative investigative journalist [[Peter Schweizer]], Obama weaponized the regulatory process to help his friends buy businesses that had been devalued through Obama Administration policies.<ref>Kraychik, Robert (March 20, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/radio/2018/03/20/smash-grab-schweizer-explains-how-obama-weaponized-regulations-enrich-buddies/ ‘Smash and Grab’: Schweizer Explains How Obama Weaponized Regulations to Enrich His Buddies]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved March 20, 2018.</ref>

'''Stimulus'''
[[File:Black uc.png|right|250px|thumb|Black Unemployment under Barack Obama and the veto-proof Democrat congress.]]
{{See also|Recovery Summer}}
In early 2009, Obama lobbied Congress and the public to pass a sweeping Stimulus package<ref>(2009, January 3). "[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28479998/ns/politics-white_house/t/obama-urges-congress-pass-stimulus-plan/ Obama Urges Congress to Pass Stimulus Plan]." ''Associated Press''. Parsons, C. & Nicholas, P. (2009, February 10). "[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28479998/ns/politics-white_house/t/obama-urges-congress-pass-stimulus-plan/ Barack Obama Sternly Urges Congress to Pass Economic Stimulus]." ''Chicago Tribune''.</ref> known as ''The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009'' (H.R. 1).<ref>"[http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.1: Bill Text Versions: H.R. 1]." 111th Congress (2009-2010). ''[[Library of Congress]]''. "[https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=204335,00.html The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009: Information Center]." ''[[IRS]]''.</ref> The report of the Congressional Budget Office mandated by law stated that the legislation would ultimately harm the economy.<ref>Dinan, S. (2009, February 4). "[https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/feb/04/cbo-obama-stimulus-harmful-over-long-haul/ CBO: Obama Stimulus Harmful Over Long Haul]." ''U.S. News''.</ref> Contrary to his promise of bipartisanship,<ref>Dinan, S. (2009, March 28). "[https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/mar/28/mccain-obama-breaks-campaign-promises-shuns-bipart/?page=all McCain: Obama Breaks Promise of Bipartisanship]." ''[[Washington Times]]''.</ref> the bill passed the House 244–188 on January 28, 2009, with 11 Democrats voting with the entire Republican caucus against,<ref>Calmes, J. (2009, January 28). "[https://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/29/us/politics/29obama.html House Passes Stimulus Plan With No G.O.P. Votes]." ''The New York Times''.</ref> and received just 3 Republican votes when passing the Senate 61–37.<ref>Herszenhorn, D.M. (2009, February 10). "[https://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/11/washington/11web-stim.html Senate Approves Stimulus Plan]." ''The New York Times''.</ref> One third of the massive $838 billion bill consisted of [[Backdoor spending authority#Backdoor tax expenditures|backdoor tax expenditures]]<ref>(2009, February 11). "Senate Passes $838 Billion Stimulus Bill." ''Associated Press''.</ref> and the rest direct [[new spending]] on "just about every pent-up Democratic proposal of the last 40 years."<ref>(2009, January 28). "[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123310466514522309.html A 40-Year Wish List]." ''Wall Street Journal''.</ref> In responding to criticism of the broken bipartisanship promise at the time, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi famously quipped, "We won the election. We wrote the bill."<ref>Kane, P. (2009, January 23). "[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/22/AR2009012203961.html Stimulus Plan Meets More GOP Resistance]." ''Washington Post''.</ref> On February 18, 2009, the Stimulus was signed into law by Obama.<ref>(2009, February 17). "[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29231790/ns/politics-white_house/t/obama-stimulus-lets-americans-claim-destiny/ Obama: Stimulus Lets Americans Claim Destiny]." ''Associated Press''.</ref> In August 2009, Republicans and Democratic Senator David Obey drew attention to mistakes on the Recovery.gov site claiming millions of Stimulus jobs created that didn't exist. Obama responded by saying the errors just indicate his accounting is an "inexact science".<ref>(2009, November 18). "[https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/11/18/obama-calls-stimulus-data-errors-issue-says-focus-job-growth/ Obama Calls Stimulus Data Errors 'Side Issue,' Says Focus Is on Job Growth]." ''[[Fox News]]''.</ref>

'''[[Sequestration]]'''

According to [[Pulitzer Prize]] winning journalist [[Bob Woodward]] of the ''[[Washington Post]]'', Obama misled the American people in a Presidential debate only two weeks before the 2012 election when he said, "The sequester is not something that I’ve proposed,”<ref>[http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-02-22/opinions/37238840_1_jack-lew-treasury-secretary-rob-nabors Obama’s sequester deal-changer,] By Bob Woodward, ''Washington Post'', February 22, 2013.</ref> when in fact his chief budget negotiator and current Chief of Staff, [[Jack Lew]], made a call to Democrat [[Harry Reid]] at 2:30 pm on July 27, 2011 with the proposal after clearing it with Obama,<ref>[https://dailycaller.com/2012/10/22/fact-check-woodward-wrote-that-obama-administration-proposed-sequester/ Fact-check: Woodward wrote that Obama administration proposed sequester]. [[The Daily Caller]]</ref> as fully documented in Woodward's book, ''The Price of Politics''. Federal Reserve Chairman [[Ben Bernanke]] warned of immediate jobloss of about 750,000 jobs – about the same level as under George W. Bush<ref>[http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/graph/fredgraph.png?graph_id=109262 Monthly Jobloss under George W. Bush, Jan 2007 - Jan 2009]. See also [http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/graph/fredgraph.png?graph_id=109266 Initial Unemployment Claims] over the same period, annualized. Source: [[U.S. Department of Labor]], Bureau of Labor Statistics.</ref> – if Obama's budget and economic plans were allowed to take effect.<ref>[https://money.cnn.com/2013/02/26/news/economy/bernanke-burden-recovery/ Bernanke: Spending cuts add 'significant' burden to recovery,] By Annalyn Kurtz, CNN February 26, 2013.</ref>

Woodward, who's reporting on [[Watergate]] is credited with toppling the administration of [[Richard Nixon]], told Wolf Blitzer of CNN he was told by a senior White House official he'd regret talking about the President Obama's positions on the sequester.<ref>[https://www.businessinsider.com/bob-woodward-obama-sequester-white-house-reporting-price-politics-2013-2 Bob Woodward: White House Threatened Me On Sequester,] businessinsider.com</ref>

'''Spreading poverty and raising the debt'''

Following the 2011 debt ceiling standoff between Obama and House Republicans,<ref name=Swann-Aug>{{cite web|url=https://server5.kproxy.com/servlet/redirect.srv/sruj/sbbzacrcqujtxiwqq/swxy/p2/servlet/BlobServer?blobheadername3=MDT-Type&blobcol=urldata&blobtable=MungoBlobs&blobheadervalue2=inline%3B+filename%3DUS_Downgraded_AA%2B.pdf&blobheadername2=Content-Disposition&blobheadervalue1=application%2Fpdf&blobkey=id&blobheadername1=content-type&blobwhere=1243942957443&blobheadervalue3=UTF-8 |title=United States of America Long-Term Rating Lowered to 'AA+' on Political Risks and Rising Debt Burden; Outlook Negative |publisher=[[Standard and Poor's]] |date=August 5, 2011 |accessdate=April 3, 2013}}</ref> the United States Government's credit rating was, for the first time in its history, downgraded from AAA to AA+, and [[poverty]]<ref>[https://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/data/incpovhlth/2009/pov09fig04.pdf Figure 4: Number in Poverty and Poverty Rate: 1959-2009]. ''[[U.S. Census Bureau]]''. Current Population Survey, 1960 to 2010 Annual Social and Economic Supplements.</ref> increased markedly. By and large, his programs, said to combat the recession, unemployment, slow growth, and deficits, have failed<ref>"The vast majority (73%) of respondents reported the fiscal stimulus enacted in February 2009 has had no impact on employment to date. While 68% also believe a jobs bill, such as the one recently enacted into law, will have no impact on payrolls, 30% do believe it will boost payrolls moderately". [https://www.nabe.com/press/ind1004.pdf Industry Survey], ''National Association for Business Economics'', April 2010, p. 2.</ref> leaving the country saddled with an $18 trillion [[national debt]] and climbing.<ref>During Obama's first two years in office, the rate of new U.S. federal debt added per year to its total tripled the rate of new debt accumulated by Bush to place the U.S. on a war footing, and during Obama's first six years in office, the total National Debt has nearly doubled ($7.5 trillion added). See [[National Debt]].</ref> One of his most well-known tactics was blaming someone else, such as George W. Bush, for all his failures instead of taking responsibility. Also on the domestic front, Obama passed an expensive [[health care]] bill in 2010 with no national consensus or [[bipartisan]] support and 34 Democrats dissenting. Recently, the [[Congressional Budget Office]] wrote an open letter to [[John Boehner]], the Speaker of the House, outlining the effects of repealing [[Obamacare]] and explaining why a net loss of over 100 billion dollars would occur from the repeal.<ref>[http://cbo.gov/publication/43471 Letter to the Honorable John Boehner providing an estimate for H.R. 6079, the Repeal of Obamacare Act], Congressional Budget Office</ref>

During Obama's presidency, the national debt nearly doubled, going from $10.6 trillion to $19.9 trillion.<ref>Meyer, Ali (January 21, 2018). [https://freebeacon.com/politics/obama-leaves-office-debt/ Obama Leaves Office Having Added $9.3 Trillion to Debt]. ''The Washington Free Beacon''. Retrieved May 16, 2018.</ref>

====Illegal immigration====
[[File:Obama detention.jpg|right|300px|thumb|A U.N. report cited Obama for holding 100,000 children in cages.<ref>https://qz.com/1291470/photos-immigrant-children-detained-at-the-placement-center-in-2014/</ref><ref>https://www.theepochtimes.com/media-outlets-retract-story-claiming-trump-administration-has-detained-100000-children-in-migration-related-us-detention_3151966.html</ref>]]
The Obama Administration was weak on [[illegal immigration]]. It established the [[Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals]] program (DACA)<ref>Munro, Neil (July 21, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/07/21/daca-seven-facts-obamas-amnesty-decree/ DACA: Seven Facts About Obama’s Amnesty Decree]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved July 21, 2017.</ref><ref>Nolte, John (September 5, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2017/09/05/14-things-msm-wont-tell-daca/ 14 Things the MSM Won’t Tell You About DACA]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved September 6, 2017.</ref><ref>Klein, Aaron (September 3, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/09/03/obama-administration-usurped-constitution-bypassed-congress-grant-de-dacto-amnesty-dreamers/ How the Obama Administration Bypassed Congress to Grant De Facto Amnesty to Young Illegal Aliens]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved September 3, 2017.</ref> in 2012, which gave protection and work permits (jobs which could have gone to American citizens) to illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children. In his 2013 memoir, liberal Democrat U.S. Representative [[Luis Gutiérrez]], an ally of Obama on immigration issues, stated that Obama did not believe that DACA was legally possible until he enacted it.<ref>Pollak, Joel B. (September 5, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/09/05/luis-gutierrez-daca-2013-obama-said-illegal/ Luis Gutiérrez on DACA in 2013: Obama Said It Was Illegal]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved September 6, 2017.</ref> The Obama Administration was able to give green cards to about 40,000 of those DACA illegals.<ref>Munro, Neil (September 1, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/09/01/daca-backdoor-granted-green-cards-45000-illegals/ 45,000 Illegals Using DACA Backdoor to Get Green Cards]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved September 1, 2017.</ref><ref>Binder, John (September 26, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/09/26/feds-confirm-40k-illegal-aliens-shielded-by-daca-already-given-amnesty/ Feds Confirm 40K Illegal Aliens Shielded by DACA Already Given Amnesty]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved September 26, 2017.</ref> Additionally, it was reported the administration let 2.2 million deportable illegal immigrants, including 400,000 with criminal convictions, remain on the streets,<ref>Price, Bob (April 22, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/texas/2017/04/22/report-ice-failures-under-obama-administration-leave-more-than-2-2-million-supervised-aliens-on-streets/ REPORT: ICE Failures Under Obama Administration Leave More Than 2.2 Million ‘Supervised’ Aliens on Streets]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved April 22, 2017.</ref> while releasing 68,000 with criminal records in 2013 alone.<ref>Mass, Warren (April 1, 2014). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/immigration/item/17963-obama-administration-releases-68-000-illegal-immigrant-criminals Obama Administration Releases 68,000 Illegal Immigrant Criminals]. ''The New American''. Retrieved June 8, 2018.</ref> He nearly doubled the number of illegal immigrant juveniles with the EB-4 visa, which gave them legal status.<ref>Binder, John (May 30, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/texas/2017/05/30/obama-nearly-doubled-number-juvenile-illegal-aliens-given-amnesty-says-expert/ Obama Nearly Doubled Number of Juvenile Illegal Aliens Given Amnesty, Says Expert]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 30, 2017.</ref> The Administration "administratively closed" up to 200,000 deportation cases, meaning those illegal immigrants were free to go where they wanted in the U.S.<ref>Bedard, Paul (August 28, 2017). [https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/200000-deportation-cases-quietly-closed-under-obama/article/2632724 200,000 deportation cases quietly 'closed' under Obama]. ''Washington Examiner''. Retrieved August 28, 2017.</ref> The administration also obstructed deportation cases<ref>Bedard, Paul (October 9, 2017). [https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/group-memo-shows-obama-team-obstructed-deportation-cases/article/2636910 Group: Memo shows Obama team obstructed deportation cases]. ''Washington Examiner''. Retrieved October 9, 2017.</ref> and blocked 550,000 illegals from deportation.<ref>Bedard, Paul (December 6, 2017). [https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/obama-blocked-deportation-of-550000-illegals-more-than-atlantas-population/article/2642694 Obama blocked deportation of 550,000 illegals, more than Atlanta's population]. ''Washington Examiner''. Retrieved December 6, 2017.</ref> The Obama Administration issued 140,000 U visas, which are given to illegal immigrants who testify against criminals in court and allow them to eventually gain citizenship, massively expanding the program.<ref>Munro, Neil (June 27, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/06/27/u-vsa-becomes-backdoor-amnesty-for-200000-plus/ Obama Backdoor Amnesty Provided ‘U visas’ For 140,000 Illegal Aliens]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved June 28, 2017.</ref> The Obama Administration's failure to close an immigration loophole caused over 250,000 illegal minors to be separated from their parents,<ref>Binder, John (June 19, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/06/19/immigration-loophole-separated-more-than-quarter-million-child-border-crossers-under-obama/ Obama’s Inaction on Immigration Loophole Separated More Than Quarter Million Child Border Crossers]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved June 19, 2018.</ref><ref>Spiering, Charlie (June 21, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/06/21/obama-criticizes-trump-for-family-separation-but-fails-to-acknowledge-role-in-child-detention/ Obama Criticizes Trump for Family Separation, but Ignores Own Record of Separating Families]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved June 21, 2018.</ref><ref>Duke, Selwyn (June 22, 2018). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/immigration/item/29349-obama-separated-families-and-detained-kids-media-said-nothing Obama Separated Families and Detained Kids, Media Said Nothing]. ''The New American''. Retrieved June 22, 2018.</ref> and those minors faced significantly worse conditions in their holding facilities than under the Trump Administration, which also took tougher action.<ref>Price, Bob (June 20, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/texas/2018/06/20/trump-vs-obama-two-approaches-to-migrant-families-and-minors/ Trump vs. Obama: Two Approaches to Migrant Families and Minors]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved June 20, 2018.</ref>

In 2014, President Obama announced the [[DAPA]] program, which would have expanded protections from deportation to a total of about 5 million illegal immigrants. This order was blocked by a federal judge,<ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/02/17/federal-judge-temporarily-blocks-obama-immigration-executive-action.html Federal judge temporarily blocks Obama's immigration executive action]. ''Fox News''. February 17, 2015. Retrieved April 22, 2017.</ref> upheld by an appeals court,<ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/11/09/appeals-court-rules-against-obama-immigration-plan.html Appeals court rules against Obama immigration plan]. ''Fox News''. November 10, 2015. Retrieved April 22, 2017.</ref> and a split 4–4 Supreme Court ruling upheld the appeals court ruling.<ref>de Vogue, Ariane; Kopan, Tal (June 23, 2016). [https://www.cnn.com/2016/06/23/politics/immigration-supreme-court/ Deadlocked Supreme Court deals big blow to Obama immigration plan]. ''CNN''. Retrieved April 22, 2017.</ref>

Under President Obama, [[Immigration and Customs Enforcement]] released 564 convicted sex offender illegal immigrants, in many cases because various countries refused to accept them back.<ref>Price, Bob (May 22, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/texas/2017/05/22/obamas-ice-released-nearly-600-sex-offenders-countries-refused-deportation/ Obama’s ICE Released Nearly 600 Sex Offenders after Countries Refused Deportation]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 22, 2017.</ref> In May 2017, a whistleblower revealed that the Obama Administration knowingly let illegal immigrant [[MS-13]] gang members into the country.<ref>Dinan, Stephen (May 24, 2017). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/may/24/whistleblower-dhs-knowingly-let-ms-13-gang-members/ Obama admin knew gang members were part of illegal immigrant surge: Whistleblower]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved May 24, 2017.</ref><ref>Saavedra, Ryan (May 24, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/texas/2017/05/24/obama-let-admitted-ms-13-members-whistleblower-says/ Obama Let in Admitted MS-13 Members, Whistleblower Says]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 25, 2017.</ref> In January 2018, the DHS inspector general reported that the Obama Administration did not identify and arrest terrorist aliens classified as "highest risk" due to them not being screened.<ref>Mora, Edwin (January 11, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2018/01/11/ig-obamas-ice-missed-opportunities-arrest-high-risk-terror-linked-aliens/ IG: Obama’s ICE ‘Missed Opportunities’ to Arrest High-Risk Terror-Linked Aliens]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved January 13, 2018.</ref><ref>Harrington, Elizabeth (January 16, 2018). [https://freebeacon.com/national-security/obamas-ice-didnt-follow-procedure-for-checking-illegal-immigrants-ties-to-terrorism/ Obama’s ICE Didn’t Follow Procedure For Checking Illegal Immigrants’ Ties to Terrorism]. ''The Washington Free Beacon''. Retrieved January 16, 2018.</ref>

The Obama Administration moved illegal migrant teens across state lines so they could have [[abortion]]s.<ref>Freiburger, Calvin (October 24, 2018). [https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/obama-admin-moved-illegal-immigrant-teens-across-state-lines-for-abortions Obama admin moved illegal immigrant teens across state lines for abortions, emails reveal]. ''LifeSiteNews''. Retrieved October 24, 2018.</ref> Its policies led to an increase in illegal immigration.<ref>Munro, Neil (May 23, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/05/23/senate-hearing-obamas-daca-and-flores-orders-spiked-illegal-migration/ Senate Hearing: Obama’s DACA and Flores Orders Spiked Illegal Migration]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 24, 2019.</ref>

After assuming office in 2017, the [[Trump Administration]] made [[Donald Trump achievements|a large change in its policies]] towards illegal immigration compared to the Obama Administration.<ref>Llorente, Elizabeth (April 17, 2017). [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/04/17/sessions-immigration-policies-mark-big-change-from-obama-policies.html Sessions' immigration policies mark big change from Obama policies]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved April 18, 2017.</ref> Secretary of Homeland Security [[John Kelly]] of the Trump Administration strongly criticized the Obama Administration for its failures regarding illegal immigration and national security.<ref>Munro, Neil (April 18, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/04/18/dhs-kelly-sacred-duty-protect-america/ DHS Kelly Slams Obama’s Policies, Proclaims ‘Sacred Duty’ To Protect America]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved April 18, 2017.</ref><ref>Mora, Edwin (April 21, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/texas/2017/04/21/dhs-chief-obama-nothing-truly-secure-border/ DHS Chief: Obama Did ‘Nothing’ to ‘Truly’ Secure Border]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved April 21, 2017.</ref>

'''Rising migration levels'''

Because of the Obama Administration's [[open borders]] policies, total migration into the U.S. in 2016 and 2017 reached record high levels, at 1.75 million people per year.<ref>Dinan, Stephen (October 31, 2018). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/oct/31/total-immigration-us-ties-all-time-record/ Total immigration to U.S. ties all-time record]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved November 1, 2018.</ref><ref>Munro, Neil (October 31, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/economy/2018/10/31/obama-migration-record-almost-one-migrant-for-every-two-graduates-in-2016/ Obama’s Migration Record: Almost One Migrant for Every Two Graduates in 2016]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved November 1, 2018.</ref>

====Soft-on-crime====
[[File:Schlafly phyllis.jpg|thumbnail|right|140px|[[Phyllis Schlafly]]'s book ''No Higher Power: Obama’s War on Religious Freedom'' documents Obama's attack on religious freedom.<ref>[http://www.crisismagazine.com/2012/obamas-attack-on-religious-freedom-its-worse-than-you-think Obama’s Attack on Religious Freedom: It’s Worse Than You Think], ''Crises Magazine''</ref>]]
The Obama Administration failed to act upon warnings by federal drug investigators and state officials about the growing problem of illegal fentanyl as the drug killed 70,000 people between 2013 and 2017.<ref name="SlowFentanyl"/> In fact, the administration softened its enforcement against "low-level nonviolent drug offenses."<ref name="SlowFentanyl">Llorente, Elizabeth (March 13, 2019). [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/obama-administration-slow-to-answer-early-alarms-about-fentanyl-report Obama administration slow to answer early alarms about fentanyl: report]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved March 13, 2019.</ref><ref>Hayward, John (March 14, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2019/03/14/obama-administration-refused-declare-public-health-emergency-fentanyl/ Obama Administration Refused to Declare Public Health Emergency for Fentanyl]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved March 14, 2019.</ref>

====War on police====
:{{See also|Riots during the Obama Administration}}
Cop killings increased dramatically in Obama's final years.<ref>https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/police-killed-line-of-duty-increase-2016/</ref> But the groundwork was laid in the early months of Obama's presidency when he made a televised statement that the police "acted stupidly". Obama gave encouragement to [[Black Lives Matter]] and the [[Antifa]] terrorist organization.

====Attacks on Christian religious freedom====

When first running for office Obama angered religious conservatives with his comment about working-class voters in old industrial towns. Obama said, "They get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/apr/14/barackobama.uselections2008 Obama angers midwest voters with guns and religion remark], The Guardian</ref>

The Obama administration has been widely criticized for his policies which encroach on religious freedom in areas such as: health care, freedom to dissent on matters relating to the [[homosexual agenda]], religious freedom in the military and religious freedom in other spheres of American life.<ref>
*[http://www.crisismagazine.com/2012/obamas-attack-on-religious-freedom-its-worse-than-you-think Obama’s Attack on Religious Freedom: It’s Worse Than You Think], ''Crises Magazine''
*[http://dailysignal.com/2016/01/21/obamas-hypocrisy-on-religious-freedom/ Obama’s Hypocrisy on Religious Freedom]
*[https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/apr/15/us-military-losing-christians-because-of-hostile-c/?page=all U.S. military ‘hostile’ to Christians under Obama; morale, retention devastated], ''Washington Times''
*[http://www1.cbn.com/beltwaybuzz/archive/2015/10/08/senator-seeks-answers-from-obama-on-religious-freedom Obama and Religious Freedom], ''CBN News''
</ref>

In addition, the Obama administration has been criticized for promoting religious freedom for [[Islam|Muslims]] and restricting religious freedom for Christians.<ref>[https://townhall.com/columnists/michaelbrown/2015/10/29/the-obama-administration-religious-freedoms-fro-american-muslims-not-american-christians-n2072727 The Obama Administration: Religious Freedoms for American Muslims, Not American Christians], Townhall</ref>

====Environment and energy====
{{See also|Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster}}
[[File:Obama Flint.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Obama tries to convince Black people to drink the poison out of [[Flint, Michigan]] wells.]]
President Obama authorized offshore oil drilling in the [[Gulf of Mexico]]<ref>[https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2010/0430/Gulf-of-Mexico-oil-spill-imperils-Obama-s-offshore-drilling-plan Gulf of Mexico oil spill imperils Obama's offshore drilling plan,] By Mark Clayton, ''[[Christian Science Monitor]]'', April 30, 2010.</ref> stating, "oil rigs today generally don’t cause spills"<ref>White House Press Release, [https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-a-discussion-jobs-and-economy-charlotte-north-carolina Remarks by the President in a Discussion on Jobs and the Economy in Charlotte, North Carolina,] Office of the Press Secretary, April 02, 2010. Retrieved from whitehouse.gov 3 May 2010.</ref> and was widely criticized for his mishandling of the "[[Gulf oil spill disaster|worst environmental disaster]] in US history."<ref>[http://www.examiner.com/x-33986-Political-Spin-Examiner~y2010m4d29-Worst-environmental-disaster-in-US-history-Oil-slick-in-Gulf-of-Mexico-is-set-on-fire Worst environmental disaster in US history,] Maryann Tobin, ''Examiner'', April 29, 2010.</ref><ref>[https://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/30/the-oil-spill-is-obamas-fault/ Conscience of a Liberal: The Oil Spill Is Obama’s Fault,] Paul Krugman, ''The New York Times'', April 30, 2010.</ref> The Administration spend vast sums of taxpayer money on futile environmentalist efforts, including $4.1 million on a study that attempted to find a connection between pollution and obesity.<ref>Bleau, Hannah (June 15, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/06/15/report-obama-administration-spent-over-4-million-on-study-aimed-to-link-pollution-to-childhood-obesity/ Report: Obama Administration Spent over $4 Million on Study Aimed to Link Pollution to Childhood Obesity]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved June 16, 2019.</ref>

The Obama Administration enacted many environmental regulations and used scientific studies to back up the supposed need for the regulations, but after the [[Trump Administration]] began undoing the Obama-era rules, many of the merits of the studies were found to be dubious.<ref>Lucas, Fred (December 26, 2017). [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/12/26/junk-science-studies-behind-obama-regulations-under-fire.html 'Junk science'? Studies behind Obama regulations under fire]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved December 26, 2017.</ref>

====Labor law====
Obama's first act of office was to sign the [[Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (2009)|Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act]] – effectively nullifying the [[Supreme Court]] case ''Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.'', which ruled that Ledbetter had to have filed a pay [[discrimination]] suit within 180 days of the first time Ledbetter was paid less than her male peers;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://server5.kproxy.com/servlet/redirect.srv/sruj/sboxugmc/snop/p2/2009/01/30/us/politics/30ledbetter-web.html|work=The New York Times|language=English|title=Obama Signs Equal-Pay Legislation|author=Sheryl Gay Stolberg|date=January 29, 2009}}</ref> the law made corporations subject to suit within 180 days of each time the employee was unfairly paid.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://server5.kproxy.com/servlet/redirect.srv/sruj/sfkwpawu/sjoxh/spfpv/p1/grossman/20090213.html?=features|work=FindLaw|author=Joanna L. Grossman|date=Feb. 13, 2009|language=English|title=The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009}}</ref>

'''9/11 responders'''

On January 2, 2011, Obama signed the James Zadroga [[9/11]] Healthcare and Compensation Act.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://server5.kproxy.com/servlet/redirect.srv/slxv/sliyi/sklm/p2/articles/wnyc-news/2011/jan/02/obama-signs-zadroga-act-law/|publisher=New York Public Radio|title=Obama Signs Zadroga Act into Law|author=Fred Mogul|date=January 2, 2011|work=wNYC|language=English}}</ref> The act, which afforded 9/11 first responders who were sickened by the dust from the collapse of the [[World Trade Center]] health care and compensation, passed [[Congress]] after its sponsors agreed to scale down the pricing from 7.4 to 4.2 billion dollars.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://server5.kproxy.com/servlet/redirect.srv/slxv/sliyi/sklm/p2/articles/wnyc-news/2010/dec/22/zadroga-911-bill-passes-senate/|publisher=New York Public Radio|work=wNYC|language=English|title=Congress Approves 9/11 Health Bill|date=December 22, 2010}}</ref>

'''Diversity over safety'''

During the Obama Administration, the [[Federal Aviation Administration]] issued new hiring rules for air traffic controllers which placed achieving diversity over ensuring that new employees were talented, educated, and even knew what they were doing.<ref>Multiple references:
*[https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/06/02/obama-era-faa-hiring-rules-place-diversity-ahead-airline-safety-attorney-tells-tucker-carlson.html Obama-era FAA hiring rules place diversity ahead of airline safety, attorney tells Tucker Carlson]. ''Fox News''. June 2, 2018. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
*Duke, Selwyn (June 5, 2018). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/politics/item/29215-danger-in-the-skies-obama-dumbed-down-air-traffic-controllers-with-diversity-rules Danger in the Skies: Obama Dumbed-down Air-traffic Controllers With “Diversity” Rules]. ''The New American''. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
*Haverluck, Michael F. (June 3, 2018). [https://www.onenewsnow.com/politics-govt/2018/06/03/obama-put-diversity-over-safety-at-faa Obama put diversity over safety at FAA]. ''OneNewsNow''. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
*Poor, Jeff (June 2, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/video/2018/06/02/aviation-attorney-to-tucker-carlson-faa-is-putting-diversity-ahead-of-safety/ Aviation Attorney to Tucker Carlson: FAA Is Putting Diversity Ahead of Safety]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved June 6, 2018.</ref>

====Meeting with an atheist group====
:''See also:'' [[Atheism and American politics]]
The Obama administration became the first administration to met with an [[Atheism|atheist]] group. It met with the Secularism Coalition for America which is a coalition which represents the [[American Atheists]], the American [[Secular Humanism|Humanist]] Association, and the Military Association of Atheists and [[Freethought|Freethinkers]].

According to the ''USA Today'', the group met with the White House officials to "discuss problems that they believe are fueled by religion."<ref name="content.usatoday.com">[http://content.usatoday.com/communities/Religion/post/2010/02/atheists-meet-with-white-house-officials/1#.VypYTzEn_7Y Atheists meet with White House officials], USA Today</ref> Among the issues the group discussed were the issues of "military proselytizing" by [[evangelicalism|evangelical]] Christian members of the military and faith-based initiatives<ref name="content.usatoday.com"/>

====Gender politics====
{{main article|Don't Ask Don't Tell}}
Candidate Obama promised to repeal a policy that originated with President Clinton and passed by a Democrat-controlled Congress that prohibited inquiries into military personnel's [[sexual orientation]] while barring openly gay [[homosexuals]] from serving in the military. [[Liberals]] expressed anger when time passed and no effort to repeal the law was seen;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://server5.kproxy.com/servlet/redirect.srv/sruj/sboxugbdjxfbbnwt/svwx/p2/news/2008/nov/21/obama-to-delay-repeal-of-dont-ask-dont-tell/|work=[[Washington Times]]|title=Obama to delay ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ repeal|language=English|author=Rowan Scarborough|date=November 21, 2008}}</ref> in fact, Obama's [[justice department]], as part of their duty to defend all laws passed by any administration, filed a brief arguing against the [[Supreme Court]] granting a [[writ of certiorari]] to a gay soldier challenging the law (the writ was not granted). In response, the soldier, James Pietrangelo II, a former Army infantryman and lawyer, said, "(Obama's) a coward, a bigot and a pathological liar. This is a guy who spent more time picking out his dog, Bo, and playing with him on the White House lawn than he has working for equality for gay people."<ref>{{cite web|work=[[Time Magazine]]|publisher=Time Inc.|url=https://server5.kproxy.com/servlet/redirect.srv/sruj/snwtf/sklm/p1/time/nation/article/0,8599,1903545,00.html?imw=Y|title=Dismay Over Obama's 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Turnabout|author=Mark Thompson|date=Jun. 09, 2009}}</ref>

On December 15, 2010, a bill was introduced in the [[House of Representatives]] to repeal the law – it passed a day later by a vote of 250–175;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://server5.kproxy.com/servlet/redirect.srv/saun/sncfau/szhvdv/p1/evs/2010/roll638.xml|title=FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 638|work=Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives}}</ref> it passed the Senate three days later 65–31.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://server5.kproxy.com/servlet/redirect.srv/saun/sndlzrg/smno/p2/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=2&vote=00281|work=The U.S. Senate|title=U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 111th Congress - 2nd Session|language=English}}</ref> Obama signed the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010 on December 22.<ref name="g dadt">{{cite web|url=https://server5.kproxy.com/servlet/redirect.srv/spa/swl/symvrgqly/sqrs/p1/world/2010/dec/22/obama-repeals-dont-ask-dont-tell|work=[[The Guardian]]|language=English|title='Don't ask, don't tell' repealed as Obama signs landmark law|date=22 December 2010}}</ref> The [[Pentagon]] itself could not immediately implement the repeal and questioned whether it would hurt combat readiness.<ref name="g dadt"/>

On the day Rev. [[Jim Jones]] left for [[Jonestown]], [[Harvey Milk]] wrote to Jones and said "my name is cut into stone in support of you - and your people."<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=24taDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT254&lpg=PT254&dq=%22my+name+is+cut+into+stone+in+support+of+you+-+and+your+people.%22&source=bl&ots=ynq76x7v9F&sig=ACfU3U1baSHsO8-hnZ5MVbDiNeBbUn9TbQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiz8vLNi6XgAhWG1IMKHfWVCZQQ6AEwB3oECAcQAQ#v=onepage&q=%22my%20name%20is%20cut%20into%20stone%20in%20support%20of%20you%20-%20and%20your%20people.%22&f=false Harvey Milk: His Lives and Death], Lillian Faderman, Yale University Press, May 22, 2018.</ref> President Obama honored Milk posthumously with the [[Presidential Medal of Freedom]] on the anniversary on his death.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvKOv8HA76o President Obama Honors Harvey Milk With Presidential Medal of Freedom], youtube.</ref>

====Civil service corruption and the revolving door====
Obama criticized the "revolving door" of government and business.<ref>"We need to close the revolving door that lets lobbyists come into government freely, and lets them use their time in public service as a way to promote their own interests over the interests of the American people when they leave." [https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-welcoming-senior-staff-and-cabinet-secretaries-white-house REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT IN WELCOMING SENIOR STAFF AND CABINET SECRETARIES TO THE WHITE HOUSE,] January 21, 2009. [[White House]]</ref> After appointing [[Peter Orszag]] his first Budget Director to dole out the stimulus cash, Orszag resigned to become Citigroup's Vice Chairman of Global Banking. Citigroup was the recipient of $476 billion in [[bailout]] money - more than any other bank - after the disastrous [[Financial crisis of 2008]].<ref>[http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2011/03/citibank_received_more_bailout.html Citigroup Received More Bailout Money Than Any Other Bank,] By Nitasha Tiku, 3/16/11.</ref> Before the bailout, Orszag's expert opinion of the chances of a mortgage meltdown was 1 in 500,000.<ref>[http://www.pierrelemieux.org/stiglitzrisk.pdf Implications of the New Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Risk-based Capital Standard,] by Joseph E. Stiglitz, Jonathan M. Orszag and Peter R. Orszag. Fannie Mae Papers, Volume 1, Issue 2, March 2002, Conclusion p.6.</ref>

===Foreign policy===
[[File:Obama and the media.jpg|right|250px|thumb|[[Ben Rhodes]] is the Assistant to the President for Strategic Communications and Speechwriting, and Deputy National Security Advisor to [[Susan Rice]]. Rhodes is also the brother of David Rhodes, President of CBS News.]]
Obama launched a global anti-Christian jihad with his support for [[al-Qaeda]] and the [[Islamic State]] to overthrow the governments of Libya and Syria. The Black African [[slave trade]] was revived in Libya after Obama removed [[Muammar Gaddafi]], an ally in the [[War on Terror]].<ref>[https://womensenews.org/story/international-policyunited-nations/150527/un-sex-violence-envoy-focusing-syria-iraq UN Sex Violence Envoy: Focusing on Syria, Iraq]</ref><ref>[https://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2009/06/barack-obamas-top-10-apologies-how-the-president-has-humiliated-a-superpower Barack Obama's Top 10 Apologies: How the President Has Humiliated a Superpower], Heritage Foundation</ref> Obama, who was raised a Muslim<ref>[https://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2007/01/was_obama_blood.html Was Obama bloodied by madrassa story?]</ref><ref>[http://www.danielpipes.org/11952/obama-muslim-childhood Obama's Muslim Childhood]</ref> and is not a descendant of slaves, criticized Christians and the Crusades as reports of thousands of women and girls being captured, sold, and raped flooded in.<ref>[https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/579393/ISIS-Michelle-Obama-prostitute-justifies-raping-slave-girls-Koran ISIS calls Michelle Obama a PROSTITUTE and justifies raping slave girls with the KORAN]</ref><ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obamas-speech-at-prayer-breakfast-called-offensive-to-christians/2015/02/05/6a15a240-ad50-11e4-ad71-7b9eba0f87d6_story.html Critics pounce after Obama talks Crusades, slavery at prayer breakfast], Washington Post</ref> Additionally, Obama overemphasized political correctness in U.S. national security policy, something disliked by CIA officials.<ref>Dorman, Sam (November 5, 2019). [https://www.foxnews.com/media/book-cia-staff-obama-white-house CIA staff complained about Obama White House's political correctness, new book claims]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved November 5, 2019.</ref>

The number of jihadis worldwide has grown by a factor of 4 or 5 at least, since Obama took the reins of power as Commander-in-Chief.<ref>The number of Islamic extremists susceptible to jihadist recruitment during the George W. Bush administration worldwide was estimated at 12,000; the Islamic State alone by 2015 had estimates of a standing army of jihadis as high as 70,000 to 200,000.</ref> Remarkably, the ''[[New York Times]]'' was critical of Obama's incessant boasting about the killing of [[Osama bin Laden|bin Laden]].<ref>Baker, Peter and Shear, Michael D. (April 27, 2012). [https://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/28/us/politics/critics-pounce-on-obamas-trumpeting-of-bin-laden-death.html "Obama trumpets killing of Bin Laden, and critics pounce"]. ''The New York Times'' website. See [[The New York Times]].</ref> With the complete disengagement of American troops from [[Iraq]] and the assassination of [[Osama bin Laden]], the [[Islamic State]] arose and recruitment of global [[jihad]]is multiplied exponentially.

Obama entered his second term mocking and ridiculing the idea that Russia was America's prime geo-strategic competitor; by the closing days of his presidency, Obama was in a panic fanning the flames of a Third Red Scare. Vladimir Putin and Russia had thoroughly embarrassed Barack Obama on the world stage as Obama withdrew America from its traditional role of global leadership and repudiated the idea of [[American exceptionalism]]. Respect for America degenerated in the world as issues such as transexual bathrooms occupied more of Obama's time and attention than the 12 million homeless refugees Obama had driven from their homes in his failed "[[Arab Spring]]" policy. Having been thoroughly rebuked politically with the election of Donald Trump, as a [[lameduck]] Obama attempted to coverup [[DNC]] scandals uncovered by [[Wikileaks]] by scapegoating Vladimir Putin and fostering an atmosphere of paranoia about Russia, the future, and a Trump presidency.

'''Commander-in-chief'''

As Senator, Obama was highly critical of President Bush and promised change. As President, Obama tripled down in Afghanistan, widened the war into Pakistan, multiplied by drone attacks, bombed Yemen and Somalia, and started an undeclared NATO war in Libya. On presidential war powers, surveillance questions, Guantanamo, detention policy and habeas corpus, Obama similarly stayed the course or expanded Bush's precedents. In a speech on May 19, 2011, Obama fully embraced the [[Bush Doctrine]] of preventative war.<ref>Krauthammer, C. (April 19). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-news-in-obamas-speech/2011/05/19/AF4dFN7G_story.html The News in Obama's Speech]. ''Washington Post''.</ref>
From the Boston Globe:
<blockquote>
'The New America Foundation, which tracks the strikes, has listed 23 raids since the beginning of April 2011, all but one in Pakistan’s tribal regions of North and South Waziristan. A June 20 attack was reported in Kurram, an area north of North Waziristan along the Afghanistan border.'
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
'The drone program has become increasingly controversial as the Obama administration has expanded its use beyond the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. Lethal missiles have been launched from unmanned aircraft in at least five countries in addition to Pakistan: Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, and, most recently, Somalia. The military’s Joint Special Operations Command used a drone last June to attack what officials said were two senior members of the Al Shabab militant group on the Somali coast.' <ref>DeYoung, K. (2011, July 4). [http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2011/07/04/cia_halts_drone_launches_from_pakistan_base/ CIA Halts Drone Launches From Pakistan Base]. ''[[The Boston Globe]]''.</ref>
</blockquote>
A commentator says:
<blockquote>
'Obama is commendable when he says he wants to avoid war. His policies, however, favor war by destabilizing the Middle East making it extremely hostile and favoring radical Islam over America’s ally, Israel, and American interests in the region... The president has chosen a very dangerous path for every American and one that promises great difficulty for Israel.' <ref>[http://www.thejerusalemconnection.us/blog/2012/03/14/obamas-words-disguise-his-israel-foreign-policy-actions.html Obama's words disguise his Israel foreign policy actions.]</ref>
</blockquote>
By Obama's third year as Commander-in-Chief, over 1200 American troops died in Iraq and Afghanistan - significantly more than the number who died during President [[George W. Bush]]'s term of office. And growing numbers of civilian contractors also rose. In the first half of 2010, 250 contractors reportedly died in Iraq and Afghanistan - more than the 235 military personnel who fell during the same period.<ref>https://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/05/24/114662/what-price-war.html#ixzz1Nz07pg5O</ref>

'''National Defense'''

President Obama signed into U.S. law the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), only after his administration successfully lobbied to remove language from the bill that would have protected American citizens from being detained indefinitely without trial.<ref>Aaron Dykes. [http://www.infowars.com/president-obamas-ndaa-signing-statement-i-have-the-power-to-detain-americans-but-i-wont/ Obama’s Signing Statement on NDAA: I have the power to detain Americans… but I won’t], Infowars.com, January 1, 2012.</ref> After the legislation cleared Congress, the ACLU commented that if President Obama signed the bill it "will damage both his legacy and American’s reputation for upholding the rule of law," while executive director of the ''Human Rights Watch'' blasted the President for being ‘on the wrong side of history,’ noting that "Obama will go down in history as the president who enshrined indefinite detention without trial in US law."<ref>President Decides to Sign Ill-Conceived National Defense Authorization Act. [https://www.hrw.org/news/2011/12/14/us-refusal-veto-detainee-bill-historic-tragedy-rights US: Refusal to Veto Detainee Bill A Historic Tragedy for Rights], ''[[Human Rights Watch]]'', December 14, 2011.</ref><ref>[https://www.aclu.org/national-security/white-house-backs-away-defense-bill-veto-threat White House Backs Away from Defense Bill Veto Threat], ''[[ACLU]]'', December 14, 2011.</ref>

Section 1031 of the NDAA bill, which itself defines the entirety of the United States as a “battlefield,” allows American citizens to be snatched from the streets, carted off to a foreign detention camp and held indefinitely without trial. As reported by Infowars.com, the bill states that “any person who has committed a belligerent act” faces indefinite detention, but no trial or evidence has to be presented, the White House merely needs to make the accusation.<ref>Paul Joseph Watson. [http://www.infowars.com/obama-administration-demanded-power-to-indefinitely-detain-u-s-citizens/ Obama Administration Demanded Power To Indefinitely Detain U.S. Citizens], Infowars.com, December 12, 2011.</ref><ref>S.1867 [http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/F?c112:2:./temp/~c1122VN0Iv:e548990: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 (Engrossed in Senate [Passed Senate] - ES)], ''[[Library of Congress]]'' THOMAS, 112th Congress (2011-2011), Accessed January 25, 2012.</ref><ref>Text of S.1867 - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012. [http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-s1867/text?version=es&nid=t0:es:281 Sec. 1031. Affirmation of authority of the Armed Forces of the United States to detain covered persons pursuant to the Authorization for Use of Military Force.], [[U.S. Congress]], ''OpenCongress.org'', (Accessed January 25, 2012).</ref>

The Obama Administration accidentally allowed the chipmaker AMD to ship sensitive and important technology to China, despite the significant national security risks.<ref>O'Keeffe, Kate; Spegele, Brian (June 27, 2019). [https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-tried-to-stop-china-acquiring-world-class-chips-china-got-them-anyway-11561646798 How a Big U.S. Chip Maker Gave China the ‘Keys to the Kingdom’]. ''The Wall Street Journal''. Retrieved June 29, 2019.</ref>

'''Afghan conflict'''
{{main article|Afghanistan War}}
American deaths in [[Afghanistan]] more than doubled in Obama's first few years compared with the preceding eight years of George Bush <ref>Chesser, S.G. (2012, July 12). [http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/R41084.pdf Afghanistan Casualties: Military Forces and Civilians - CRS Report for Congress]. Pg. 3. ''Congressional Research Service'''.</ref> as he increased troop strength for no discernible purpose and to "win" unstated objectives. Against his own Defense Secretary's advice, Obama [[Libyan uprising 2011|attacked Libya]] and forced [[regime change]] without Congressional authorization in violation of the post-Nixon era reform measure, the [[War Powers Act]].

After he took personal credit for killing [[Osama bin Laden]], the [[U.S. State Department]] warned of increased risk to the lives and safety of Americans.<ref>''KABC-TV/DT'' (2011, July 27). [http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/national_world&id=8273909 Risk of anti-US violence up after Osama bin Laden's death]. On ''ABC7 News''.</ref> Bin Laden's successor, [[Ayman al-Zawahiri]] confirmed the [[Benghazi Attack]] which took place on the anniversary of 9/11 and killed more Americans, was motivated by al-Qaeda's desire for revenge.<ref>[https://www.cnn.com/2012/09/12/world/africa/libya-attack-jihadists/index.html Pro-al Qaeda group seen behind deadly Benghazi attack], By Nic Robertson, Paul Cruickshank and Tim Lister, CNN, September 13, 2012.</ref> Bin Laden's death, as Obama's advisers warned, freed up jihadis who swore an oath of allegiance to the 9/11 mastermind to swear allegiance to rival and competing factions. The competing factions advocated the immediate establishment of the Islamic State, rather than after the overthrow of the Saudi monarchy and retaking of Mecca. As was well known, bin Laden always held a controversial and minority position among jihadis on the strategy for global jihad by attacking the United States first. Bin Laden's killing, intended as an election year gimmick, brought Obama no improvement in approval ratings and spawned unprecedented growth in global terror and jihadi recruiting.

Obama needlessly escalated troop strength<ref name="pbs">{{cite web|url=https://server5.kproxy.com/servlet/redirect.srv/slxv/sbla/sjkl/p2/wgbh/pages/frontline/obamaswar/themes/strategy.html#ixzz1LhWNImZp|title=Obama's New Strategy (March '09)|author=George Packer, Seth Jones, David Kilcullen, Rory Stewart, Andrew Exum, Col. Andrew Bacevich (Ret.)|work=[[PBS]]|language=English}}</ref> and defense costs in Afghanistan from $43.5 billion in George Bush's last year to $113.7 billion for 2011.<ref>Congressional Research Service, quoted in Gregory Anthony, ''What price war?''</ref> Adviser to General [[Stanley McChrystal]] David Kilcullen wrote, "One of the big strategic shifts is the use of language now which talks about Pakistan and Afghanistan as the same theater. Now we talked about Af-Pak long before the Obama administration came about, but the public use of that term, and the description of it as the Afghanistan-Pakistan campaign, sends a new message to people about how the administration is going to think about Afghanistan and Pakistan."<ref name="pbs"/>

'''Bowe Bergdahl swap'''
{{See also|Muslim agenda of the Obama administration}}
When [[Barack Obama]] released five Taliban commanders from the [[Guantanamo Bay]] prison in exchange for American deserter Bowe Bergdahl in 2014, he assured Americans that the enemy combatants would not be allowed to return to Afghanistan. 6 American soldiers lives were lost searching for the American deserter.<ref>https://nypost.com/2014/06/02/six-soldiers-died-searching-for-deserter-pow-fueling-backlash/</ref> Upon Bergdahl's return, Obama celebrated Bergdahl as a heroic “POW,” a designation the Pentagon never gave him. Khairullah Khairkhwa, one of the five released from Guantanamo, sat across the table from Joe Biden’s personal representative in [[Moscow]] in the spring of 2021, where Mullah Khairkhwa was part of the Taliban delegation that negotiated the terms of the US withdrawal. Mullah Khairkhwa is the mastermind of the Taliban takeover, even though the Pentagon classified Khairkhwa as too dangerous to release.

Khairkhwa assured the Biden junta that the Taliban would not retaliate against Afghans who worked with the US military or the US-backed government in Kabul. However, reports out of Kandahar and Kabul soon after the fall of Afghanistan indicate the Taliban was going door to door with a kill list to wipe out their enemies. Mullah Khairkhwa previously served as the Taliban’s interior minister prior to 2002, where he oversaw Islamist punishments, including beheadings and stonings.<ref> https://nypost.com/2021/08/16/taliban-leader-was-freed-from-guantanamo-in-2014-swap-by-obama/</ref>

All five of the terrorists in the Bowe Bergdahl swap assumed prominent positions in the Taliban interim government announced on September 11, 2021:<ref>https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2021/09/07/four-gitmo-detainees-released-in-berghdahl-swap-are-now-taliban-ministers-for-afghan-government-interim-government-will-be-officially-introduced-on-sept-11th/</ref>
*Acting Minister of Information and Culture: Mullah Khairullah Khairkhah
*Defense Deputy Minister: Mullah Mohammad Fazil
*Acting Director of Intelligence: Abdul Haq Wasiq
*Border and Tribal Affairs Minister: Mullah Norullah Nori
*Acting Governor of Khost Province: Muhammad Nabi Omari<ref>https://www.tellerreport.com/news/2021-09-11-from-the-cells-of-guantanamo-to-the-ruling----the-story-of-5-officials-in-the-taliban-government.H1rAUgatGY.html</ref>

====Libya and rebirth of the slave trade====
{{main article|Libyan uprising 2011}}
In February 2011, the political unrest that spread through the Arab world showed up as protests in Libya. Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, leader of Libya for 41 years, responded to the violence<ref>[http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article28376.htm There Was No Libyan Peaceful Protest, Just Murderous Gangs and Nic Robertson]</ref> with legitimate steps.<ref name="nyt libya">{{cite web|url=https://server5.kproxy.com/servlet/redirect.srv/sruj/sboxugmc/sjubjjp/p1/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/libya/index.html|work=The New York Times|publisher=The New York Times Inc.|language=English|title=Libya — Protests and Revolt (2011)}}</ref> The [[United Nations Security Council]] voted to impose [[sanctions]], and later passed a resolution to protect civilians. Obama, without approval from Congress and over the objections of his own National Security staff,<ref>[https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gates-libyan-no-fly-zone-means-attacking-libya/ Gates: Libyan no-fly zone means attacking Libya], CBS News</ref> directed American forces to take out Libya's air defense system.<ref name="nyt libya"/> Secretary of Defence [[Robert Gates]], National Security Adviser [[Tom Donilon]], Deputy National Security Adviser Denis McDonough, and [[White House]] counterterrorism chief [[John O. Brennan]] all opposed the action. Obama later said, "if we waited one more day Benghazi, a city nearly the size of Charlotte, could suffer a massacre that would have reverberated across the region and stained the conscience of the world."<ref>{{cite web|author=Barack Obama|url=https://server5.kproxy.com/servlet/redirect.srv/slxv/sazy/sjkl/p2/2011/03/28/134935452/obamas-speech-on-libya-a-responsibility-to-act|title=Obama's Speech On Libya: 'A Responsibility To Act'|date=March 28, 2011|publisher=National Public Radio ([[NPR]])|language=English}}</ref> [[Alan J. Kuperman]], in an editorial for the ''[[Boston Globe]]'', suggested this statement was false, writing, "intervention did not prevent genocide, because no such bloodbath was in the offing. To the contrary, by emboldening rebellion, US interference has prolonged Libya’s civil war and the resultant suffering of innocents."<ref name="kuperman">{{cite web|author=Alan J. Kuperman|work=The Boston Globe|url=https://server5.kproxy.com/servlet/redirect.srv/sruj/swyeebp/sivdvconx/p2/2011-04-14/bostonglobe/29418371_1_rebel-stronghold-civilians-rebel-positions|title=False pretense for war in Libya?|date=April 14, 2011}}</ref> Kuperman, a professor of public affairs at the [[University of Texas]] who authored a book called ''The Limits of Humanitarian Intervention'', further stated that the rebels had tricked the world into thinking a bloodbath was at hand and that Obama had lied to the American people in order to act on this theory.<ref name="kuperman"/>
<blockquote>
Gaddafi [never] threaten[ed] civilian massacre in Benghazi, as Obama alleged. The “no mercy’’ warning, of March 17, targeted rebels only, as reported by ''The New York Times'', which noted that Libya’s leader promised amnesty for those “who throw their weapons away.’’ Gaddafi even offered the rebels an escape route and open border to Egypt, to avoid a fight “to the bitter end.’’ <ref>[http://politicalcartel.org/2011/04/17/libya-and-the-obama-doctrine/ Libya and the “Obama Doctrine”.]</ref>
</blockquote>
Gaddafi wrote to Obama and told him he bore no ill will. "We have been hurt more morally than physically because of what had happened against us in both deeds and words by you," he wrote. "Despite all this you will always remain our son whatever happened. We still pray that you continue to be president of the USA. We endeavour and hope that you will gain victory in the new election campaign."<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/apr/06/gaddafi-obama-nato-libya?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487 Gaddafi begs Obama to halt 'unjust war' ], [[The Guardian ]]</ref>

'''Syria and Obama's "red line"'''

In 2012, during the [[Syrian Civil War]], President Obama stated that if the Syrian dictator, President [[Bashar al-Assad]] used [[chemical weapon]]s against Syrians, that would be unacceptable and cross a red line. However, after it was confirmed that Assad did use weapons against his people, Obama did practically nothing. He went to Congress to authorize a military strike, but this request was rejected (he had the ability to order a military strike without Congress's approval). Later, the Obama Administration (particularly [[Susan Rice]])<ref name="RiceTakesHeat">Chakraborty, Barnini (April 7, 2017). [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/04/07/susan-rice-obama-colleagues-take-heat-for-past-claims-on-syria-chemical-weapons-purge.html Susan Rice, Obama colleagues take heat for past claims on Syria chemical weapons purge]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved April 7, 2017.</ref> and the mainstream media<ref>Nash, Charlie (April 7, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2017/04/07/politifact-pulls-2014-mostly-true-rating-of-john-kerrys-claim-of-eliminating-syrian-chemical-weapons/ PolitiFact Pulls 2014 ‘Mostly True’ Rating of John Kerry’s Claim of Eliminating Syrian Chemical Weapons]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved April 7, 2017.</ref> claimed they had worked with Syria to remove its chemical weapons. In April 2017, Syria again used chemical weapons against its people, proving their claim wrong.<ref name="RiceTakesHeat"/> The new president, [[Donald Trump]], unlike Obama, quickly ordered a large airstrike against a Syrian airbase.<ref>Griffin, Jennifer; Tomlinson, Lucas (April 7, 2017). [https://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/04/07/us-missiles-target-syria-airfield-in-response-to-chemical-weapons-attack.html US missiles target Syria airfield in response to chemical weapons attack]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved April 7, 2017.</ref>

'''Turkey'''

President Obama attempted to overthrow the legitimate government of Turkey, a vital NATO ally. Turkish President [[Recep Erdoğan]] repeatedly warned Obama's support of [[Kurd]]ish forces and [[ISIL]] threatened the NATO alliance. Turkey slowly began establishing closer ties with Russia.

====Hillary Clinton and the FBI's collusion with Russia====
:{{See also|Uranium One bribery scandal}}
Obama and his administration had a weak stance on Russia.<ref>Pollak, Joel B. (July 22, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2018/07/22/pollak-media-let-obama-alums-off-the-hook-on-russia/ Pollak: Media Let Obama Alums off the Hook on Russia]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved July 22, 2018.</ref> He and Secretary of State [[Hillary Clinton]] tried to "reset" relations with Russia, and he mocked [[Mitt Romney]] for calling Russia the most dangerous geopolitical threat to the U.S. in a 2012 debate. According to Brett Bruen, the White House director of global engagement from 2013 to 2015, the Obama Administration ignored his warnings about Russia.<ref>Morton, Victor (March 26, 2018). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/mar/26/brett-bruen-obama-official-says-nsc-slept-his-2014/ Obama official says NSC slept on his 2014 Russia warning]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved March 26, 2018.</ref> Obama criticized president of [[Russia]], [[Vladimir Putin]] for carrying out a referendum for the seizure of [[Crimea]] to Russia.<ref>[http://cnsnews.com/news/article/obama-calls-rethinking-crimea-vote Obama calls for a 'rethinking' on Crimea vote]. [[Cybercast News Service]]</ref> After taking office in 2017, [[Donald Trump]] took several actions against Russia that Obama never went so far as to do.<ref>Berger, Judson (December 26, 2017). [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/12/26/trump-administration-ends-2017-confronting-russia-after-year-collusion-accusations.html Trump administration ends 2017 confronting Russia after year of collusion accusations]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved December 26, 2017.</ref>

'''Cuba'''

During his presidency, Obama instituted a major détente with the oppressive Communist dictatorship of [[Cuba]], despite its failed leftist governance and human rights violations.<ref>[https://www.wsj.com/articles/obamas-cuban-detente-1418862551 Obama’s Cuban Detente]. ''The Wall Street Journal''. December 17, 2014. Retrieved January 15, 2017.</ref><ref>Spetalnick, Matt; Gardner, Timothy (December 13, 2016). [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-cuba-whitehouse-idUSKBN1422U6 Obama to press Trump to preserve Cuba detente: White House]. ''Reuters''. Retrieved January 15, 2017.</ref> In August 2015, the U.S. and Cuba reopened each other's embassies.<ref>Frumin, Aliyah (July 1, 2015). [http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/obama-announces-historic-deal-cuba Obama announces historic deal with Cuba]. ''MSNBC''. Retrieved January 15, 2017.</ref><ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/08/14/kerry-in-havana-for-reopening-us-embassy-tough-negotiations-ahead.html Kerry marks opening of US Embassy in Havana, critics rip 'diplomacy for show']. ''Fox News''. August 14, 2015. Retrieved January 15, 2017.</ref> In September 2016, Obama nominated the first U.S. Ambassador to Cuba in 55 years.<ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/09/27/obama-nominates-first-us-ambassador-to-cuba-in-more-than-45-years.html Obama nominates first US ambassador to Cuba in more than 55 years]. ''Fox News''. September 27, 2016. Retrieved January 15, 2016.</ref> Obama did everything in his power to normalize relations with the failed dictatorship, but the [[United States embargo against Cuba|U.S. embargo against Cuba]] remained in place due to opposition from the Republican-controlled Congress.<ref>Spetalnick, Matt; Marsh, Sarah (October 14, 2016). [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-cuba-usa-idUSKBN12E1H3 Obama eases restrictions on Cuba, lifts limits on rum and cigars]. ''Reuters''. Retrieved January 15, 2017.</ref> No one knows the extent of underground bunkers of Soviet-era weapons consisting of [[AK-47]]s and [[MANPAD]]S stockpiled between 1959 and 1986 when the collective stated foreign policy aims of Cuba and the Soviet Union were armed revolution and violent overthrow of the United States government and the capitalist system. The United States remains unprepared for trade talks and lifting travel restrictions on tourists.

Despite Obama's support for mass immigration and amnesty for those who immigrated illegally, he ended the "wet foot, dry foot" policy that allowed Cuban refugees to legally stay in the U.S.<ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/01/12/obama-reportedly-to-scrap-wet-foot-dry-foot-policy-for-cuban-refugees.html Obama announces end to 'wet foot, dry foot' policy for Cuban refugees]. ''Fox News''. January 12, 2017. Retrieved January 15, 2017.</ref>

Liberal mainstream media regarded Obama's private meetings with the murderous thugs who run Cuba as a breakthrough in relations.

'''Guantanamo Bay'''
{{main article|Guantanamo Bay}}
One of Obama's campaign promises was that he would close the American detention center at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba - detainees would be flown to other countries while the ones awaiting trial would enter the American court system. Two days after taking office he signed an order directing the military to do so.<ref name="salon">{{cite web|url=https://server5.kproxy.com/servlet/redirect.srv/sruj/swywmf/slmn/p2/news/politics/war_room/2011/04/25/obama_guantanamo_rhetoric|work=Salon|title=The Obama/Gitmo timeline|author=Natasha Lennard|language=English}}</ref> But, in November 2009 Obama admitted that his self-imposed deadline of January 2010 would be missed, and in March 2011 the president went back on his campaign promise, signing an executive order to create a formal system of indefinite detention for the prisoners.<ref name="salon"/>

Obama ultimately failed to close Guantanamo Bay, although he continually attempted to reduce the number of detained terrorists held at the base, even in the last days of his presidency.<ref>Saxena, V. (January 6, 2017). [http://www.westernjournalism.com/obama-to-release-18-hardened-gitmo-terrorists-before-leaving-office/ Obama To Release 18 Hardened Gitmo Terrorists Before Leaving Office]. ''Western Journalism''. Retrieved January 15, 2017.</ref><ref>Ryan, Missy; Tate, Julie (December 28, 2016). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/with-final-detainee-transfer-obamas-guantanamo-policy-takes-its-last-breath/2016/12/28/dfdf8cb2-cd0f-11e6-a747-d03044780a02_story.html?utm_term=.62bebcb1f672 With final detainee transfer, Obama’s Guantanamo policy takes its last breath]. ''The Washington Post''. Retrieved January 15, 2017.</ref>

====Anti-Israel policies====
Obama has had very poor relations with the conservative [[Israel]]i Prime Minister [[Benjamin Netanyahu]], and he disregarded U.S. commitments to the country.<ref>Klein, Aaron (May 9, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/jerusalem/2018/05/09/klein-obama-accuses-trump-flouting-agreements-ex-prez-just-betraying-israel/ Klein: Obama Accuses Trump Of ‘Flouting’ Agreements, But Ex-Prez Did Just That By Betraying Israel]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 9, 2018.</ref> During the very tight and closely-watched 2015 elections, the Obama Administration attempted to influence the election—in order to elect a pro-Hamas leftist government in the nation and defeat Netanyahu—by financing a liberal pro-Palestinian political organization.<ref>Klein, Aaron (July 13, 2016). [https://www.breitbart.com/jerusalem/2016/07/13/israeli-lawmakers-fume-obama-administration-intervention-defeat-netanyahu/ Israeli Lawmakers Fume Over Obama Administration ‘Intervention’ to Defeat Netanyahu]. ''Breitbart''. Retrieved December 28, 2016.</ref> Netanyahu decisively won the election, despite opposition from left-wing world leaders such as Obama.<ref>[https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-claims-victory-as-vote-count-shows-likud-further-ahead/ Netanyahu scores crushing victory in Israeli elections]. ''The Times of Israel''. March 18, 2015. Retrieved December 28, 2016.</ref>

On December 23, 2016, Obama broke over 35 years of American policy by abstaining from a UN vote and allowing a blatantly anti-Israel resolution to pass, showing his true anti-Israel stance.<ref name="StrikeAgain"/><ref name="FedUpDrastic"/> On December 28, 2016, just a few weeks before the [[Trump Administration]] was to take office and a few days after the anti-[[Israel]] resolution was adopted, Kerry gave a major 72-minute<ref>Hanchett, Ian (December 28, 2016). [https://www.breitbart.com/video/2016/12/28/nbcs-neely-kerry-speech-firing-a-flare-across-israel-he-wanted-to-give-it-for-some-time-but-wh-blocked-it/ NBC’s Neely: Kerry Speech ‘Firing a Flare’ ‘Across Israel’ He Wanted To Give It ‘For Some Time’ But WH Blocked It]. ''Breitbart''. Retrieved December 28, 2016.</ref> speech viciously attacking Israel and paying worthless lip-service to American "support" for the nation.<ref>Pollak, Joel B. (December 28, 2016). [https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2016/12/28/kerry-on-israel-peace-un-resolution/ Kerry Attacks Israeli Government, Defends UN Resolution]. ''Breitbart''. Retrieved December 28, 2016.</ref> Israeli Prime Minister [[Benjamin Netanyahu]] responded harshly but appropriately to the Administration's blatant betrayal.<ref>Key, Pam (December 28, 2016). [https://www.breitbart.com/video/2016/12/28/netanyahu-i-must-express-my-deep-disappointment-with-john-kerry-israelis-do-not-need-to-be-lectured/ Netanyahu: ‘I Must Express My Deep Disappointment’ With Kerry — ‘Israelis Do Not Need To Be Lectured’]. ''Breitbart''. Retrieved December 28, 2016.</ref>

Despite these actions, the U.S. House passed a motion on January 5, 2017, condemning Obama's allowing of the UN resolution.<ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/01/05/house-overwhelmingly-votes-to-condemn-un-resolution-on-israel-settlements.html House overwhelmingly votes to condemn UN resolution on Israel settlements]. ''Fox News''. January 5, 2017. Retrieved January 6, 2017.</ref><ref>Cortellessa, Eric (January 6, 2017). [https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-house-passes-repudiation-of-un-security-council-resolution-on-israel/ US House passes motion repudiating UN resolution on Israel]. ''The Times of Israel''. Retrieved January 6, 2017.</ref> Additionally, Republican President-elect [[Donald Trump]] voiced strong support for Israel during this time.<ref>Pollak, Joel B. (December 23, 2016). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/12/23/trump-hints-defunding-un-anti-israel-vote/ Trump on UN Anti-Israel Vote: ‘Things Will Be Different After Jan. 20’]. ''Breitbart''. Retrieved January 6, 2017.</ref><ref>Swoyer, Alex (December 29, 2016). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/12/29/trump-im-very-very-strong-on-israel/ Trump: ‘I’m Very, Very Strong on Israel’]. ''Breitbart''. Retrieved January 6, 2017.</ref>

Soon before leaving office, Obama bypassed Congress and gave the [[State of Palestine]] $221 million.<ref name="221MLastHours">[https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/01/24/us-quietly-sent-221m-to-palestinians-in-obamas-last-hours.html US quietly sent $221M to Palestinians in Obama's last hours]. ''Fox News''. January 24, 2017. Retrieved January 24, 2017.</ref>

====Pro-Iranian policies====
In contrast to his anti-Israel policies, Obama took a friendly stance toward Iran, helping negotiate the [[Iran nuclear deal]] with the country, something Obama's successor, President Trump, chose to reverse. The Obama Administration actively worked to give Iran access to American banks, and Iran got $150,000,000,000 from Obama, and they gave it to terrorists.<ref>Multiple references:
*Taylor, Guy (June 6, 2018). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/jun/6/obama-hid-efforts-to-aid-irans-windfall/ Obama hid efforts to aid Iran's windfall]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
*[https://www.onenewsnow.com/ap/politics/report-obama-administration-lied-about-iran-deal Report: Obama administration lied about Iran deal]. ''OneNewsNow'' (from the ''Associated Press''). June 6, 2018. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
*Edson, Rich (June 6, 2018). [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/06/06/obama-administration-allegedly-gave-iran-access-to-us-financial-system.html Obama administration allegedly gave Iran access to US financial system]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved June 8, 2018.</ref> According to a high-ranking Iranian official in 2018, the Obama Administration granted U.S. citizenship to 2,500 Iranians during the nuclear deal negotiations, including the friends and family of Iranian government leaders.<ref>Irvine, Chris (July 2, 2018). [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/07/02/obama-administration-granted-citizenship-to-2500-iranians-during-nuclear-deal-iran-official.html Obama administration granted citizenship to 2,500 Iranians during nuclear deal: Iran official]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved July 2, 2018.</ref>

An Iranian militia leader who led an attack on the U.S. embassy in Iraq in 2019 had been invited to the White House by the Obama Administration in 2011.<ref>Multiple references:
*Nolan, Lucas (December 31, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2019/12/31/iranian-militia-leader-who-led-raid-u-s-embassy-baghdad-previously-visited-obama-white-house/ Iranian Militia Leader Leading Iraq U.S. Embassy Raid Listed as Obama White House Guest]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved December 31, 2019.
*Singman, Brooke (January 2, 2020). [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/iraqi-official-spotted-outside-embassy-attack-visited-obama-white-house-in-2011 Iraqi official spotted outside embassy attack visited Obama White House in 2011]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
*Dibble, Madison (January 2, 2020). [https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/obama-gave-white-house-welcome-to-iran-backed-leader-of-us-embassy-attack-in-baghdad Obama gave White House welcome to Iran-backed leader of US Embassy attack in Baghdad]. ''Washington Examiner''. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
*Boyer, Dave (January 2, 2020). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/jan/2/hadi-al-amiri-leader-us-embassy-siege-iraq-was-gue/ Leader of U.S. Embassy siege in Iraq was guest of Obama at White House]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
*Boyer, Dave (January 3, 2020). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/jan/3/chief-of-iran-backed-embassy-siege-met-with-obama-/ Chief of Iran-backed embassy siege met with Obama, Biden]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved January 3, 2020.</ref>

====Opposition to U.S. sovereignty====
[[File:Xi Obama.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Obama with Chinese dictator [[Xi Jinping]]; Winnie-the-Pooh was banned from [[China]] after this meme appeared on [[social media]].<ref>https://www.barstoolsports.com/blog/812125/china-censors-block-winnie-the-pooh-because-of-his-uncanny-resemblance-to-president-xi-jinping</ref>]]
{{See also|War on Sovereignty}}
Preferring international cooperation and equality to American [[sovereignty]] and independence (despite the U.S.'s obviously superior geopolitical position), Obama intentionally reduced American power and strength during his presidency. One of his actions as president was to give up the nation's control of [[Domain name|internet domain name system]] and transfer control over to an international organization in 2016.<ref>Solomon, Howard (October 3, 2016). [https://www.itworldcanada.com/article/new-era-in-internet-governance-starts-as-us-cedes-control-of-domain-name-system/386903 New era in Internet governance starts as US cedes control of domain name system]. ''IT World Canada''. Retrieved October 14, 2016.</ref><ref>Lieberman, Eric (September 24, 2016). [https://dailycaller.com/2016/09/24/obama-admin-wants-to-surrender-us-control-over-internet-to-global-bureaucracy/ Obama Admin Wants To Surrender US Control Over Internet To Global Bureaucracy]. ''The Daily Caller''. Retrieved October 14, 2016.</ref>

Obama also entered the U.S. into the [[Paris climate agreement]] and attempted to have it join the [[Trans-Pacific Partnership]], which was under negotiation. Both of these agreements would have reduced American sovereignty and [[self-governance]].

Obama also endorsed the United Nations 2030 Agenda in 2015, which called for "a 'new universal agenda' for all of humanity" and served as a major step toward a [[one-world government]].<ref>Hohmann, Leo (September 30, 2015). [https://www.wnd.com/2015/09/obama-puts-u-s-on-fast-track-to-world-government/ Obama puts U.S. on 'fast track' to world government]. ''WND''. Retrieved December 26, 2017.</ref>

===Congressional relations===
Obama has maintained tense relations with Congress throughout his term as president. Each of his budgets was voted down, and many of his judicial appointments have not come to a vote. When Supreme Court Justice [[Antonin Scalia]] died on February 13, 2016, Obama made a point of addressing the nation to say that he would nominate a replacement, which drew criticism and rebuke from Republican Senators and Presidential candidates. Obama executive action in areas such as immigration policy drew extensive criticism as infringing upon Congressional legislative powers.

===Scandals===
Obama turned the [[Justice Department]] into a cesspool of corruption.<ref>[https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nymagazin.com%2Fen_US%2Fobamagate-si-reforma-fbi-ului-tiberiu-dianu%2F]</ref>

Obama was complicit in the whitewash of Hillary Clinton's email investigation. In fact, Obama himself crafted the language of "careless," reducing the charge of gross negligence punishable by 10 years in prison down to nothing. Obama himself had much to hide; he knew of Hillary's illegal email server. Obama communicated with Hillary on her illegal server at least 30 times, including from the territory of a "hostile foreign power," presumably Russia, where their communication was most certainly hacked.

When the disgraced Obama appointee as FBI director whitewashed the incident by saying Hillary communicated with "a senior government official," it was Obama himself and his complicity in the reckless handling of classified information that Comey was covering up, not just Hillary. Over the course of his presidency, Obama cost taxpayers $35 million to cover his Christmas vacations.<ref>Harper, Jennifer (December 23, 2018). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/dec/23/inside-the-beltway-aloha-the-35-million-obama-chri/ Memories of Christmas past: The $35 million Obama travel bill]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved December 24, 2018.</ref> FBI deputy director [[Andrew McCabe]]'s special counsel [[Lisa Page]] 's sworn congressional testimony confirms that the FBI was acting on orders from the Obama Justice Department to clear Hillary Clinton of [[felon]]ious behavior and violations of the Espionage Act so that she could be nominated as the DNC 2016 presidential candidate.<ref>[https://dfw.cbslocal.com/2019/03/13/lisa-page-obama-doj-ordered-fbi-not-to-charge-hillary-clinton-no-collusion/ Former FBI Lawyer Lisa Page Said Obama DOJ Ordered FBI Not To Charge Hillary Clinton], [[CBS]], March 13, 2019.</ref>

====Fast and Furious====
:''Main article:'' '''[[Operation Fast and Furious]]'''
[[File:Eric Holder.jpg|right|thumb|200px|[[Eric Holder]] is the First Attorney General in US history held in [[criminal]] [[Contempt of Congress]]. He resigned in light of the Fast & Furious revelations<ref>[https://www.americanthinker.com/2011/10/fast_and_furious_in_a_rotten_nutshell.html#ixzz27iRBCN28 Fast and Furious in a Rotten Nutshell], Ronald Kolb, ''[[American Thinker]]'', October 7, 2011,</ref> and other scandals.]]
:{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year !! Mexican drug related gun murders skyrocket during Obama's Fast and Furious campaign<ref>https://archive.is/RyT8w</ref>
|-
| 2006 || 62
|-
| 2007 || 2,837
|-
| 2008 || 6,844
|-
| 2009 || 11,753
|-
| 2010 || 19,546
|-
| 2011 || 24,068
|-
| 2012 || 18,061 (by October 31, 2012)
|-
| 2013 || 23,640 killed in 2013 (through to March 2014)
|}
Before Obama's Fast and Furious operation was exposed, the number of dead victims in drug cartel violence has been estimated as high as 160,000 deaths.

The ''Washington Post'' reported that White House officials stopped a requirement for gun dealers to report bulk sales of high-powered semiautomatic rifles commonly used by illegal drug cartels. [[Justice Department]] officials had asked for White House approval to require thousands of gun dealers along the border to report the purchases to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and Explosives. ATF investigators expected to get leads on suspected arms traffickers. Senior law enforcement sources said the proposal from the ATF was held up by then White House chief of staff [[Rahm Emanuel]].<ref>Horwitz, S. & Grimaldi, J.V. (2010, December 17). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/17/AR2010121706598.html White House Delayed Rule Meant to Stop Gun Flow to Mexico]. ''The Washington Post''.</ref> Gun dealers had been required for decades to report the sales of multiple handguns to the ATF.

====IRS scandal====
:{{Main article|IRS scandal}}

====Aid to Benghazi rebels====
A March 29, 2011 article in the ''[[Washington Post]]'' included these paragraphs:
{{Cquote|"It’s almost a certitude that at least part” of the Libyan opposition includes members of al-Qaeda, said Bruce Riedel, a former senior CIA analyst and adviser to President Obama. Riedel said that anti-Gaddafi elements in the rebel stronghold of Benghazi have had “very close associations with al-Qaeda” dating back years....I would hope that we now have a good sense of the opposition in Libya and can say that this is 2 percent, not 20 percent,” Riedel said. “If we don’t, then we are running the risk of helping to bring to power a regime that could be very dangerous.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/libyan-opposition-includes-a-small-number-of-al-qaeda-fighters-us-officials-say/2011/03/29/AFRlXWyB_story.html Libyan opposition includes a small number of al-Qaeda fighters, U.S. officials say], Washington Post</ref>}}
[[File:Mass beheading of Christians in Libya.jpg|right|350px|thumb|Gadaffi was an ally of the US against the jihadis until Obama armed the jihadis to overthrow Gadaffi. One of their first acts was the mass beheading of Christians.]]
This set off a fierce debate in the [[Obama administration]] over the wisdom of arming terrorists.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/30/world/africa/30diplo.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss Washington in Fierce Debate on Arming Libyan Rebels], The New York Times</ref> It is now known sometime prior to March 31, 2011,<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/31/world/africa/31intel.html?_r=2&hp C.I.A. Agents in Libya Aid Airstrikes and Meet Rebels], The New York Times</ref> at the urging of Hillary Clinton<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/19/world/africa/19policy.html?_r=3&hp& Obama Takes Hard Line With Libya After Shift by Clinton], The New York Times</ref> and over the objections of his National Security Council, Obama signed a Presidential Finding authorizing support for the rebel jihadis.<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/30/us-libya-usa-order-idUSTRE72T6H220110330 Exclusive: Obama authorizes secret help for Libya rebels], [[Reuters]]</ref>

By October 2011, [[Libyan rebel fighting group]]s with support from [[NATO]] overtook the capital and toppled the government. Gaddafi was captured and brutally and sadistically murdered.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPzeLLL9V-c Leading from behind - a critique of Obama foreign policy]</ref> The jihadis were immediately recognized by the U.S. and the U.N. as the new legitimate government. Mustafa Abdul-Jalil, chairman of the National Transitional Council, announced [[Sharia]] will be the source for all legislation and all laws conflicting with Sharia are null and void.<ref name="Sharia">[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8861608/Libya-Al-Qaeda-flag-flown-above-Benghazi-courthouse.html Libya: Al Qaeda flag flown above Benghazi courthouse] - [[Daily Telegraph]]</ref> Abdel Rahim al-Kib, the country's interim prime minister, echoed Jalil's words days later.<ref>[http://www.presstv.ir/detail/207953.html New Libyan PM backs Islamic sharia law]</ref> The al Qaeda flag was flown above the Benghazi courthouse, and reports surfaced that the Libyan jihadis had imposed Sharia law in some parts of the country even earlier.<ref name="Sharia" /> By February 17, 2013, four foreign nationals were arrested for distributing Christian literature, a charge that could carry the death penalty.<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/17/libya-arrests-suspected-foreign-missionaries Libya arrests foreign 'missionaries' Four foreign nationals accused of distributing Christian literature] a charge that could carry the death penalty, Chris Stephen [[The Guardian]], Sunday 17 February 2013.</ref>

In 2014, the Obama Administration gave a $200,000 grant to a Sudanese group with ties to [[Al Qaeda]].<ref>Pappas, Alex (July 27, 2018). [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/07/27/obama-administration-approved-200g-grant-to-group-with-al-qaeda-ties.html Obama administration approved $200G grant to group with Al Qaeda ties]. 'Fox News''. Retrieved July 27, 2018.</ref><ref>Kirkwood, R. Cort (July 28, 2018). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/foreign-policy/item/29656-obama-administration-funded-al-qaida-front Obama Administration Funded al-Qaida Front]. ''The New American''. Retrieved July 28, 2018.</ref>

====Benghazi massacre====
[[File:Benghazi attack.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Amb. Stevens was specifically in Benghazi to oversee and facilitate transfer of captured weapons from the Gadaffi regime to groups in Syria which ultimately became the [[Islamic State]]. Few people had knowledge of this program beyond Stevens, Clinton, and Obama. Once the mission was completed, Stevens was expendable.<ref>https://www.amazon.com/REAL-Benghazi-Story-White-Hillary/dp/1531817130</ref>]]
:{{main|Benghazi Attack}}
With several U.S. embassies besieged on the anniversary of the [[September 11 attacks]], White House Press Secretary [[Jay Carney]] declared there was no reason to believe the attack on the sovereign territory of the United States consulate in Benghazi, less than two months before the [[2012 Presidential election]] which killed Americans, was a terrorist attack.
{{Cquote|The unrest that we’ve seen around the region has been in reaction to a video that Muslims, many Muslims, find offensive.}}
This became the official White House line. Between laughs with [[Jon Stewart]] on [[Comedy Central]], Obama said the death of Americans was "not optimal".<ref>[https://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/10/18/Obama-Benghazi-murders-not-optimal Interview with Jon Stewart of the ''Daily Show''], Breitbart.com</ref> When pressed by reporters, who pointed out evidence that the violence in Benghazi was a terrorist attack, Press Secretary Carney argued “the unrest around the region has been in response to this video.”

Leading suspected jihadis in the murders and terrorist attack were the local Benghazi branch of Ansar al-Shariah, known to have ties to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20121023114113/http://blogs.ajc.com/political-insider-jim-galloway/2012/10/19/when-an-obama-adviser-called-benghazi-an-al-qaeda-hotbed/?cxntfid=blogs_political_insider_jim_galloway When an Obama adviser called Benghazi an al-Qaeda hotbed]</ref> A commander of the terrorist group boasted jovially about the attack over drinks with reporters for the ''New York Times'' in Benghazi.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/16/world/africa/election-year-stakes-overshadow-nuances-of-benghazi-investigation.html?pagewanted=2&ref=world Election-Year Stakes Overshadow Nuances of Libya Investigation], The New York Times</ref><ref>[https://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/10/frappe-libya-attack/ Frappe-Sipping Libyan Militant Laughs at U.S. Manhunt for Benghazi Killers], [[Wired (magazine)]]</ref>

====Funding the Islamic State====
Two more Americans were killed, along with 35 others, after being taken hostage by rebel jihadists in Mali shortly after the Libyan upheaval.<ref>[http://world.time.com/2013/01/21/algeria-37-foreigner-hostages-killed-in-attack/ Algeria: 37 Foreigner Hostages Killed in Attack], Associated Press, Jan. 21, 2013. ''[[Time Magazine]]''.</ref>

Hillary Clinton testified before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee in the wake of the Benghazi murders under her stewardship, that weapons and fighters equipped by the Obama administration made their way to [[Mali]] and [[Algeria]]:
{{cquote|There is no doubt that the Algerian terrorists had weapons from Libya. There is no doubt that the Malian remnants of AQIM [Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb] have weapons from Libya.<ref>[http://news.yahoo.com/clinton-says-militants-used-weapons-libya-algeria-attack-154222664.html Clinton says militants used weapons from Libya in Algeria attack] [[Reuters]], Jan 23, 2013.</ref>}}

====1MDB scandal====
After the 2012 election, Obama's chief fundraiser continued raising money for Democratic candidates. [[Frank White, Jr.]] and [[Pras Michel]] formed a joint venture with [[1Malaysian Development Berhad]] (1MDB), wholly owned by the Malaysian government. The venture supposedly was to invest in green technology and solar panels, but corrupt officials of 1MDB were more interested in buying influence with the [[Obama administration]] and the [[Democratic party]],<ref>[https://www.wsj.com/articles/suspect-malaysian-fund-tied-to-lobbying-of-white-house-1476403764 Malaysian Fund 1MDB Linked to White House Visit], By Bradley Hope and Colleen McCain Nelson, ''[[Wall Street Journal]]'', Oct. 13, 2016.</ref> and White and Pras likewise were not interested in providing a renewable source of electricity or solving the problems of [[poverty]] for Malaysia's 30 million people.

Malaysians have a median household income of $4500, so the theft of $4.5 Billion by [[globalism|globalists]] pushing green technology and Democrats looking for foreign money to finance their campaigns cause they can't sell their ideas at home, had a devastating impact on the Malaysian people, economy, and political culture.
[[File:Hunter-Obama-1024x717.png|right|300px|thumb|Hunter Biden meeting with President Obama in the Oval Office. ''Official White House Photograph'']]
White and Pras got two anonymous investors to lend a half of a Trillion dollars for a little over a two-year period. They formed a joint partnership agreement with 1MDB to build a green technology solar plant. White and Pras owned 49%, 1MDB controlled 51%. White was supposed to have provided financial advice. His advice turned out to be for 1MBD to buy out his 49% for $69 million six months after the agreement was signed, without White's entities investing any of the half Trillion he borrowed.<ref>"The crucial evidence from the records available (illustrated above) shows that the Private Equity fund Yurus, set up by White, registered the entire US$69 million it received from 1MDB as additional profit, implying it had not invested any of its original US$505 million fund in the venture." [https://medium.com/@sarawakreport/1mdb-sleaze-casts-shadow-over-us-democrats-on-eve-of-obama-visit-investigation-1MDB Sleaze Casts Shadow Over US Democrats On Eve Of Obama Visit], ''Sarawak Report'', 15 November 2015.</ref> Portions of the $69 million were then donated to Democrat Senate, Congressional, and Gubernatorial candidates. The $69 million Democrats stole from the people of Malaysia during the Obama presidency is only a fraction of the corrupt deals 1MDB did all over the planet. Much of the $4.5 Billion embezzled was laundered through U.S. banks, and has become the largest investigation ever under the Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Act.<ref>https://www.justice.gov/opa/speech/attorney-general-loretta-e-lynch-delivers-remarks-press-conference-announcing-significant</ref>

====Biden-Ukraine scandal====
:{{See also|Biden-Ukraine scandal}}
Vice President [[Joe Biden]] oversaw the disbursement of $1 billion allocated by the U.S. to the new government of Ukraine. In 2014, Biden's son [[Hunter Biden]], was appointed to the board of directors of Burisma Holdings, the largest oil and gas company in Ukraine. Hunter Biden was hired by [[Mykola Zlochevsky]], who served as Ukraine's ecology minister in the previous administration. Hunter Biden was paid $166,000 per month. The money was split with the nephew of [[Whitey Bulger]].

Zlochevsky came under investigation by the new administration for alleged embezzlement of $5 billion while ecology minister. The prosecutor traced payments made to Hunter Biden. Vice President Biden threatened the new Ukrainian administration to withhold $1 billion in U.S. allocated funds unless the prosecutor investigating Hunter Biden was fired.<ref>https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/09/world/europe/corruption-ukraine-joe-biden-son-hunter-biden-ties.html</ref>

Biden bragged about having caused the firing of the [[Ukraine]] prosecutor to a [[CFR]] conference.
[[File:Joe Biden at CFR meeting 2018 2.jpeg|left|300px|thumb|Biden at the [[Council on Foreign Relations]]: "‘I’m leaving in six hours. If the prosecutor is not fired, you’re not getting the money'...Well, [SOB], he got fired."<ref>https://haciendapublishing.com/articles/deep-dark-secrets-rich-famous-and-powerful-cliff-kincaid</ref>]]
U.S. banking records show Hunter Biden's firm, Rosemont Seneca Partners LLC, received regular transfers — usually more than $166,000 a month — from Burisma from spring 2014 through fall 2015, during a period when Joe Biden was the main U.S. official dealing with Ukraine. Biden threatened Ukrainian President [[Petro Poroshenko]] that the [[Obama administration]] would pull $1 billion in U.S. loan guarantees, sending Ukraine toward insolvency, if it didn't immediately fire Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin who was investigating his son, Hunter. Biden recounted,
{{quotebox-float|"'You’re not getting the billion'. I’m going to be leaving here in, I think it was about six hours. I looked at them and said: ‘I’m leaving in six hours. If the prosecutor is not fired, you’re not getting the money'...Well, [SOB], he got fired. And they put in place someone who was solid at the time."<ref name="thehill.com">https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/436816-joe-bidens-2020-ukrainian-nightmare-a-closed-probe-is-revived</ref><ref>https://www.cfr.org/event/foreign-affairs-issue-launch-former-vice-president-joe-biden</ref>}}
Yuriy Lutsenko, who replaced Shokin as the prosecutor looking into Burisma, said the evidence in the Burisma case he'd like to present to [[William Barr]], particularly the vice president's intervention.

Between April 2014 and October 2015, more than $3 million was paid out by Burisma to an account linked to Biden's and Devon Archer's Rosemont Seneca firm, according to the financial records placed in a federal court file in Manhattan in another case against Archer. The bank records show that, on most months when Burisma money flowed, two wire transfers of $83,333.33 each were sent to the Rosemont Seneca–connected account on the same day. The same Rosemont Seneca–linked account typically then paid Hunter Biden one or more payments ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 each. Ukrainian prosecutors reviewed internal company documents and wanted to interview Hunter Biden and Archer about why they had received such payments, but couldn't because of Joe Biden's intervention.

On September 4, 2019, former Prosecutor General [[Victor Shokin]] made a sworn affidavit outlining Joe Biden's shakedown.<ref>https://www.scribd.com/document/427618359/Shokin-Statement</ref>

====Spygate====
[[File:170509-andrew-mccabe-ac-1043p c043e7050b32e4ad26bd45b92eb651eb.nbcnews-ux-2880-1000.jpg|right|275px|thumb|McCabe (left) with co-conspirator Attn. Gen. [[Loretta Lynch]] (right). McCabe took $700,000 from a Clinton campaign operative to fix the email investigation and save Hillary's nomination. Lynch colluded with Bill Clinton at the Phoenix tarmac meeting to whitewash Hillary's email investigation and meddle in 2016 election.]]
:{{See also|Obamagate timeline|FBI scandal|FISA abuse|Crossfire Hurricane|Biden-Ukraine scandal}}
In the Obama-era political surveillance programs, the lines between the CIA and FBI were blurred. They wworked together through contractors.<ref>https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2019/04/25/president-obamas-2016-political-surveillance-coverup-had-two-parallel-tracks/</ref> The Obama administration had been conducting illegal surveillance on American citizens since 2012, shortly after the IRS scandal was exposed. On March 9, 2016, the [[NSA]] FISA compliance officer discovered the illegal collusion between the FBI and CIA to spy on American citizens. Between March and July 2016, the CIA used foreign intelligence allies in [[Italy]], the [[U.K.]] and [[Australia]] to create an illusion of Russian involvement with the Trump campaign. This operation was based on earlier more innocuous contacts from various countries, weaponized and redeployed in what everyone calls “spygate”. This track successfully culminated with the start of the FBI's Operation Crossfire Hurricane.<ref>[https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2020/03/08/doj-political-surveillance-from-the-irs-in-2011-to-the-fisa-court-in-2016/ DOJ Political Surveillance – From the IRS in 2011 to the FISA Court in 2016], Posted on March 8, 2020 by sundance. theconservativetreehouse.com</ref>

On July 31, 2016 FBI deputy head of the [[counterintelligence]] division [[Peter Strzok]] began an investigation into [[Donald Trump]]. Two days later Strzok had this exchange with [[Lisa Page]], an attorney in FBI deputy director [[Andy McCabe]]'s office:
{{Quotebox-float|'''Lisa Page – He’s not ever going to become president, right? Right?! Strzok - No. No he’s not. We’ll stop it.'''
}}
On September 2, 2016, Lisa Page wrote about preparing talking points for Dir. [[Jimmy Comey]] because “[[POTUS|potus]] [Obama] wants to know everything we’re doing.”<ref>https://theblacksphere.net/2018/02/fbi-text-message-potus-wants-know-everything/</ref> The text raised questions about the extent of Obama's personal involvement in on ongoing the FBI investigation.<ref>https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/fbi-texts-obama-wants-know-everything-we-re-doing-n845531</ref>

[[Susan Rice]] sent an email to herself about a secret [[Oval Office]] meeting where the ''[[Clinton-Steele dossier]]'' was discussed;<ref>https://www.cnn.com/2017/01/10/politics/donald-trump-intelligence-report-russia/index.html</ref><ref>https://apnews.com/152579d488a740b2a8d39fbe2f34506d</ref><ref>https://apnews.com/a82309544e9e465fa2ad4f83e5a48540</ref> (the email was written and sent to herself 15 minutes after Trump was sworn in on Jan. 20):<ref>https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-graham-uncover-unusual-email-sent-susan-rice-herself-president-trump-s</ref> {{Quotebox|"On January 5, following a briefing by [[IC]] leadership on Russian hacking during the 2016 Presidential election, [[President Obama]] had a brief follow-on conversation with FBI Director [[Jim Comey]] and Deputy Attorney General [[Sally Yates]] in the Oval Office. [[Vice President Biden]] and I were also present. President Obama began the conversation by stressing his continued commitment to ensuring that every aspect of this issue is handled by the Intelligence and law enforcement communities "by the book". The President stressed that he is not asking about, initiating or instructing anything from a law enforcement perspective. He reiterated that our law enforcement team needs to proceed as it normally would by the book. From a national security perspective, however, President Obama said he wants to be sure that, as we engage with the incoming team, we are mindful to ascertain if there is any reason that we cannot share information fully as it relates to Russia. [Redacted section] The President asked Comey to inform him if anything changes in the next few weeks that should affect how we share classified information with the incoming team. Comey said he would."<ref>https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/2018-02-08%20CEG%20LG%20to%20Rice%20(Russia%20Investigation%20Email).pdf</ref>}}[[File:112 2016 b4-napo-comey-hoove8201 c0-389-1420-1216 s885x516 (1).jpg|right|300px|thumb|[[Jimmy the Weasel]] beside [[J. Edgar Hoover]]. Under Obama the FBI returned to the use of sexual innuendo and domestic spying on political opponents.<ref>https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/04/19/comey-trump-cnn-news-hook/</ref>]]At the conclusion of the briefing, Obama asked Sally Yates and James Comey to remain. Together with Susan Rice, is where the “by the book” CYA comment comes into play. The 90-day surveillance period under the FISA warrant had just a bit over two weeks left to run — it was set to expire just as Trump was to take office. (Reporting suggests that there may also have been a [[FISA]] warrant on [[Paul Manafort]] around this time.) The Obama administration was confronting a deadline if the FISA warrant was to be renewed while Obama was still in power. The officials in the meeting needed to figure out how the investigation could continue despite the fact that its central focus, Trump, was about to be sworn in as president. Rice's “by the book” bunkum is transparent: Obama officials claimed to adhere to a book that forbade consultations between political leaders and investigators. But here they were consulting. So Rice tried to cover their tracks in her email: She revises history such that the consultation morphs into a mere friendly reminder that Obama wanted everything done by the book.<ref>https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/02/susan-rice-email-president-obama-russia-investigation/</ref>

The [[Russia collusion hoax]] was predicated on the unverified premise that [[Wikileaks]] was a front for [[KGB]] activity. Nonetheless, Obama commuted the sentence of [[Chelsea Manning]] who passed [[national security]] secrets to WikiLeaks two days before Obama left office.

On March 4, 2017, after becoming president, Trump tweeted:
<blockquote>How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!<ref>https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump</ref></blockquote>
and
<blockquote>Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my "wires tapped" in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!</blockquote>

Members of the mainstream media called this wiretapping claim an "astonishing and reckless accusation".<ref name=wiretap>{{cite news|url=https://server5.kproxy.com/servlet/redirect.srv/sruj/scczbaciweaamvs/suvw/p2/opinions/the-trump-experiment-may-come-to-an-early-tipping-point/2017/03/05/87d38b3a-0055-11e7-99b4-9e613afeb09f_story.html?utm_term=.edb071c61986|title=The Trump Experiment may come to an early tipping point|first=EJ|last=Dionne Jr.|work=Washington Post|date=March 5, 2017|accessdate=March 5, 2017}}</ref> It was later all found to be true and accurate. Nixon resigned over attempting to spy on the opposition party at the [[Watergate]] hotel; Obama got away with it on scale no one could ever imagine.

====Final Mueller report====
According to ''[[USA Today]]'', "[[Obama]] blew it big time" in regards to Russian efforts to meddle in the [[2016 presidential election]]. Mueller's final report flatly states that [[Russia]] began interfering in American democracy in 2014.<ref>https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2019/04/18/mueller-report-collusion-trump-russian-election-interference-democrats-takeaways-column/3505946002/</ref> Over the next couple of years, the effort blossomed into an attempt to interfere in the 2016 presidential election. The [[Obama administration]] knew this and did nothing. [[National Security Advisor]] [[Susan Rice]] told her staff to "stand down" and "knock it off" against the Russians.<ref>https://www.yahoo.com/news/stand-obama-team-blew-response-russian-meddling-100024634.html?soc_src=hl-viewer&soc_trk=tw</ref><ref>https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/03/why-the-hell-are-we-standing-down/</ref> Obama was singularly focused on the nuclear deal with Iran. Obama wanted [[Vladimir Putin]] in the deal, and to stand up to him on election interference would have, in Obama's estimation, upset that negotiation.<ref>https://edition.cnn.com/2019/04/19/opinions/mueller-report-obama-jennings/index.html?no-st=1555716010</ref>

According to DCWhispers {{quotebox|Obama had his hands all over this attempted [[coup]] of a duly elected [[President of the United States]]. The reasons for that are likely many, but perhaps a foundational reason is this—Barack Obama has never considered himself to be one required to follow U.S. law. He has always been inclined to see himself as a person of the world, not of a single nation and a single nation’s laws. Some have argued he is openly defiant of said laws, thinking them a byproduct of a deeply flawed America of which he has little if any loyalty toward. Donald Trump’s “America First” agenda is the antithesis of Obama’s “America Bad” world view and he could not abide seeing his legacy of relegating the United States to secondary world status overtaken by an outsider who was not beholden to the rules of the elite political class in D.C.

And so, Mr. Obama once again weaponized the federal government in an attempt to destroy a political opponent. The fact this was a shocking violation of the law meant little because all of America’s laws mean so little to the now former president.<ref>http://dcwhispers.com/report-dirty-dealings-of-dirt-devils-who-concocted-trump-russia-probe/#SHCy4bth9xbL6Ifx.99</ref>}}

===Pardons and commutations===
According to the U.S. Sentencing Commission, President Obama issued 1,928 grants of clemency, with 1,716 being commutations, more than any other U.S. president.<ref>Bedard, Paul (September 5, 2017). [https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/obama-broke-the-record-for-commuting-jail-sentences-1716/article/2633400 Obama broke the record for commuting jail sentences, 1,716]. ''Washington Examiner''. Retrieved September 6, 2017.</ref> Obama pardoned [[Chelsea Manning]] who allegedly [[collude]]d with [[Julian Assange]] of [[Wikileaks]], who allegedly colluded with Russia to interfere in the [[2016 presidential election]]. Manning was pardoned four days before Obama left office as the Russia collusion investigation was getting under way.

===Controversies===
:''Main article: [[Barack Obama Controversies]]''
Several major controversies have dogged Obama throughout his political career and have received major media coverage and prominence.

'''Obamaisms'''

Obama's bizarre gaffes, or [[Obamaisms]], were frequent and embarrassing, but typically unreported by the [[liberal media]]. Some examples are: spelling respect as R-S-P-E-C-T when he was attempting to sing that line from [[Aretha Franklin]]'s famous song, spelling Ohio as O-I-H-O, and saying that we built the Intercontinental Railroad instead of the Transcontinental Railroad, saying "How's it going, Sunshine" when he was in the city of Sunrise, Florida.<ref>Kurtzman, Daniel (March 6, 2014 or aft.) [https://politicalhumor.about.com/od/barackobama/a/obama-isms.htm "Obamaisms: Dumb quotes and gaffes by Barack Obama"]. About.com website/About entertainment/Political humor/Funny political jokes/Political gaffes.</ref> Many hardworking American businessmen took offense to a 2012 campaign speech about the economy where, referring to infrastructure improvements, he said "[[You didn't build that]]." Obama offended [[Poland]] by referring to the [[Nazi]] death camps there as "Polish death camps." Later Obama apologized.<ref>Sink, Justin (June 1, 2012). [https://thehill.com/blogs/global-affairs/europe/230419-obama-letter-says-he-regrets-polish-death-camp-gaffe "Obama apologizes in writing for 'Polish death camp' verbal gaffe"]. The Hill website/Policy/International.</ref> Gaffes are inevitable for people with a high profile, but several of Obama's were very revealing ("you didn't build that"), and they show how the [[mainstream media]] tends to emphasize the gaffes of conservatives as opposed to liberals.

'''Famous quotes'''
*"I continue to believe that [[Donald Trump]] will not be president." (stated when asked by a reporter a month prior to Election Day)<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4iZSW_76TE Democrats and Media Agreed: There Was No Way Donald Trump Could Be Elected], Video</ref>

===Election meddling===
By custom, President Obama stayed neutral during the primaries, even though his close friend and Vice President [[Creepy Uncle Joe]] [[Biden]] was seriously considering a Presidential campaign.

Once Hillary Clinton won the Democratic nomination, Obama campaigned for her and also attended fundraisers. Obama publicly criticized the Republican candidate, [[Donald Trump]] who had previously spent years claiming that Obama was not born in the United States.

===Last days and transition===
:{{See also|Trump transition|FISA abuse}}
[[File:Susan-rice-email-1-2.jpg|right|300px|thumb|A smoking gun email linking Barack Obama to illegal domestic spying on political opponents and civil rights violations.]]
In a stunning repudiation of Obama's policies, Republican businessman [[Donald Trump]] was elected over Democrat [[Hillary Clinton]] – Obama considered it a personal insult.<ref>Huston, Warner Todd (May 3, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/05/03/obama-considered-trumps-election-personal-insult/ Report: Obama Considered Trump’s Election a Personal Insult]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 3, 2019.</ref><ref>Kafozoff, Kristian (May 3, 2019). [https://www.theepochtimes.com/obama-considered-trumps-2016-win-as-personal-insult-new-updates-from-book_2905270.html Obama Considered Trump’s 2016 Win As ‘Personal Insult’: New Updates From Book]. ''The Epoch Times''. Retrieved May 3, 2019.</ref> In a frantic attempt to leave some sort of legacy, Obama issued a very large amount of far-Left executive orders and regulations which revealed his true political views if any doubt remained.<ref name="ActionsSpree">Lucas, Fred (December 26, 2016). [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/12/26/spree-obama-actions-revives-gop-concerns-over-midnight-regs-agenda.html?refresh=true Spree of Obama actions revives GOP concerns over ‘midnight’ regs, agenda]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved December 26, 2016.</ref> These orders included blocking large areas of the [[Arctic Ocean|Arctic]] and [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]] oceans from oil and gas drilling, effectively barring the U.S. from real [[Energy Independence|energy independence]]; breaking the record of pardons and commutations in a single day for criminals (many of them were sentenced for drug-related crimes), showing his soft stance on crime and drugs; ending the defunct NSEERS program to register male immigrants from North Korea and [[Islam]]ic countries (the necessary, beneficial, and useful program was suspended by the Obama Administration in 2011<ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/12/22/obama-ditches-registry-focused-on-immigrant-men-from-muslim-countries.html Obama ditches registry focused on immigrant men from Muslim countries]. ''Fox News''. December 22, 2016. Retrieved March 9, 2017.</ref>); attempting to transfer even more terrorists out of [[Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp|Guantanamo Bay]]; allowing an anti-[[Israel]] resolution pass in the [[United Nations]]; enacting a record amount of unnecessary, useless, and job-killing regulations; and even more.<ref name="ActionsSpree"/> Obama added 120,000 illegal immigrants to the DACA program in the last three months of his presidency.<ref>Binder, John (May 16, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/texas/2017/05/16/obama-stamped-120k-dreamers-trump-takeover/ Obama Stamped 120K DREAMers Before Trump Takeover]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 16, 2017.</ref> Obama made these actions knowing that Trump, who had almost completely opposite political views on these issues, was going to enter the [[White House]] in such short a time.

Although all of Obama's actions were worrisome, his actions in regards to Israel were particularly noteworthy. He broke over 35 years of American policy by abstaining from a UN vote and allowing a blatantly anti-Israel resolution to pass, showing his true stance concerning Israel.<ref name="StrikeAgain">[https://worldisraelnews.com/israel-fears-obama-will-strike/ Israel fears Obama will strike again]. ''World Israel News''. December 26, 2016. Retrieved December 26, 2016.</ref><ref name="FedUpDrastic">Berkowitz, Adam Eliyahu (December 26, 2016). [https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/80855/fed-up-with-obamas-trickery-netanyahu-takes-drastic-actions/#VbVlRMtkx4zLRc3f.97 Fed Up With United States Trickery, Netanyahu Takes Drastic Actions]. ''Breaking Israel News''. Retrieved December 26, 2016.</ref> Soon before leaving office, Obama bypassed Congress and gave the [[State of Palestine]] $221 million.<ref name="221MLastHours"/>

Obama continued to believe that he could have successfully "won" a third term as president had he been able to run.<ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/12/26/obama-could-have-won-third-term.html?refresh=true Obama: I could have won third term]. ''Fox News''. December 26, 2016. Retrieved December 26, 2016.</ref> Regardless of the factuality of that claim, Democrats lost 1,042 seats—including U.S. House, Senate, state governorship, and state legislative seats—during his eight years in office.<ref name="1,000Seats">[https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/12/27/democrats-lost-over-1000-seats-under-obama.html Democrats lost over 1,000 seats under Obama]. ''Fox News''. December 27, 2016. Retrieved December 27, 2016.</ref> Obama also believed that "the Democratic Party has stayed pretty grounded in fact and reality" despite its negative policies that suggest otherwise.<ref>Lawler, David (December 26, 2016). [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/12/26/barack-obama-says-democrats-will-not-disintegrate-like-labour/ Barack Obama says Democrats will not 'disintegrate' like Labour under Jeremy Corbyn]. ''The Telegraph''. Retrieved December 26, 2016.</ref>

Obama made Trump's transition much harder and rockier than it could have been by his leftist executive orders, decisions, and comments during the transition period.<ref>Swoyer, Alex (December 28, 2016). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/12/28/donald-trump-responds-to-president-obamas-many-inflammatory-statements/ Donald Trump Responds to President Obama’s ‘Many Inflammatory’ Statements]. ''Breitbart''. Retrieved December 28, 2016.</ref><ref>Scott, Eugine (December 28, 2016). [https://www.cnn.com/2016/12/28/politics/trump-obama-statements-not-smooth-transition/ Trump: 'NOT' a smooth transition after Obama 'roadblocks']. ''CNN''. Retrieved December 28, 2016.</ref>

Obama received the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service from [[Secretary of Defense]] [[Ash Carter]], an Obama appointee in the same administration.<ref>Huston, Warner Todd (January 4, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/01/04/president-obama-awards-himself-distinguished-public-service-medal/ President Obama Awards Himself Distinguished Public Service Medal]. ''Breitbart''. Retrieved January 7, 2017.</ref> Although the award was created in 1947, the only other presidents to have received the medal (all during their tenure) are [[Bill Clinton]], a left-wing Democrat, and [[George W. Bush]], who holds [[RINO]] positions on certain issues.

In an interview, Obama claimed that "we are probably the first administration in modern history that hasn't had a major scandal in the White House,"<ref>[https://insider.foxnews.com/2017/01/13/president-obama-60-minutes-no-white-house-scandals-during-my-administration Obama: I'm the 1st Modern President Without a Major Scandal]. ''Fox News Insider''. January 13, 2017. Retrieved January 16 2017.</ref> and Obama's Chief of Staff [[Denis McDonough]] claimed likewise,<ref>Shelbourne, Mallory (January 15, 2017). [https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/314396-obama-chief-of-staff-most-proud-we-are-scandal-free Chief of staff: Obama administration 'historically free of scandal']. ''The Hill''. Retrieved January 16, 2017.</ref> despite the strong and massive evidence to the contrary.<ref>Dickens, Geoffrey (January 16, 2017). [https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/geoffrey-dickens/2017/01/16/ The Seven Most Undercovered Obama Scandals]. ''[[NewsBusters]]''. Retrieved January 16, 2017.</ref><ref>Hemingway, Mark (January 9, 2017). [https://www.weeklystandard.com/the-obama-era-had-scandals-aplenty/article/2006197 The Obama Era Had Scandals Aplenty]. ''[[Weekly Standard]]''. Retrieved January 16, 2017.</ref>

====Massive increase in regulations in 2016====
In addition to his other actions in 2016, Obama massively increased the number of federal regulations during his last days in office.<ref>Harper, Jennifer (May 30, 2017). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/may/30/inside-the-beltway-obamas-unprecedented-surge-of-r/ Inside the Beltway: Obama’s unprecedented ‘surge’ of regulations]. '' The Washington Times''. Retrieved May 30, 2017.</ref><ref>Lawler, Joseph (May 31, 2017). [https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/new-rules-surged-in-obamas-last-year-to-3853-most-pages-in-federal-register-ever/article/2624503 New rules surged in Obama's last year to 3,853, most pages in Federal Register ever]. ''Washington Examiner''. Retrieved May 31, 2017.</ref> More regulations were finalized in every year since 2005, and they cost the economy $2 trillion.<ref>Sherfinski, David (May 31, 2017). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/may/31/obamas-regulations-in-2016-to-drain-economy-by-2-t/ Obama’s regulations in 2016 to drain economy by $2 trillion]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved May 31, 2017.</ref>

==Post-presidency==
:{{See also|2020 Democrats' attacks on Barack Hussein Obama}}
Obama made an ungraceful departure from office claiming on October 18, 2016, Donald Trump's complaints of lies spread about Trump were corrosive to American democracy and an invented [[conspiracy theory]].<ref>https://www.cnn.com/2016/10/18/politics/obama-trumps-rigged-election-claim-whining-before-the-games-even-over/</ref> Less than two months later after Trump had won, Obama claimed he himself had been derelict in his duty and had fallen asleep at the switch allowing Russian hackers to steal the election for Donald Trump.<ref>https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/15/us/politics/russia-hack-election-trump-obama.html</ref>

Obama acquired a lavish celebrity lifestyle after ending his presidency.<ref>Varney, James (June 17, 2019). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/jun/17/obama-endorsement-coveted-ex-president-writes-own-/ Hobnobbing Obama raking in the cash post-presidency -- while still dabbling in politics]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved June 19, 2019.</ref> He spent much of his time vacationing in exclusive and elite locations around the world.<ref>Bennett, Kate (March 17, 2017). [https://www.cnn.com/2017/03/17/politics/where-in-the-world-is-barack-obama/ Barack Obama is probably lying on a beach in a deserted paradise right now]. ''CNN''. Retrieved March 18, 2017.</ref> He spent much time with left-wing celebrities, such as spending [[Good Friday]] 2017 on a $300 million yacht with celebrities such as [[Bruce Springsteen]], [[Tom Hanks]], and [[Oprah Winfrey]],<ref>Hudson, Jerome (April 17, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-hollywood/2017/04/17/barack-michelle-obama-join-oprah-springsteen-hanks-on-david-geffens-yacht/ Good Friday: Obamas Join Winfrey, Springsteen, Hanks on David Geffen’s Yacht]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved April 27, 2017.</ref> and in Italy in 2019 with [[George Clooney]].<ref>Huston, Warner Todd (June 25, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2019/06/25/jet-setting-obamas-seen-hobnobbing-with-the-clooneys-on-ritzy-lake-como/ Jet Setting Obamas Seen Hobnobbing with the Clooneys on Ritzy Lake Como]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved June 25, 2019.</ref> Obama did not give any mention of [[Independence Day]] on his Facebook or Twitter on that day in 2017 while he was visiting [[Seoul]].<ref>Huston, Warner Todd (July 5, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/07/05/july-4th-no-mention-independence-day-barack-obamas-twitter-facebook/ On July 4th: No Mention of Independence Day on Barack Obama’s Twitter or Facebook]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved July 5, 2017.</ref> In addition, Obama accepted a $400,000 speech backed by Wall Street,<ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/04/27/obama-spokesman-defends-reported-400000-wall-street-backed-speech.html Obama spokesman defends reported $400,000 Wall Street-backed speech]. ''Fox News''. April 27, 2017. Retrieved April 27, 2017.</ref> something that stunned even many liberals.<ref>Wallace, Christopher (April 27, 2017). [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/04/27/obamas-400g-wall-street-speech-leaves-liberal-base-stunned.html Obama's $400G Wall Street speech leaves liberal base stunned]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved April 27, 2017.</ref> Despite the criticism over the speech, Obama gave another $400,000 speech shortly afterward.<ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/04/28/obama-reportedly-pulls-in-another-400g-for-speech.html Obama reportedly pulls in another $400G for speech]. ''Fox News''. April 28, 2017. Retrieved April 28, 2017.</ref> [[Bernie Sanders]] described Obama's speaking fees as "unfortunate."<ref>[https://www.theblaze.com/news/2017/04/28/unfortunate-bernie-sanders-criticizes-obama-for-accepting-400k-for-wall-street-speech/ ‘Unfortunate’: Bernie Sanders criticizes Obama for accepting $400K for Wall Street speech], [[The Blaze]]</ref> In May 2017, Obama traveled to Italy to give a speech on [[global warming|climate change]], but used pollution-heavy transportation to get to his destination.<ref>Zanotti, Emily (May 21, 2017). [https://heatst.com/politics/obama-speaks-on-global-warming-then-spews-co2-with-private-jet-13-car-motorcade/ Obama Speaks on Global Warming, Then Spews CO2 With Private Jet, 13-Car Motorcade]. ''Heat Street''. Retrieved May 22, 2017.</ref> On June 6, 2017, Obama gave a $400,000 speech to the Chamber of Commerce in [[Montreal]] in which one of the topics he spoke about was "warning against income inequality and the concentration of wealth."<ref>Starr, Penny (June 7, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/06/07/obama-warns-income-inequality-delivering-7700-minute-speech/ Obama Warns Against Income Inequality While Delivering $7,700-a-Minute Speech]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved June 7, 2017.</ref> After leaving office, Obama bought a house in D.C. for $8.1 million.<ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/05/31/obamas-purchase-d-c-house-for-8-1-million-new-report-says.html Obamas purchase D.C. house for $8.1 million, new report says]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved June 7, 2017.</ref><ref>Bennett, Kate (June 2, 2017). [https://www.cnn.com/2017/05/31/politics/obama-house-kalorama/index.html Obamas purchase their DC rental house for millions]. ''CNN''. Retrieved June 7, 2017.</ref> In August and September 2017, Obama made a combined $1.2 million from three Wall Street speeches.<ref>Shelbourne, Mallory (September 18, 2017). [https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/351138-obama-making-big-money-speeches-to-wall-street-firms-report Obama making big-money speeches to Wall Street firms: report]. ''The Hill''. Retrieved September 18, 2017.</ref><ref>Yilek, Caitlin (September 18, 2017). [https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/obama-making-400000-speeches-to-wall-street-firms-report/article/2634736 Obama making $400,000 speeches to Wall Street firms: Report]. ''Washington Examiner''. Retrieved September 18, 2017.</ref><ref>Kight, Stef W. (September 18, 2017). [https://www.axios.com/trump-wants-a-july-4th-military-parade-2486828811.html Obama to make $1.2 million from 3 Wall Street speeches]. ''Axios''. Retrieved September 18, 2017.</ref><ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/09/19/obama-cashes-in-on-wall-street-appearances-report-says.html Obama cashes in on Wall Street appearances, report says]. ''Fox News''. September 19, 2017. Retrieved September 19, 2017.</ref> In late 2019, the Obama family bought a mansion in Martha's Vineyard for $11.75 million.<ref>Multiple references:
*Calicchio, Dom (December 5, 2019). [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/obamas-pay-11-75m-for-marthas-vineyard-home-report Obamas pay $11.75M for Martha’s Vineyard home on nearly 30 acres: report]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
*Kurtz, Judy (December 6, 2019). [https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/in-the-know/473343-obamas-buy-home-in-marthas-vineyard Obamas buy home on Martha's Vineyard]. ''The Hill''. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
*Bleau, Hannah (December 6, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/12/06/obamas-officially-purchase-11-75-million-waterfront-mansion-in-marthas-vineyard/ Obamas Officially Purchase $11.75 Million Waterfront Mansion in Martha’s Vineyard]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved December 6, 2019.</ref> Despite Obama's opposition to Trump's plan to build a wall along the U.S.–[[Mexico]] border in order to secure it, it was reported in early 2017 that he was building a wall around his new mansion, obviously to keep unwanted people out.<ref>[https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/obama-building-a-wall-around-his-new-dc-house/article/2611130 Obama building a wall around his new DC house]. ''Washington Examiner''. January 6, 2017. Retrieved January 7, 2017.</ref>

Several of Obama's failures as U.S. president were revealed shortly after he left office, as it was found that [[Syria]] continued to possess chemical weapons after Obama stated they were gone, that the Obama administration misrepresented the release of some Iranian prisoners, and that the Obama Administration had unmasked [[Trump Transition]] officials (See: [[Barack Obama Controversies]] and [[Obamagate timeline]]).<ref>Shepherd, Todd (April 29, 2017). [https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/obamas-first-100-days-as-ex-president/article/2621662 Obama's first 100 days as ex-president]. ''Washington Examiner''. Retrieved May 1, 2017.</ref> It was reported in May 2017 that the Justice Department under Obama likely discriminated against veterans – in violation of federal law requiring the government to give preference to veterans in job hiring – by attempting to influence them to withdraw their applications.<ref>Dinan, Stephen (May 17, 2017). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/may/17/obama-doj-refused-hire-veterans-jobs-investigation/ Obama’s Justice Department refused to hire military veterans for jobs]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved May 19, 2017.</ref>

Many of the candidates that Obama campaigned for in the [[2018 midterm election]]s lost.<ref>Lowe, Tiana (November 7, 2018). [https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/obama-loses-again https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/obama-loses-again]. ''Washington Examiner''. Retrieved November 7, 2018.</ref>

While the state of [[Iowa]] once played a key role in Obama's election, by 2019, Democrat candidates almost never mentioned his name in the state.<ref>Simonson, Joseph (April 9, 2019). [https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/barack-who-iowa-propelled-obama-to-the-white-house-now-no-one-speaks-his-name Barack who? Iowa propelled Obama to the White House — now, no one speaks his name]. ''Washington Examiner''. Retrieved April 9, 2019.</ref> By 2019, Obama became disliked even by left-wing Democrats.<ref>Miller, S.A.; McLaughlin, Seth (August 3, 2019). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/aug/1/obama-presidential-legacy-attacked-joe-biden-2020-/ Why Democrats are tossing Obama under the bus]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved August 3, 2019.</ref>

===Obama Foundation===
Obama started his own foundation, the Obama Foundation, and set to work on building his presidential center and library.<ref>Berger, Judson (May 3, 2017). [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/05/03/clinton-obama-return-to-public-eye-with-new-ventures.html Clinton, Obama return to public eye with new ventures]. ''Fox News''. May 3, 2017. Retrieved May 3, 2017.</ref> Obama's 2018 budget request, which was over $1.1 million, made him the most expensive U.S. president in the country's history.<ref>Multiple references:
*Rodriguez, Katherine (September 2, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/09/02/obama-is-the-most-expensive-ex-president-for-american-taxpayers/ Obama Is the Most Expensive Ex-President for American Taxpayers]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
*Dinan, Stephen (August 31, 2017). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/aug/31/obama-will-top-bush-most-costly-ex-president/ Obama will top Bush as most costly ex-president]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
*Caralle, Katelyn (September 1, 2017). [https://freebeacon.com/politics/obama-most-costly-former-president-2018/ Obama Poised to Be Most Costly Former President in 2018]. ''The Washington Free Beacon''. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
*Bohon, Dave (September 2, 2016). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/politics/item/26826-obama-most-expensive-ex-president-ever Obama Most Expensive Ex-President Ever]. ''The New American''. Retrieved September 2, 2017.</ref> It was reported in June 2018 that construction work related to his presidential library would cost Illinois taxpayers nearly $200 million.<ref>Shaw, Adam (June 16, 2018). [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/06/16/work-related-to-obama-presidential-center-to-cost-illinois-taxpayers-nearly-200-million.html Work related to Obama Presidential Center to cost Illinois taxpayers nearly $200 million]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved June 16, 2018.</ref><ref>Rodriguez, Katherine (June 16, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/06/16/report-obama-presidential-center-cost-taxpayers-200-million/ Report: Obama Presidential Center to Cost Taxpayers Nearly $200 Million]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved June 16, 2018.</ref> Despite promising not to cut down any trees in Jackson Park, where the library was planned to be built, the Obama Center and Chicago Park District began removing trees anyway for work related to the library construction.<ref>Huston, Warner Todd (August 11, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/08/11/obama-center-breaks-promise-remove-trees-jackson-park/ Obama Center Breaks Pledge Not to Remove Trees in Jackson Park]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved August 11, 2018.</ref> Obama did a $50 million deal with the [[cultural Marxist]] [[child pornography]] vendor [[Netflix]] corporation.<ref>https://archive.is/AfHZz</ref>

In retirement Obama turned to pushing [[UFO]] tinfoil hat conspiracy theories<ref>https://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2021/06/08/from-tinfoil-hat-to-vindication-the-verification-of-a-conspiracy-theory/</ref> about little green men and life on other planets on behalf of the [[military-industrial complex]].<ref>https://consortiumnews.com/2021/06/04/media-using-ufo-report-to-stir-arms-race/</ref>

===Subversive activities===
:{{See also|2020 Marxist insurrection|Obama FISA abuse|}}
In an interview with Roland Martin in 2015, Rep. [[Maxine Waters]] said:
{{quotebox|'''Roland Martin:''' Come 2016 that’s it.

'''Maxine Waters:''' Well, you know, I don’t know. And I think some people are missing something here.
The president has put in place an organization that contains a kind of database<ref>https://theconservativetreehouse.com/?s=%22secret+project%22</ref> that no one has seen before in life. That’s going to be very very powerful, and whoever…(crosstalk)

'''Roland Martin (interrupts):''' In terms of [[Organizing for America]] that he’s now shifted to a 501(c)4.

'''Maxine Waters:''' That’s right. That’s right. And that database will have information about everything on every individual in ways that its never been done before and whoever runs on the [[Democratic party|Democratic]] ticket will have to deal with that…it’s very powerful what he’s leaving in place.<ref>https://theblacksphere.net/2020/06/obama-planned-for-the-riots/</ref>}}
''[[The New York Post]]'' reported in early 2017:<ref>https://nypost.com/2017/02/11/how-obama-is-scheming-to-sabotage-trumps-presidency/</ref>
{{quotebox|When former President Barack Obama said he was “heartened” by anti-Trump protests, he was sending a message of approval to his troops. Troops? Yes, Obama has an army of agitators — numbering more than 30,000 — who will fight his Republican successor at every turn of his historic presidency. And Obama will command them from a bunker less than two miles from the White House.
In what’s shaping up to be a highly unusual post-presidency, Obama isn’t just staying behind in Washington. He’s working behind the scenes to set up what will effectively be a shadow government to not only protect his threatened legacy, but to sabotage the incoming administration and its popular “America First” agenda.
He’s doing it through a network of leftist nonprofits led by Organizing for Action. Normally you’d expect an organization set up to support a politician and his agenda to close up shop after that candidate leaves office, but not Obama’s OFA. Rather, it’s gearing up for battle, with a growing war chest and more than 250 offices across the country.
Since Donald Trump’s election, this little-known but well-funded protesting arm has beefed up staff and ramped up recruitment of young liberal activists, declaring on its website, “We’re not backing down.” Determined to salvage Obama’s legacy, it’s drawing battle lines on immigration, ObamaCare, race relations and climate change.}}
While Obama worried that Trump was now president, he left enough swamp rats in DC to keep his operation running. Still, he was forced to have a more hands-on approach to OFA than intended. The article continues:
{{Quotebox|Obama is intimately involved in [[OFA]] operations and even tweets from the group’s account. In fact, he gave marching orders to OFA foot soldiers following Trump’s upset victory.
“It is fine for everybody to feel stressed, sad, discouraged,” he said in a conference call from the White House. “But get over it.” He demanded they “move forward to protect what we’ve accomplished.”
“Now is the time for some organizing,” he said. “So don’t mope.”
Far from sulking, OFA activists helped organize anti-Trump marches across US cities, some of which turned into riots. After Trump issued a temporary ban on immigration from seven terror-prone Muslim nations, the demonstrators jammed airports, chanting: “No ban, no wall, sanctuary for all!”
Run by old Obama aides and campaign workers, federal tax records show “nonpartisan” OFA marshals 32,525 volunteers nationwide. Registered as a 501(c)(4), it doesn’t have to disclose its donors, but they’ve been generous. OFA has raised more than $40 million in contributions and grants since evolving from Obama’s campaign organization Obama for America in 2013.
OFA, in IRS filings, says it trains young activists to develop “organizing skills.” Armed with Obama’s 2012 campaign database, OFA plans to get out the vote for Democratic candidates it’s grooming to win back Congress and erect a wall of resistance to Trump at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue.<ref>https://nypost.com/2017/01/30/obama-says-hes-heartened-by-backlash-to-trumps-ban/</ref>}}
Obama told aides that the nationwide riots following the death of [[George Floyd]] are “a tailor-made moment” to help his former vice president Joe Biden defeat Donald Trump.<ref>https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2020/06/obama_admits_it_riots_and_protests_are_tailormade_for_electing_joe_biden.html</ref>

In 2021, Obama again attacked the "guns, God, and gays" crowd by claiming parental concerns over school [[rape]]s, [[pornography]], and learning loss was "fake outrage".<ref>https://thefederalist.com/2021/10/26/obama-says-parent-concerns-about-school-rapes-porn-and-learning-loss-are-fake-outrage/</ref>

===Covid superspreader event===
In total disregard of local and state regulations, [[Center for Disease Control]] Guidelines, the lives, health, and safety of invited guests, neighbors, and townspeople, Obama held a megalomaniacal birthday party with 700 guests at his exclusive, walled, [[Cape Cod]] mansion in the summer of 2021.<ref>https://twitchy.com/gregp-3534/2021/08/01/obama-will-reportedly-host-a-potential-superspreader-event-for-hundreds-of-guests-on-marthas-vineyard-for-his-60th-birthday/</ref>

==Legacy==
[[File:Smollett Obama.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Obama with convicted felon [[Jussie Smollett]].]]
There is no scientific evidence that the oceans ceased to rise with the election and swearing-in of Barack Obama, as he famously claimed.<ref>https://www.investors.com/politics/commentary/another-obama-failure-he-wasnt-able-slow-the-rising-sea-levels/</ref>

In September 2016, a [[Parasite|parasitic]] worm, the [[Baracktrema obamai]], was named after Obama.<ref>Kaplan, Sarah (September 9, 2016). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2016/09/09/scientists-like-barack-obama-so-much-that-they-named-a-parasite-after-him/ Scientists like Barack Obama so much that they named a parasite after him]. ''The Washington Post''. Retrieved September 9, 2016.</ref> As of December 2016, at least 15 schools in the United States have been named after Obama. [[Illinois]], a very liberal state, enacted a law making August 4 "Barack Obama Day," and it almost made the day a paid holiday for its state workers despite its dire financial situation caused by leftist policies.<ref>Multiple references:
*Huston, Warner Todd (August 7, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/08/07/illinois-makes-obama-birthday-state-holiday/ Deep Blue Illinois Makes Obama’s Birthday a State Holiday]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
*Carter, Brandon (August 6, 2017). [https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/345523-illinois-makes-barack-obama-day-a-state-holiday Illinois makes 'Barack Obama Day' a state holiday]. ''The Hill''. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
*Siciliano, John (August 6, 2017). [https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/barack-obama-day-is-official-holiday-in-illinois/article/2630769 'Barack Obama Day' is official holiday in Illinois]. ''Washington Examiner''. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
*[https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/08/07/illinois-governor-signs-law-to-honor-barack-obamas-birthday.html Illinois governor signs law to honor Barack Obama's birthday]. ''Fox News'' (from the ''Associated Press''). Retrieved August 7, 2017.
See also:
*Gearty, Robert (August 4, 2018). [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/08/04/illinois-celebrates-first-official-barack-obama-day.html Illinois celebrates first official 'Barack Obama Day']. ''Fox News''. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
*Rodriguez, Katherine (August 4, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/08/04/illinois-residents-celebrate-first-annual-barack-obama-day/ Illinois Residents Celebrate First Annual ‘Barack Obama Day’]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved August 5, 2018.</ref> Obama's greatest legacy may be stoking anti-police [[hatred]] among a minority [[criminal]] element of black Democrat voters.

Conservatives strongly criticized Obama for his far-left and negative policies and the negative impact of those policies.<ref>Scaliger, Charles (February 23, 2017). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/politics/item/25433-barack-obama-s-legacy Barack Obama's Legacy]. ''The New American''. Retrieved June 20, 2018.</ref><ref>Adelmann, Bob (January 20, 2017). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/politics/item/25183-is-obama-worst-u-s-president Is Obama Worst U.S. President?] ''The New American''. Retrieved June 20, 2018.</ref><ref>Vargas, Mark (September 16, 2018). [https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/the-legacy-of-barack-obama-and-its-not-a-good-one The legacy of Barack Obama (and it's not a good one)]. ''Washington Examiner''. Retrieved September 16, 2018.</ref> [[Dinesh D'Souza]] wrote, "Obama's legacy is to double the national debt & dramatically reduce US influence in the world."<ref>https://twitter.com/dineshdsouza/status/760447860638789632</ref> During Obama's 8 years in office, Democrats lost over 1,000 seats in the federal and state governments.<ref name="1,000Seats"/> Obama abused his power by using [[surveillance]] tools granted under the [[Patriot Act]], intended to fight terrorism and [[Al Qaeda]], against domestic political opponents and the [[Republican party]]. Obama may best be remembered for his use of coercion, [[police state]] tactics and [[authoritarian]] tendencies.

Upon assuming office, President [[Donald Trump]] wiped out much of Obama's last-minute regulatory actions through [[Congressional Review]].<ref>Korte, Gregory (March 27, 2017). [https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/03/27/trump-signs-four-bills-roll-back-obama-era-regulations/99690456/ Trump signs four bills to roll back Obama-era regulations]. ''USA Today''. Retrieved March 28, 2017.</ref><ref>Pollak, Joel B. (April 15, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/04/15/trump-congressional-review-act-legislative-milestone/ Trump’s Use of the Congressional Review Act Is a Legislative Milestone]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved April 15, 2017.</ref> Trump also adopted a stronger foreign policy.<ref>Llorente, Elizabeth (April 14, 2017). [https://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/04/14/ex-obama-officials-say-hesitation-to-use-force-in-syria-elsewhere-emboldened-adversaries.html Ex-Obama officials say hesitation to use force in Syria, elsewhere, emboldened adversaries]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved April 14, 2017.</ref><ref>Collinson, Stephen (April 14, 2017). [https://www.cnn.com/2017/04/14/politics/donald-trump-military-afghanistan/index.html Trump carves out tough commander-in-chief posture]. ''CNN''. Retrieved April 14, 2017.</ref>

Many commentators have noticed similarities between Mr. Obama and Breaking Bad's [[Walter White]], including ''The New York Times'',<ref>https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/08/fashion/barack-obama-bryan-cranston-table-for-three.html?mcubz=0</ref> Politico,<ref>https://www.politico.com/blogs/click/2013/12/obama-is-hooked-on-breaking-bad-180326</ref> and USA Today.<ref>https://www.usatoday.com/story/theoval/2013/12/30/obama-television-shows-breaking-bad-house-of-cards-homeland/4247651/</ref>

Former Obama [[HUD Secretary]] [[Julian Castro]] and Joe Biden sparred over who was the heir to the Obama legacy in the Democratic pre-primary [[2020 presidential election]] debates. Obama withheld his support from his former vice president, [[Biden's age]] presumably being the main factor. Castro argued, "I'm fulfilling the legacy of Barack Obama, and you're not."<ref>https://thefederalist.com/2019/09/13/julian-castro-attacks-joe-biden-health-care-im-fulfilling-legacy-barack-obama-youre-not/</ref>

In an article entitled, ''If God doesn’t do something soon, he’s going to owe Sodom & Gomorrah an apology'', Tom Tillison wrote, "Oppose 9-year-old drag queens in post-Obama America and the [[liberal media]] is sure to tag you with a “[[homophobe]]” label."<ref>https://www.bizpacreview.com/2019/10/27/drag-kids-debuts-if-god-doesnt-do-something-soon-hes-going-to-owe-sodom-gomorrah-an-apology-844721</ref>

When millions of minorities defected from the [[Democrat plantation]] in the [[2020 presidential election]], Obama launched a racist attack against [[Hispanic]]s.<ref>https://thepoliticalinsider.com/barack-obama-blasts-hispanics-who-voted-for-trump-they-ignored-the-presidents-racism-because-they-oppose-gay-marriage/</ref>

He owns two dogs, named [[Bo (Dog)]] and Sunny.

===Scandals===
Obama denied the existence [[Barack Obama Controversies|of any scandals]] "that embarrassed us" during his presidency.<ref>Spiering, Charlie (February 27, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/02/27/obama-didnt-scandal-embarrassed-us-presidency/ Barack Obama: ‘We Didn’t Have a Scandal that Embarrassed Us’ in My Presidency]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved February 27, 2018.</ref> In May 2018, he repeated his claim that the Administration "didn't have scandals" and was less corrupt than other modern administrations.<ref>Manchester, Julia (May 24, 2018). [https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/389188-obama-jokingly-brags-i-didnt-have-scandals-during-my-presidency Obama jokingly brags: 'I didn't have scandals' during my presidency]. ''The Hill''. Retrieved May 24, 2018.</ref> He repeated these false claims in March 2019.<ref>Chaitin, Daniel (March 6, 2019). [https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/obama-brags-in-canada-my-team-never-experienced-scandal-made-mistakes-of-integrity Obama brags in Canada: My team never experienced scandal, made 'mistakes of integrity']. ''Washington Examiner''. Retrieved March 6, 2019.</ref> In July 2018, he gave a speech in [[South Africa]] calling for [[basic income]], saying he wanted to pay more taxes, and advocating for other left-wing ideas such as criticizing income inequality despite admitting he was very wealthy.<ref>Multiple references:
*Newman, Alex (July 24, 2018). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/africa/item/29624-in-south-africa-obama-outlines-globalist-agenda-for-humanity In South Africa, Obama Outlines Globalist Agenda for Humanity]. ''The New American''. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
*Singman, Brooke (July 17, 2018). [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/07/17/obama-slams-populist-right-wing-billionaires-touts-liberal-push-for-universal-income.html Obama slams populist 'right-wing billionaires,' touts liberal push for 'universal income']. ''Fox News''. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
*Caplan, Joshua (July 17, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/07/17/barack-obama-preaches-wealth-redistribution-in-south-africa/ Barack Obama Lectures World on Racial, Wealth Inequality in South Africa]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
*Boyer, Dave (July 17, 2018). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/jul/17/obama-surprised-his-wealth-wants-pay-more-taxes/ Obama says he's 'surprised' by his wealth, wants to pay more taxes]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
*Hoft, Jim (July 18, 2018). [https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2018/07/obama-ridicules-the-rich-theres-only-so-big-a-house-you-can-have-obamas-just-bought-8-1-million-house/ Obama Ridicules the Rich: “There’s Only So Big a House You Can Have” …After Obamas Just Bought $8.1 Million House]. ''Gateway Pundit''. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
See also:
*Pollak, Joel B. (July 17, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/07/17/barack-obama-government-individual-south-africa/ Barack Obama in South Africa: ‘Government Exists to Serve the Individual, and Not the Other Way Around’]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
*Lee, Tony (July 17, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/07/17/obama-concedes-new-international-elite-out-of-touch-for-exploiting-lower-cost-immigrant-labor/ Obama Concedes ‘New International Elite’ Out of Touch for Exploiting ‘Lower-Cost Immigrant Labor’]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved July 17, 2018.</ref> He also advanced his [[War on Sovereignty|anti-nation-state agenda]] in the speech,<ref>Munro, Neil (July 17, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/economics/2018/07/17/obama-abolish-the-nation-state/ Obama: Abolish the Nation-State!] ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved July 17, 2018.</ref> and he praised the country's racist strongman leaders.<ref>Newman, Alex (July 25, 2018). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/africa/item/29634-amid-racist-land-grabs-obama-praises-south-african-strongman Amid Racist Land Grabs, Obama Praises South African Strongman]. ''The New American''. Retrieved July 25, 2018. See also:
*Newman, Alex (July 29, 2018). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/africa/item/29658-obama-slams-trump-while-deifying-communist-terror-leader Obama Slams Trump While Deifying Communist Terror Leader]. ''The New American''. Retrieved July 30, 2018.</ref> On September 7, 2018, Obama made a speech in which he harshly criticized President Trump, breaking his promise not to publicly make such statements.<ref>Multiple references:
*Spiering, Charlie (September 7, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/09/07/bitter-barack-obama-breaks-months-of-silence-to-trash-donald-trump/ Bitter Barack Obama Breaks Months of Silence to Trash Donald Trump]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
*Schallhorn, Kaitlyn; Shaw, Adam (September 7, 2018). [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/09/07/obama-returns-to-campaign-trail-with-fiery-speech-trump-counters-fell-asleep.html Obama returns to campaign trail with fiery speech; Trump counters, 'I fell asleep']. ''Fox News''. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
*Duke, Selwyn (September 8, 2018). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/politics/item/30014-obama-s-back-slamming-trump-and-projecting-his-own-sins-onto-gop Obama’s Back, Slamming Trump and Projecting His Own Sins onto GOP]. ''The New American''. Retrieved September 9, 2018.</ref> He also tried to take credit for the strong economic growth under President Trump.<ref>Byas, Steve (September 13, 2018). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/economy/item/30062-obama-brazenly-tried-to-take-credit-for-better-economy-under-trump Obama Brazenly Tried to Take Credit for Better Economy Under Trump]. ''The New American''. Retrieved September 15, 2018.</ref> Obama made speeches criticizing [[nationalism]] and promoting [[globalism]].<ref>Caplan, Joshua (September 28, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/09/28/barack-obama-lectures-europeans-about-nationalism-in-denmark/ Barack Obama Lectures Europeans About Nationalism — in Denmark]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved September 28, 2018.</ref> On November 2, 2018, Obama called on Florida voters to vote Democrat because it would help [[Cuba]].<ref>Spiering, Charlie (November 3, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2018/11/03/cuba-first-barack-obama-says-florida-democrats-help-make-cuba-great-again/ Cuba First: Barack Obama Says Florida Democrats Will Help Make Cuba Great Again]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved November 3, 2018.</ref> In a speech in Berlin in April 2019, Obama referred to himself 392 times, a personal record and more than doubling his previous record.<ref>Gage, John (April 8, 2019). [https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/barack-obama-refers-to-himself-a-record-breaking-392-times-in-berlin-speech Barack Obama refers to himself a record-breaking 392 times in Berlin speech]. ''Washington Examiner''. Retrieved April 8, 2019.</ref>

==Quotes==
*''Never underestimate Joe Biden's ability to screw things up.''<ref>https://wabcradio.com/2021/08/16/report-former-pres-obama-allegedly-said-dont-underestimate-joes-ability-to-f-things-up-biden/</ref>

==Further reading==
*Margolis, Matt; Noonan, Mark (2018). [https://www.amazon.com/Worst-President-History-Legacy-Barack/dp/1682618137/ ''The Worst President in History: The Legacy of Barack Obama'']. New York: Bombardier Books. ISBN 978-1682618134.

==See also==
*[[Obamagate timeline 2009-2015]]
*[[Obamagate timeline|Obamagate timeline 2016 election year]]
*[[Russiagate timeline 2017]]
*[[Russiagate timeline|Russiagate timeline 2018]]
*[[Political positions of Barack Obama]]
*[[Barack Obama and uncharitableness]]
*[[Barack Obama and abortion]]
*[[Ukrainian crisis]]
*[[Essay:Born Outside the U.S.A.!]]
*[[Essay: The Special Interests Candidate]]
*[[Lobbyists ties to the Obama administration]]
*[[Obama doublespeak]]
*[[Obama inauguration]]
*[[Religion of Barack Hussein Obama]]
*[[Barack Obama's Muslim Heritage]]''
*[[The Honorable James David Manning]]
*[[Essay:The Obama Manifesto]]
*[[Obama syndrome]]
*[[Barack Obama's past dog meat eating and 2012 election campaign]]
*[[Barack Obama's "Last chance at dinner" fundraising letter]]
*[[Barack Obama is the antichrist speculation]]
*[[Essay: Does Barack Hussein Obama care if America defaults on credit?]]
*[[Essay:The lie that we are safer under Obama]]
*[[Essay: Foes Want Obama to Fail, A Republican Perspective]]
*[[Essay:Impeach Obama]]
*[[Benghazigate timeline]]
*[[Obama's second term agenda]]
*[[ObamaRail]]
*[[Obama sequester]]
*[[Obama (disambiguation)]]
*[[Essay: President's speech after the defeat of two tyrants]]
* [[Unconstitutional]] [[Executive amnesty]] via Obama [[Executive Order]]s
* [[Universal health care]] for [[Illegal immigration|illegal aliens]] via [[ObamaCare]]
*[[FusionGPS]]
*[[Deep state coup]]
*[[Crossfire Hurricane]]

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=35em}}

==External links==
*[http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=O000167 Profile] on the ''Biographical Directory of the United States Congress''
*[http://barackobamadoubletalk.com/ Barack Obama Doubletalk]
*[https://archive.is/73G5z Statement from Senator Obama on Russia's Decision to Recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia as Independent States, Chicago, IL | August 26, 2008]
*[https://hotair.com/archives/2013/07/03/national-journal-obama-facing-crisis-over-incompetence/ National Journal: Obama facing crisis over incompetence]
*[http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php?/site/article/6130/ The New Cult of Personality]
*[http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/2008/06/23/che-obama-and-the-revolutionary-agenda/ Che, Obama, and the Revolutionary Agenda]
*[https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jun/09/americas-first-muslim-president/ GAFFNEY: America's first Muslim president?] Washington Times
*[https://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-l-esposito/barack-obama-and-islam_b_212519.html Barack Obama and Islam.] by [[John L. Esposito]].
*[https://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=78931 Democrat: Obama's grandma confirms Kenyan birth.]
*[http://www.ontheissues.org/barack_obama.htm Barack Obama on the issues.]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xO8qZP_iU9I Obama - The Anti-Israel President]
{{USPresidents}}
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{{Deep State}}
{{communism}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Obama, Barack Hussein}}
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[[Category:Common Core Advocates]]
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[[Category:Totalitarianism]]
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[[Category:Anti-Christianity]]

Homosexual Agenda

2022-02-16T04:52:13Z

KyleMT: Clarification

{{Homosexuality}}
The '''Homosexual Agenda''' is a based set of beliefs and objectives designed to mandate approval of [[homosexuality]] and its ideology. The goals and means of this movement include indoctrinating students in [[public school]], restricting the free speech of opposition, obtaining [[special rights|special treatment]] for homosexuals, distorting [[Bible|Biblical]] teaching and science, and interfering with freedom of association. Advocates of the homosexual agenda seek special rights for [[homosexuals]] and self-described "LGBTQ people" that other people don't have, such as immunity from criticism (see [[hate speech]], [[hate crime]]s).<ref>Such special rights will necessarily [[zero-sum game|come at the expense]] of the rights of broader society.</ref> '''''The homosexual agenda is the biggest threat to the rights of [[free speech]] and [[religious freedom]] today.'''''<ref>Daniels, Fletch (September 10, 2019). [https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/the-lgbt-endgame-is-to-destroy-christianity The LGBT endgame is to destroy Christianity]. ''LifeSiteNews'' (from the ''American Thinker''). Retrieved September 10, 2019.</ref><ref>Duke, Selwyn (September 11, 2019). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/item/33387-lgbt-activists-hate-christianity-and-want-to-destroy-it LGBT Activists Hate Christianity — and Want to Destroy It]. ''The New American''. Retrieved September 11, 2019.</ref><ref>In 2020, more than 10% (90 out of 879) of the featured characters on scripted primetime television programs are openly [[LGBTQ]], an attempt by the pro-LGBTQ producers of those shows to deceitfully push the discredited claim that "10%" of the population is homosexual when, in fact, less than 2% of the population actually identify as such.</ref>

One of the top priorities of the Homosexual Agenda is to prohibit and outlaw [[conversion therapy]]. Activities like [[baseball]] and [[chess]] reduce homosexual proclivities, while other activities like figure skating for men and soccer for women seem to encourage homosexuality.
[[Leftists]] are pushing unconstitutional bans on conversion therapy, apparently unable to tolerate things they dislike. Their priorities include electing high-ranking officials who are openly homosexual, with the ultimate goal of electing a president who is in a [[same-sex marriage]], like the top [[Dem]] fundraising candidate [[Pete Buttigieg]] in 2020.

In a speech on December 10, 2013, to a pro-family rally in [[Jamaica]], a country that rejects same-sex "marriage", Brian Camenker of [[MassResistance]] outlined the step-by-step approach of the homosexual agenda:<ref>[http://www.massresistance.org/docs/gen2/13d/jamaica-speech-121013/index.html "MassResistance helps Jamaica confront ‘gay’ agenda"]. ''massresistance.org''. Retrieved on 2 May 2016.</ref>

*Legalize homosexuality
*Hold "gay pride" parades
*Accept child sex trafficking
*Demand non-discrimination laws
*Insist on homosexuals' adoption of children
*Push the homosexual agenda in schools<ref>{{cite web |title=Criticism of Transgender Agenda Will Get Virginia Students Expelled |author=Austin Ruse |date=10 Jun 2016 |url=https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/06/10/transgender-northern-virginia-students-can-now-expelled-criticizing-transgenderism/ |publisher=BREITBART |quote=The transgender change in school regulations was imposed last night during a dramatic board meeting where only 12 pro-trans witnesses were invited to testify. ... No opposing voices were allowed to be heard, parents were relegated to shouting opposition from the seats and some were ejected from the meeting.... Last year, they were promised a lengthy investigation and a full hearing. Instead, it was foisted upon them with less than 24 hours-notice. ... an Oregon law recently allowed a jury to award $60,000 t0 a transgender teacher because other teachers declined to use the teacher’s preferred pronoun, which is “they” rather than “him” or “her.” Deputies for President Barack Obama have backed similar rules for all K-12 schools, and New York City has established similar forced-speech rules.|accessdate=12 Jun 2016}}</ref>
*Legalize various alternate forms of partnership and call them "marriage" (i.e. man and man, woman and woman, man and multiple women)
*Demand public funding to deal with increased homosexual-related social problems
*Promote the [[gender confusion]] agenda
*Demand to be treated "equally"
*Impose a large-scale loss of free speech
*Ban counseling for kids confused by homosexual issues
*[[Drag queen]] story times to indoctrinate children
*Ban scientifically and religiously proven methods of homosexual conversion
*Attack churches
*Encourage [[abortion]]

[[Russia]] is a leader in rejecting the homosexual agenda.<ref>{{cite web |title=Is the Homosexual Agenda 'Unstoppable'? - Comparing America with Russia |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msLH6f6vyC4 |accessdate=29 May 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=RUSSIA VS. THE LGBT GLOBALISTS: A Climate of Hate and Fear |url=http://www.scottlively.net/2015/02/25/russia-vs-the-lgbt-globalists-a-climate-of-hate-and-fear-part-two/ |quote=This dangerous LGBT strategy has now gone global and the target is the Russian Federation. ... Core American values to Obama are publicly celebrated sodomy and doctor-assisted transsexual self-mutilation. ... The Russian anti-propaganda law, passed June 11, 2013, was the first truly effective international counter-measure since the “gay” agenda went global around the turn of the millennium. Typically, the “gays” characterized the law as hateful and an incitement to violence, but in doing so they revealed that propagandizing children is part of their agenda, since the law simply classifies “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relationships” as material that cannot be distributed among minors and commands the government to protect children from it. Just after the passage of this law Barack Obama did an about-face on the “reset” policy (in which Russia had been recognized as an equal partner in the world community) and instead began reviving cold-war rhetoric.|accessdate=29 May 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Pro-Russian Press Conference |date=22 February 2014 |url=http://www.scottlively.net/2014/02/22/pro-russian-press-conference/ |quote=We got lots of coverage from the event, and I believe we accomplished our objective which was to bring awareness to the world that the pro-family movement in the U.S., Canada, UK, and other “pro-gay” countries is happy to see the Russian Federation standing up for family values. We think this will encourage other nations to follow their example. |accessdate=29 May 2016}}</ref> For example, Russia banned adoption by Americans as the Obama Administration aggressively pushed the homosexual agenda, and in June 2013 a house in the [[Russian]] parliament passed legislation to ban foreign adoption by gay couples or single parents who live in any [[same-sex marriage|gay marriage]] nation.<ref>[https://www.latimes.com/news/world/worldnow/la-fg-wn-russia-ban-adoption-gay-couples-20130618,0,4633280.story "Russian lawmakers pass ban on adoption tied to gay foreign couples"]. ''Los Angeles Times''. Retrieved on 2 May 2016.</ref>

[[Barack Hussein Obama]], [[Hillary Clinton]], and essentially all [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] politicians now advocate the homosexual agenda, reflecting the growing financial power of the homosexual network. Obama's self-centered obsession with his own re-election, and fundraising for his campaign, has caused him to create a national political issue out of this, rather than deal with other issues like the economy. Many [[establishment]] Republicans and [[Cafeteria Christians]] also have bought into the homosexual agenda.

'''''Among all the [[liberal]] belief systems, the homosexual ideology is the most self-centered or selfish''''' – unlike the vast charity performed by thousands of churches in the U.S. alone, a homosexual charity can be considered an [[oxymoron]].

The late Supreme Court Justice [[Antonin Scalia]] referred to the "so-called homosexual agenda" in ''[[Lawrence v. Texas]]'', 539 U.S. 558 (2003) (dissenting opinion). Justice Scalia also predicted that this was the first step to legalizing homosexual civil unions. He was proven right with the outcome of ''[[Obergefell v. Hodges]]''. The goal of the latter decision was the societal affirmation of homosexuality rather than simple equality.<ref>Williams, Thomas D. (January 5, 2020). [https://www.breitbart.com/education/2020/01/05/usa-today-obergefell-was-never-about-freedom-to-marry/ USA Today: Obergefell Was Never About ‘Freedom to Marry’]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved January 5, 2020.</ref>

Despite the fact that only 4.1% of the U.S. population identified as [[LGBT]], just over half a percentage point higher than four years prior,<ref>Gates, Gary J. (January 11, 2017). [https://www.gallup.com/poll/201731/lgbt-identification-rises.aspx In US, More Adults Identifying as LGBT]. ''Gallup''. Retrieved January 18, 2017.</ref> Americans '''''greatly overestimate the proportion of homosexuals''''' in the nation to be an average of 23%.<ref name="GreatlyOver">Newport, Frank (May 21, 2015). [https://www.gallup.com/poll/183383/americans-greatly-overestimate-percent-gay-lesbian.aspx Americans Greatly Overestimate Percent Gay, Lesbian in U.S.] ''Gallup''. Retrieved January 18, 2017. See also:
*Mainwaring, Doug (June 28, 2019). [https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/americans-vastly-overestimate-the-size-of-the-lgbt-population Americans vastly overestimate the size of the LGBT population]. ''LifeSiteNews''. Retrieved June 28, 2019.</ref> Interestingly, Republicans and conservatives gave estimates closest to the actual number.<ref name="GreatlyOver"/>

== The Homosexual Agenda ==
Joseph P. Gudel, in ''That Which is Unnatural''<ref>[http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/cri/cri-jrnl/web/crj0108a.html "That Which is Unnatural" Homosexuality in Society, the Church, and Scripture] Part Two in a Two-Part Series on Homosexuality, from the Christian Research Journal, Winter 1993, page 8</ref> contended that the homosexual movement,

:has been militantly demanding not just the homosexuals' right to do whatever they wish to do behind closed doors, but, more importantly, that society fully accept their lifestyle as both healthy and normal, even demanding special rights and legislation as an "oppressed minority." Gudel quotes various sources evidencing this.

In a 1987 speech to the National Press Club in Washington, homosexual spokesperson Jeff Levi proclaimed,

:We are no longer seeking just a right to privacy and a protection from wrong. We also have a right — as heterosexual Americans already have — to see government and society affirm our lives.<ref>Jeff Levi, in William Dannemeyer, Shadow in the Land (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1989), 86.</ref>

In an article entitled "Gays on the March" in 1975, Time magazine quoted lesbian activist Barbara Gittings who stated:

:What the homosexual wants, and here he is neither willing to compromise nor morally required to compromise — is acceptance of homosexuality as a way of life fully on a par with heterosexuality." In response, Time opined, "It is one thing to remove legal discrimination against homosexuals. It is another to mandate approval....It is this goal of full acceptance, which no known society past or present has granted to homosexuals, that makes many Americans apprehensive.<ref>Gays on the March," Time, 8 Sept. 1975, 43</ref>

A primary goal of the homosexual agenda is to normalize the lifestyle in [[public schools]]. This occurred quickly and intensely after same-sex "marriage" was illegally imposed in Massachusetts, where homosexual relationships are taught to children as young as kindergartners, as recounted by the decision of ''[[Parker v. Hurley]]''.<ref>The ''Parker v. Hurley'' decision explained, "In January 2005, when Jacob Parker ("Jacob") was in kindergarten, he brought home a 'Diversity Book Bag.' This included a picture book, ''Who's in a Family?'', which depicted different families, including single-parent families, an extended family, interracial families, animal families, a family without children, and — to the concern of the Parkers — a family with two dads and a family with two moms. The book concludes by answering the question, 'Who's in a family?': 'The people who love you the most!' The book says nothing about marriage."</ref>

In a 1992 report by John Leo in U.S. News & World Report, he notes some books which were part of New York City's public school curriculum.

The first-grade book, ''Children of the Rainbow'', stated on page 145, which states that teachers must "be aware of varied family structures, including...gay or lesbian parents," and "children must be taught to acknowledge the positive aspects of each type of household." Another children book is Heather Has Two Mommies, which is about a lesbian couple having a child through artificial insemination. Another book, ''Gloria Goes to Gay Pride'', states, "Some women love women, some men love men, some women and men love each other. That's why we march in the parade, so everyone can have a choice."

Leo commented,

:A line is being crossed here; in fact, a brand new ethic is descending upon the city's public school system. The traditional civic virtue of tolerance (if gays want to live together, it's their own business) has been replaced with a new ethic requiring approval and endorsement (if gays want to live together, we must 'acknowledge the positive aspects' of their way of life).<ref>John Leo, "Heather Has a Message," U.S. News & World Report, 17 Aug. 1992, 16.</ref>

Dr. Judith A. Reisman in her extensive ''Crafting “Gay” Children'',<ref>http://www.defendthefamily.com/_docs/resources/6390601.pdf</ref> reports that Harvard homosexual Toby Morotta, PhD, stated that in the 1970s, members of the Gay Activists Alliance - who were trained in the “zapping" of any who rebuffed homosexuality.<ref>Toby Marotta: THE POLITICS OF HOMOSEXUALITY: HOW LESBIANS AND GAY MEN HAVE MADE THEMSELVES A POLITICAL AND SOCIAL FORCE IN MODERN AMERICA, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1981 at 319</ref> And that these formed the “Gay Academic Union,” (GAU) which was made up of faculty and students in major universities. She states that the GAU has long fought for domination of its worldview within the academic community, and professional journals commonly assigned GAU and other homosexual peer reviewers to research touching on homosexuality, generally resulting in a quick death to possible unfavorable findings.<ref>See extensive reports in regular NARTH Bulletins as well as Ray Johnson, “American Psychology: The Political Science, at 53-57.</ref>

This and the general agenda is seen to be overall implementing a marketing strategy explained in a book called ''After the Ball,'' by [[gay rights]] activists Marshall Kirk and Hunter Madsen in the late 1980s, in which a six-point plan was set forth as to how they could transform the beliefs of ordinary Americans with regard to homosexual behavior in a decade-long time frame:
:"The agenda of homosexual activists is basically to change America from what they perceive as looking down on homosexual behavior, to the affirmation of and societal acceptance of homosexual behavior." <ref name="Winn07252003">''After the Ball'' (1989), quoted from Winn, Pete (7-25-2003) [ ''Q&A: The Homosexual Agenda''] Citizenlink</ref> "Thus propagandistic advertising can depict all opponents of the gay movement as homophobic bigots who are 'not Christian' and the propaganda can further show them [[homosexuals]] as being criticized, hated and shunned..."<ref>After the Ball: How America Will Conquer Its Fear and Hatred of Gays in the 90's, by Marshall Kirk and Hunter Madsen (Author) (p. 152-153)</ref>

[[Focus on the Family]] provides additional quotes from ''After the Ball'', outlining key points of the homosexual agenda:<ref name="Winn07252003"/><ref>Kirk, Marshall K. and Erastes Pill (11-1987) ''The Overhauling of Straight America'' Available at [http://www.article8.org/docs/gay_strategies/overhauling.htm ''STRATEGIES OF THE HOMOSEXUAL MOVEMENT: "The Overhauling of Straight America"'']</ref>

#"Talk about gays and gayness as loudly and as often as possible." (They use late night air waves and special channels, as well as their right to peacefully assemble to do so.)
#"Portray gays as victims, not as aggressive challengers."
#"Give homosexual protectors a just cause."
#"Make gays look good."
#"Make the victimizers look bad."
#"Get funds from corporate America."

[[United States Supreme Court]] Justice [[Antonin Scalia]] wrote:
{{cquote|Today's opinion is the product of a Court, which is the product of a law-profession culture, that has largely signed on to the so-called homosexual agenda, by which I mean the agenda promoted by some homosexual activists directed at eliminating the moral opprobrium that has traditionally attached to homosexual conduct.<ref>[http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=000&invol=02-102#dissent1 ''LAWRENCE et al. v. TEXAS''] at findlaw.com</ref>}}

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vic_Eliason Vic Eliason] of [http://www.crosstalkamerica.com Crosstalk America] rightly points out that if all Americans turned homosexual it would only take a few generations for the United States to lose most of the population of the country through lack of procreation. This would make the US more vulnerable to attack by our enemies.

== Specific goals ==
The goals of the homosexual movement include:

#Ignoring Christian morals and discouraging religiously based laws.
#Attempting to convince the world that marriage should be defined secularly, instead of as one of the Lord's commandments.
#Ignore the clear message of the [[Bible]] that [[homosexuality]] is a sin and an abomination unto [[God]] because their First Amendment rights allow them to.
#Remind conservatives that there cannot be a "gay ([[homosexual attraction]]) gene", just like like there cannot be a "black gene" because complex things like these are caused by complex interactions between genes.
#Censoring evidence that the "gay gene" is a hoax. After all, it would have to be multiple genes interacting together.<ref>[http://www.massresistance.org/docs/gen/08a/born_gay_hoax/smith_0329/index.html ''Lesbian activists at Smith College riot, shut down Ryan Sorba speech on "The Born Gay Hoax" as police watch. See exclusive videos.''] Mass Resistance</ref>
#Censoring speech against homosexuality by branding it to be "hate-speech"<ref>[http://www.silencingchristians.com Video:Silencing Christians]</ref><ref>[http://mu-warrior.blogspot.com/2009/06/homosexuality-its-crime-in-england-to.html "Marquette Warrior"]. ''mu-warrior.blogspot.com''. Retrieved on 2 May 2016.</ref><ref>[http://www.ccfon.org/view.php?id=745 Bishops fight for right to criticize homosexual lifestyle, 25th May 2009]</ref>
#Censoring biblical statements condemning homosexuality<ref>White, Hilary (04-21-2006) [http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/apr/06042105.html ''Court Upholds School Ban on "Homosexuality is Shameful" T-Shirt''] LifeSiteNews.com</ref>
#Lobbying for equal employment rights.<ref>The Crimson Staff (10-13-2006) [http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=514950 ''A Box of Their Own?''] (opinion) The Crimson</ref><ref>http://www.afa.net, Homosexual Agenda Platforms from 1972 - 2000</ref>
#Expand hate crimes legislation to include sexual orientation, which would be equally wrong for heterosexuals to do.<ref>Pelosi, Nancy Office of (09-28-2004) [http://www.house.gov/pelosi/press/releases/Sept04/HateCrimes092804.html ''Pelosi: "Hate Crimes Prevention Legislation is Right Thing to Do, Long Overdue"''] From the office of Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi</ref>
#Ending the military's and Boy Scouts' restrictions on homosexuality<ref>''Boy Scouts of Am. v. Dale'', 530 U.S. 640 (2000) (Boy Scouts); "Matlovich v. Secretary of the Air Force (591 F.2d 852, DC Circ. 1 978) (military)</ref>
#Stopping children as young as 5 years old from attending therapy to repair their sexual preference<ref>[http://www.thetaskforce.org/reports_and_research/youth_in_the_crosshairs National Gay and Lesbian Task Force:Youth in the Crosshairs]</ref>
#Teach tolerance of homosexuals in schools.
#In places like Massachusetts and California, where the homosexual lobby is the strongest, it starts as early as preschool. They tell seven- or eight-year-old boys, "If you only like boys, there's a chance you may be homosexual," or "If you only like girls, maybe you are lesbian." Children at that age also do not have the hormones to experience sexual attraction, so they cannot understand this yet.
#Demands protections from job discrimination.<ref>[http://www.thetaskforce.org/issues/nondiscrimination/ENDA_main_page Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) | National Gay and Lesbian Task Force]</ref>
#Suing an online dating website for discrimination. This was because sexual orientation is a federally protected group, as such, this company was claimed to be "breaking" the law.<ref>Joshua Rhett Miller. [https://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,454904,00.html "eHarmony to Provide Gay Dating Service After Lawsuit"]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved on 2 May 2016.</ref>
#Undermining the [[Essay:Quantifying Mental Strength|resolve]] of [[Homosexuality and choice#Choice and Genetics|latent homosexuals]] so that their will becomes too weak to resist the temptations of homosexuality<ref>http://www.thetaskforce.org/activist_center/resources_and_tools/challenge_exgay</ref>
#Pushing for legalized adoption by homosexual individuals and couples<ref>http://www.thetaskforce.org/issues/parenting_and_family</ref>
#Indoctrination of public school children to support the homosexual agenda
#Allowing boys into girls' restrooms and vice versa, without restriction.
#Forced feminization
#Defunding public transit systems

The state-by-state push for same-sex "marriage" can be viewed as a means to the above goals, or a goal in itself.<ref>[[Lewis v. Harris]]</ref> An example of this would be the recent New Hampshire law that makes same-sex civil unions "legal".<ref>[http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/06/01/new_hampshire_law_makes_same_sex_civil_unions_legal/ "New Hampshire law makes same-sex civil unions legal"]. ''boston.com''. Retrieved on 2 May 2016.</ref>

Although notable gains toward achieving its goals continue to manifest, homosexual activists later began been expressing a high level of dissatisfaction with the [[Obama regime]]. Commenting on such, Massresistance.org, an organization which opposes the homosexual agenda in [[Massachusetts]], noted that Obama had,

*signed an order extending federal benefits to same-sex partners.
*pushed an extreme hate crimes bill in Congress.
*declared his intention to repeal the Defense of Marriage.
*pushed a pro-homosexual and transgender version of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.
*appointed homosexual activists to high level positions, including Harry Knox, of the homosexual lobby group Human Rights Campaign, and Kevin Jennings, founder of the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN), which educates kids in the public schools.
*declared February to be "Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month."
*demanded the State Department allow homosexual couples to use their married names (from marriages or civil unions) on US passports.<ref>update@massresistance.org 6/24/2009 11:56 PM</ref>

In Europe, countries such as the [[United Kingdom]] and [[France]] have adopted policies promoting gender confusion.<ref>Friedman, Victoria (February 15, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2019/02/15/france-mother-father-parent-uk-govt-lawyer-mother-not-gender-specific/ Men Can Be Mothers in UK, While French Schools Erase Terms ‘Father,’ ‘Mother’]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved February 15, 2019.</ref>

=== Strategies and psychological tactics ===
Homosexual activists are often seen as engaging in [[homosexual logic|specious argumentation]], such as attempts to controvert the consistent teaching of the Bible on homosexual relations (see [[homosexuality and biblical interpretation]]), and using false analogies, in order to gain acceptance of homosexuality. One common argument used by homosexual activists seeks to compare their quest for equal rights to that of others.<ref>Miner, Homosexuality, Civil Rights, and the Church</ref> This argument is countered by the observation that blacks were able to peacefully argue that mankind should not be "judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character",<ref>[http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm, Speech by Martin Luther King Jr.]</ref> as the former yields no certain moral distinction. In contrast, homosexual activists seek acceptance of an immoral practice(s), and in addition, engage in certain coercive and manipulative means to do so. This includes the use of demonstrative protests, which appear to be designed to censure and intimidate those who oppose them in any way.<ref>http://www.leaderu.com/socialsciences/sellinghomosexuality.html</ref><ref>[http://www.massresistance.org/docs/issues/gay_strategies/after_the_ball.html "The homosexual propaganda campaign in America's media"]. ''massresistance.org''. Retrieved on 2 May 2016.</ref><ref>[https://www.amazon.com/After-Ball-America-Conquer-Hatred/dp/0452264987 "After the Ball: How America Will Conquer Its Fear and Hatred of Gays in the 90's (Plume): Marshall Kirk, Hunter Madsen: 9780452264984: Amazon.com: Books"]. ''amazon.com''. Retrieved on 2 May 2016.</ref><ref>[https://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=89526 "‘Gays’ put ‘terrorist’ label on Christians"]. ''WND''. Retrieved on 2 May 2016.</ref><ref>[http://www.massresistance.org/docs/gen/08c/Prop8/church_attacks.html "Homosexuals begin campaign of terror over Prop 8 loss"]. ''massresistance.org''. Retrieved on 2 May 2016.</ref><ref>http://rebuildtheparty.ning.com/video/exodus-protest-park-street</ref><ref>http://theway2k.vox.com/library/post/homosexuals-persecuting-christians-and-mormons.html</ref><ref>http://www.hamiltonsquare.net/articlesRiotsSep1993.htm</ref><ref>[https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/may/08050205.html "Lesbian Break-in and Riot During College Speech on “Born-Gay Hoax” Forces Cancellation"]. ''LifeSiteNews''. Retrieved on 2 May 2016.</ref><ref>[https://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=95296 "‘How hate crimes laws forced me into exile’"]. ''WND''. Retrieved on 2 May 2016.</ref><ref>Muehlenberg, Bill, [http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/2009/06/04/another-nail-in-the-christian-coffin/ Another Nail in the Christian Coffin], [[4 June]] [[2009]]</ref><ref>[http://www.massresistance.org/docs/gen/09a/feder_0311/index.html "Gay activists stop free speech at UMass Amherst"]. ''massresistance.org''. Retrieved on 2 May 2016.</ref> In addition, one pro-homosexual commentator recently took the homosexual community to task for being racist in their practice of homosexuality.<ref>LZ Granderson, ''Commentary: Gay is not the new black'', Cable News Network,July 16, 2009</ref> Another strategy used by supporters of the homosexual agenda is to publicly deny that such an agenda exists.<ref>[http://onug.us/content/christians-america-and-gay-agenda "Christians, America, And The Gay Agenda"]. ''onug.us''. Retrieved on 2 May 2016.</ref>

While not all homosexuals agree with the use of deceptive psychological tactics, leading homosexual activists willfully employ them. The aforementioned book, [https://archive.org/details/AfterTheBallHowAmericaWillConquerItsFearHatredOfGaysInThe90s ''After The Ball How America Will Conquer Its Fear & Hatred Of Gays In The 90s''], is widely regarded as the handbook for the homosexual agenda, in which two homosexual Harvard-trained graduates, <ref>[http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,152180,00.html "Is The Gay Revolution a Flop?"]. ''time.com''. 24 June 2001. Retrieved on 2 May 2016.</ref> Marshall Kirk (1957–2005), a researcher in neuropsychiatry, and Hunter Madsen (pen name ''Erastes Pill''), who was schooled in social marketing, advocated avoiding portraying homosexuals as aggressive challengers, but as "victims" instead, while making all those who opposed them to be "evil persecutors". As a means of the latter, they used ''jamming,'' in which Christians, traditionalists, or anyone else who opposes the gay agenda are publicly smeared. Their strategy was based on the premise that, "In any campaign to win over the public, Gays must be portrayed as victims in need of protection so that straights will be inclined by reflex to adopt the role of protector. The purpose of victim imagery is to make straight people feel very uncomfortable."<ref>[http://www.parentsofgaychildren.org/uploads/After_the_Ball_-_outline_by_Richard_Cohen.pdf After the Ball: How America Will Conquer It’s Fear and Hatred of Gays in the 90’s Outline compiled by Richard Cohen, MA]</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Kirk|first1=Marshall|last2=Madsen|first2=Hunter|title=After the ball : how America will conquer its fear and hatred of gays in the 90s|date=1989|publisher=Plume|location=New York|isbn=978-0452264984|page=183|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oDwEAQAAIAAJ&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=+victims+in+need++of+protection|accessdate=2 February 2018}}</ref> Leftists also label Christians who support biblical marriage as "anti-gay," equating them with non-western Muslims who support stoning homosexuals.<ref>Mainwaring, Doug (April 3, 2019). [https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/jack-phillips-is-not-the-sultan-of-brunei-the-indiscriminate-weaponization-of-the-term-anti-gay Jack Phillips is not the Sultan of Brunei: The indiscriminate weaponization of the term ‘anti-gay’]. ''LifeSiteNews''. Retrieved April 4, 2019.</ref>

"Jamming" [[homo-hatred]] (disagreement with [[homosexual behavior]]s) was to be done by linking it to [[Nazi]] horror, advised Kirk and Madsen. Associate all who oppose homosexuality with images of Klansmen demanding that gays be slaughtered, hysterical backwoods preachers, menacing punks, and a tour of Nazi concentration camps where homosexuals were tortured and gassed. Thus, "propagandistic advertisement can depict homophobic and homohating bigots as crude loudmouths..."<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110603050349/http://www.renewamerica.com:80/columns/mbarber/080213 "Unmasking the "gay" agenda"]. ''renewamerica.com''. Retrieved on 2 Feb. 2018.</ref> " It can show them being criticized, hated, shunned. It can depict gays experiencing horrific suffering as the direct result of homohatred-suffering of which even most bigots would be ashamed to be the cause. It can, in short, link homohating bigotry with all sorts of attributes the bigot would be ashamed to possess, and with social consequences he would find unpleasant and scary... our effect is achieved without reference to facts, logic, or proof."<ref> http://www.massresistance.org/docs/issues/gay_strategies/after_the_ball.html The homosexual propaganda campaign in America's media, </ref>

Dr. R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, writes,
<blockquote>
There can be no doubt that Christianity represents the greatest obstacle to the normalization of homosexual behavior. It cannot be otherwise, because of the clear biblical teachings concerning the inherent sinfulness of homosexuality in all forms, and the normativity of heterosexual marriage. In order to counter this obstacle, Kirk and Madsen advised gays to "use talk to muddy the moral waters, that is, to undercut the rationalizations that 'justify' religious bigotry and to jam some of its psychic rewards." How can this be done? "This entails publicizing support by moderate churches and raising serious theological objections to conservative biblical teachings." [The latter of which attempts [[homosexuality and biblical interpretation]] examine and expose.]<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927163416/http://www.gender-news.com/other.php?id=19 ''After the Ball--Why the Homosexual Movement Has Won,''] Thursday, June 3rd, 2004</ref>
</blockquote>

Kirk and Madsen's open admission of their deceptive tactics is noted as most revealing: [O]ur effect is achieved without reference to facts, logic, or proof. "...the person's beliefs can be altered whether he is conscious of the attack or not"<ref>After the Ball: How America Will Conquer Its Fear and Hatred of Gays in the 90s, p. 152-153 (1989, Doubleday/Bantam)</ref> “The campaign we outline in this book, though complex, depends centrally upon a program of unabashed propaganda, firmly grounded in long-established principles of psychology and advertising.”<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=oDwEAQAAIAAJ&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=unabashed+propaganda%2C+firmly+grounded Kirk and Madsen, After the Ball: How America Will Conquer Its Fear and Hatred of the Gay’s in the 90s, p.xxvi]</ref><ref>[http://banap.net/ "[Behavior, and Not a Person]"]. ''banap.net''. Retrieved on 2 May 2016.</ref>

Similarly, author Robert Bauman additionally records: "It makes no difference that the ads are lies... because were using them to ethically good effect, to counter negative stereotypes that are every bit as much lies, and far more wicked ones."<ref>The Gentleman from Maryland: The Conscience of a gay Conservative, by Robert Bauman, 1986, page 163.</ref>

The need for Kirk and Madsen to engage in such manipulation may be seen as being due to their sober realization of the deleterious nature of the homosexual lifestyle. This includes sodomy being responsible for 81% of new HIV cases aged 13 and older among men - despite only representing approximately 4% of the male population - and 92% of new HIV among youth (2020), and (historically) a greatly increased incidence of other infectious diseases and premature death, and despite decades of attempting to subdue homoerotic practices into being "safe." <ref>[https://peacebyjesuscom.blogspot.com/2019/10/negative-effects-of-homosexual.html Negative effects of homosexual relations (and heterosexual fornication)] Retrieved on November 24, 2021</ref>

“In short, the gay lifestyle - if such a chaos can, after all, legitimately be called a lifestyle - it just doesn’t work: it doesn’t serve the two functions for which all social framework evolve: to constrain people’s natural impulses to behave badly and to meet their natural needs. While it’s impossible to provide an exhaustive analytic list of all the root causes and aggravants of this failure, we can asseverate at least some of the major causes. Many have been dissected, above, as elements of the Ten Misbehaviors; it only remains to discuss the failure of the gay community to provide a viable alternative to the heterosexual family.”<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=oDwEAQAAIAAJ&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=exhaustive+analytic+list Kirk and Madsen, After the Ball: How America Will Conquer Its Fear and Hatred of the Gay’s in the 90s, p.363 ]</ref>

David Kupelian, author of ''[[The Marketing of Evil]],'' describes Marshall Kirk and Hunter Madsen, stating,
<blockquote>
Kirk and Madsen were not the kind of drooling activists that would burst into churches and throw condoms in the air. They were smart guys – very smart. Kirk, a Harvard-educated researcher in neuropsychiatry, worked with the Johns Hopkins Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth and designed aptitude tests for adults with 200+ IQs. Madsen, with a doctorate in politics from Harvard, was an expert on public persuasion tactics and social marketing.<ref>[http://pearl-diving.blogspot.com/2009/01/sold-on-homosexuality-marketing-of-evil.html "Sold on Homosexuality – The Marketing of Evil"]. ''pearl-diving.blogspot.com''. Retrieved on 2 May 2016.</ref>
</blockquote>

Marshall Kirk died in 2005 at the young age of 47.<ref>http://www.americanancestors.org/PageDetail.aspx?recordId=134544248</ref> The cause of death has not been publicly revealed.

Often cited as an early example of such tactics was the role of homosexual activists in persuading the American Psychiatric Association (APA) to remove homosexuality as a mental disorder from its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Of Mental Disorders (DSM-II). Dr. Ronald Bayer, though being himself a pro-homosexual psychiatrist, described this removal as being the result of power politics, threats, and intimidation, rather than any new scientific discoveries.<ref>[http://www.traditionalvalues.org/urban/eleven.php Exposed: The Myth That Psychiatry Has Proven That Homosexual Behavior Is Normal]</ref> In so doing, like slavery before it, the homosexual agenda is seen to threaten basic freedoms, principally the First Amendment.<ref>Adams, Guy (11-8-2008) [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/mormon-stars-face-backlash-after-gay-marriage-ban-1003967.html ''Mormon stars face backlash after gay marriage ban''] The Independent</ref>

The charge of "[[homophobia]]" has been increasingly evidenced as being part of a means of intimidation used in pushing the Homosexual Agenda. Due to what homophobia has been made to denote, that of being a repressed homosexual, or possessing an irrational fear of being approached by homosexuals, or of being a "bigot" "persecuting" victims, the widespread use of the term "homophobic" attaches a powerful stigma to anyone who may even conscientiously oppose the practice of homosexuality, thus silencing many who might otherwise object to it.<ref>[http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/narth/1995papers/socarides.html Thought Reform And The Psychology of Homosexual Advocacy, Charles W. Socarides, M.D.]</ref>

In relation to such oppression, psychologist Nicholas Cummings, former president of the American Psychological Association (APA), observed, "Homophobia as intimidation is one of the most pervasive techniques used to silence anyone who would disagree with the gay activist agenda." As an example of such fear within the APA, in addressing 100 fellow professionals Cummings related that while writing "Destructive Trends in Mental Health," with psychologist Rogers Wright, a number of fellow psychologists were invited to participate. However, these flatly turned them down, as they feared loss of tenure, loss of promotion, and other forms of professional retaliation. "We were bombarded by horror stories," Dr. Cummings said. "Their greatest fear was of the gay lobby, which is very strong in the APA.<ref>[Psychology Losing Scientific Credibility, Say APA Insiders http://www.narth.com/docs/insiders.html]</ref>

Noted homosexual activist and pornographer Clinton Fein, in his article, ''The Gay Agenda stated'': "Homophobic inclinations alone, even without any actions, should be criminal and punishable to the full extent of the law."

Erik Holland, author of ''The Nature of Homosexuality'', perceives that homosexuals have become so reckless in labeling others "homophobic" that "anyone who questions their labeling someone [is] a homophobe himself. Even quoting factual statistics about the connection between homosexuality and AIDS is allegedly homophobic." In addition, according to pro-homosexual author Vernon A. Wall, "even acceptance of homosexuality can be seen as a form of homophobia, because to talk about the acceptance of homosexuality is to imply that there is something about homosexuality that needs acceptance."<ref>[http://www.homosexinfo.org/Homophobia/HomePage "Homosexinfo - Homophobia - Homophobia: Fear of homosexuals?"]. ''homosexinfo.org''. Retrieved on 2 May 2016.</ref>

It may be speculated that if the liberal use of the term "homophobia" is not primarily a psychological tactic, then it indicates a psychological condition on the part of those who use the term in which they [[wishful thinking|wishfully]] or neurotically imagine that all those who oppose them are "fearful" of them, or of being one.

More recently, after 25 years of claiming she was not indoctrinating anyone with pro-homosexual beliefs, one activist honestly admitted to this being a lie. Canadian lesbian activist S. Bear Bergman, a female who identifies as a gender-confused "male", stated, "All that time I said I wasn't indoctrinating anyone with my beliefs about gay and lesbian and bi and trans and queer people? That was a lie.” Bergman recounted that she was instructed as a young gay activist to tell concerned parents that she was “just providing an alternate viewpoint” when accused of engaging in “indoctrination and recruiting,” and to use “soft” language when speaking about homosexuality. In her article on the notoriously liberal web site, the [[Huffington Post]], he went on to candidly confess that this indoctrination, "is absolutely my goal. I want to make your children like people like me and my family, even if that goes against the way you have interpreted the teachings of your religion." Bergman fantasized that in an ideal world he would have been "ushered into the world of queerness with care and tenderness by experienced homos" (akin to "camp counselors"), "and issued my leather jacket and my protest pins, my safer sex supplies..."

Bergman expressed that his goal was that of portraying to "impressionable young minds" the idea that "queers and transfolk are just as fine and lovely a kind of human as any other kind," and stated that he did not like the idea of sending her kid to schools where any kid could share with him their ideas about homosexuals. Thus Bergman, who believes that "books a kid hears at bedtime affect their sleep and also their dreams," is finalizing a series of children's books that all feature lesbian, homosexual, bisexual, gender-confused, or queer kids or families, with the goal that the young readers come to believe that people like him and his family are "absolutely great," that "lesbian, gay, bi, queer, and trans people -- that we exist, that we're perfectly fine and often really excellent." Bergman then concludes, "If that makes me an indoctrinator, I accept it. Let me be honest -- I am not even a little bit sorry."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/s-bear-bergman/i-have-come-to-indoctrinate-your-children-lgtbq_b_6795152.html|title=I have come to indoctrinate your children into my LGBTQ agenda (and I'm not a bit sorry)|last1=Bergman|first1=S. Bear|website=Huffington Post|accessdate=22 March 2015}}</ref>

Commenting on this frank article, Pete Baklinski of LifeSiteNews.com, states that, <blockquote>While Bergman paints a “friendly and cheerful” picture of the gay lifestyle, she fails to mention the serious health risks tied to homosexual behaviors....Research done in 2002 by Dr. John R. Diggs found that same-sex sexual behaviors expose gays, lesbians and bisexuals to “extreme risks of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), physical injuries, mental disorders and even a shortened life span.” Common sexual practices among gay men were found to lead to “numerous STDs and physical injuries, some of which are virtually unknown in the heterosexual population.” Gay and bisexual men were found to “lose up to 20 years of life expectancy.” The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have warned on numerous occasions that HIV rates, already at epidemic proportions, are continuing to climb steadily among men who have ‘sex’ with men. The CDC has stated that gay and bisexual men continue to remain at the epicenter of what they call a “HIV/AIDS epidemic.”</blockquote>

To which Baklinski adds the spiritual consequences, citing one of the texts in the Bible which condemn homosexual relations:
{{Cquote|“For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. Their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural, and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in their own persons the due penalty for their error” (Letter to Romans 1:26).<ref>{{cite web|last1=Baklinski|first1=Pete|title=Gay activist: Of course our goal is to ‘indoctrinate children into LGBTQ agenda’|url=https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/gay-activist-our-goal-is-to-indoctrinate-children-into-lgbtq-agenda|website=LifeSiteNews.com|accessdate=22 March 2015}}</ref> }}

For Christians believe God created man and women uniquely compatible and complimentary, and they alone are joined by God in marriage, with opposite genders being specified by both Genesis and personally by Jesus Christ. (Gn. 2:18-24; Mt. 19:4) The Bible only condemns homosexual relations - by design and decree, in principle and by precept - and never sanctions them wherever they are manifestly dealt with, and the injunctions against them are part of the transcendent and immutable moral law. (Lv. 18:22; Rm. 1:26,27)

However, Christians also understand that some of the first Christians were likely former homosexuals, (1Cor. 6:9-11) and believe that there is room at the cross for all who want the Lord Jesus over sin, and believe upon Him to save them who died for them, and rose again, and who thus are baptized and follow Him, to the glory of God.<ref>[http://peacebyjesus.witnesstoday.org/Homosex_versus_the_Bible.html HOMOSEXUAL RELATIONS and the BIBLE]</ref>

===Influence in the academic world===
Professor Jerry Z. Muller described in an article titled ''First Things'' (Aug/Sept. 1993) how the homosexual lobby has gained widespread acceptance in the educational realm.
{{cquote|[Their] strategy has been remarkably successful. With a rapidity largely attributable in large part to a total lack of articulate resistance, homosexual ideology has gained an unquestioned and uncontested legitimacy in American academic life. Within the academy, as within nonacademic elite culture, the definition of opposite to homosexuality as "homophobia - a definition which implies that it is impossible to give good reasons for the cultural disapproval of homosexuality - is the best evidence of the success of this strategy.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=cbfVg_1qhe0C&pg=PP1&lpg=PP1&dq=David+W.+Virtue+scots+college&source=bl&ots=aDW7a615Gn&sig=Y1cLsx5sCQTgUUDJ88b5AKPRkNg&hl=en&ei=8skISpP1AcGktgfi2PzsCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1#PPR14,M1 "Homosexuality"]. ''google.com''. Retrieved on 2 May 2016.</ref>}}

====In the public schools====
{{See also|Homosexuality in Schools}}
[[File:Prairie Ridge High School LGBT+ Flag.jpg|thumb|200px|School in Chicago area (Prairie Ridge High School) with LGBT+ [[Rainbow#Rainbow flag|rainbow flag]]. Students in the same school who display the [[Confederate flag]] will face discipline.<ref name="NWHerald2017"/>]]
[[File:Prairie Ridge High School LGBT.jpg|thumb|200px|This Chicago-area school has "safe spaces" for students with homosexual attraction (sponsored by [[GLSEN]]).]]
Many public schools throughout the United States welcome the Homosexual Agenda, oftentimes through publicly-funded school programs created by [[GLSEN]].<ref name="Heyer2015">Heyer, Walt (June 8, 2015). [http://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2015/06/15118/ Public School LGBT Programs Don't Just Trample Parental Rights. They Also Put Kids at Risk]. ''The Witherspoon Institute -- Public Discourse''. Retrieved March 24, 2017.</ref> Much of this was the work of the [[Obama Administration]].<ref name="Heyer2015"/> GLSEN celebrates the Homosexual Agenda through a "day of silence."<ref>Berry, Susan (April 11, 2015). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/04/11/day-of-silence-how-the-lgbt-agenda-is-hijacking-americas-youth/ Day of Silence: How the LGBT Agenda Is Hijacking America’s Youth]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved March 24, 2017.</ref> In 2016, [[California]] became the first state to legislate the teaching of the homosexual agenda in public schools to children as young as second grade.<ref>Berry, Susan (July 19, 2016). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/07/19/lgbt-history-california-first-to-teach/ California: 1st State To Teach LGBT Curriculum — to Second Graders]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved March 24, 2017.</ref> These California students are now banned from opting-out from this [[indoctrination]].<ref>Newman, Alex (January 4, 2018). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/education/item/27883-students-banned-from-opting-out-of-lgbt-education Students Banned From Opting Out of LGBT Education]. ''The New American''. Retrieved January 5, 2018.</ref> In February 2019, the Department of Education in the [[United Kingdom]] announced that public school children starting at the age of five would be required to learn about homosexual and transgender relationships, with parents being unable to withdraw their children from such classes.<ref>Tennant, Michael (February 27, 2019). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/education/item/31593-u-k-schools-to-indoctrinate-kids-as-young-as-five-in-lgbt-agenda U.K. Schools to Indoctrinate Kids as Young as Five in LGBT Agenda]. ''The New American''. Retrieved February 27, 2019. See also:
*McLean, Dorothy Cummings (March 25, 2019). [https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/christian-mom-sues-uk-primary-school-for-forcing-lgbt-pride-celebrations-on-kids Christian mom sues UK primary school for forcing LGBT Pride celebrations on kids]. ''LifeSiteNews''. Retrieved March 25, 2019.</ref>

At a recent sold-out California Teachers Association (CTA) conference in Palm Springs, Calif (October 2021), a leaked audio recording reveals two teachers mocking parents over their concerns about homosexual and transgender indoctrination at school, says a source who attended the event. “It was horrifying to listen to not just one teacher but really all of the teachers in all of these seminars, excoriating parents,” and that “The overarching theme of the classes that I attended were California teachers instructing other teachers on how to sneak in the LGBTQ+ curriculum in a manner that does not alert parents,” said the source, who also related how some teachers at the conference also suggested that parents who refuse to call their child by pronouns of the child’s choosing should be arrested and charged with child abuse. In the audio clip, one teacher advised other teachers who lead LGBTQ clubs to maintain an air of plausible deniability so they can play dumb if they are questioned by parents. “Because we are not official, we have no club rosters. We keep no records,” said the teacher, who is also an LGBTQ club leader. “In fact, sometimes we don’t really want to keep records because if parents get upset that their kids are coming? We’re like, ‘Yeah, I don’t know. Maybe they came?’. Another teacher suggesteed activist teachers disguise the nature of GSA clubs with an example being calling her LGBTQ club the “You Be You” club." Teachers also boasted about spying on students’ online searches and activity inn attempting to recruit sixth-grade students into these LGBTQ clubs whose membership rolls are kept from the eyes of parents. One of the teachers said, “We totally stalked what they were doing on Google.” As of 11/23/2021 the “UBU (You Be You)” club was suspended after information about the leaked audio was made public. <ref>Jones, Brad (November 23, 2021). https://www.theepochtimes.com/leaked-audio-reveals-how-california-teachers-recruit-kids-into-lgbtq-clubs_4114896.html Leaked Audio Reveals How California Teachers Recruit Kids Into LGBTQ Clubs]. ''The Epoch Times''. Retrieved November 23, 2021.</ref>

In schools where the homosexual agenda is welcomed, students who fly the [[Confederate flag]] may expect to face disciplinary actions.<ref name="NWHerald2017">Prokop, Hannah (November 11, 2016). [http://www.nwherald.com/2016/11/09/prairie-ridge-high-school-suspends-student-for-wearing-confederate-flag-to-school/aelbmro/ Prairie Ridge High School suspends student for wearing Confederate flag to school]. ''Northwest Herald''. Retrieved March 24, 2017.</ref><ref>[https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/apr/20/confederate-flags-not-rainbow-ones-banned-in-schoo/ Wyoming school district bans Confederate flags, allows gay-pride ones]. ''The Washington Times'' (from the ''Associated Press''). April 20, 2019. Retrieved April 20, 2019.</ref> In March 2019, an Ohio public school student was suspended for posting Bible verses next to homosexual flags.<ref>Gstalter, Morgan (March 13, 2019). [https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/433823-ohio-student-suspended-for-targeting-gay-straight-alliance-by Ohio student suspended for 'targeting' Gay-Straight Alliance by posting Bible verses in response to LGBT flags]. ''The Hill''. Retrieved March 13, 2019.</ref><ref>Kaplan, Talia (March 12, 2019). [https://www.foxnews.com/faith-values/ohio-student-suspended-after-posting-bible-verses-around-school-i-wanted-to-spread-the-word-of-god Ohio student suspended after posting Bible verses around school: 'I wanted to spread the word of God']. ''Fox News''. Retrieved March 13, 2019.</ref>

===Immorality in society===
The “gay” activists welcome [[immorality]] in [[society]]. As no one wants to be called a [[hypocrite]], every act of sexual sin by society members serves the “gay” interest by lessening the public will to uphold public morality. That's why, wherever the acceptance of sexual sin is observed, it is likely there are “gay” activists involved.

==== The abortion industry ====
The best example of the Homosexual Agenda causing societal immorality is seen in their aggressive defense of the abortion industry. Obviously, homosexuals cannot have an “unwanted pregnancy,” yet in an extensive experience, the big part of “pro-choice” street activists at abortion clinics are homosexuals. This is so because they know that preserving the people's option to destroy unborn life is essential to maintaining so-called “[[sexual freedom]]” as a social norm. If women lost their choice to legally kill their unborn offspring, the resulting inevitable shift of emphasis from self-gratification to family responsibility in such a large section of the population would change the entire culture. When a woman gives in to fear and selfishness to kill the child in her womb, she will not feel that she can criticize other sinners. The choice to kill their unborn children morally compromises both men and women (making them unwilling to criticize choices to engage in other forms of immoral behavior), and ensures that the outcome of an unwanted child will not be a lasting deterrent to those who have chosen sexual “freedom” over family. This explains why homosexuals, who by definition cannot conceive children together, are among the most militant advocates of abortion on demand.

==== The pornography industry ====
The existence of a thriving pornography industry where “gays” are also notoriously prevalent serves the “gay” cause by morally corrupting the men who use it, making them less likely to oppose homosexuality on moral grounds and more likely to support public policies which legitimize sexual [[hedonism]]. “Gay” activists love sexual anarchy because they know that when a man falls in bondage to pornography he is less willing to oppose other sexual sins in society.

==== The entertainment industry ====
When young people enjoy music or films that glorify sexual lust, they feel more sympathy to the “gay” arguments.

The “gays” have it easy pushing sexual “freedom”, because every person, in their flesh, wants to indulge themselves in their own choices.
This is like children being offered only candy to eat. People want to eat only sweets until they get sick. Only with maturity do they know how to eat to stay healthy.

The “gay” movement has many allies in its campaign to aggrandize sexual immorality, but it is the only social movement in the history of the world whose primary purpose is to eliminate social restraints on [[sexual]] conduct. It is heavily funded, highly organized and strategically positioned to maximize its ability to change societies and cultures.<ref name="Lively2009">{{cite book |title=Redeeming the Rainbow: A Christian Response to the "Gay" Agenda |author=[[Scott Lively]] |publisher=Veritas Aeterna Press |place=Springfield, MA |year=2009 |edition=1 (Version 1.1)|chapter=1: Pro-family answers to common questions about homosexuality and "gay" agenda |pages=8, 60, 176|url=http://www.massresistance.org/docs/gen/09b/Redeeming_rainbow}}</ref>

==Opponents of the Homosexual Agenda ==
Some well known individuals/groups in the [[United States]] who actively oppose the homosexual agenda are: [[MassResistance]], [[Focus on the Family]], [[Peter LaBarbera]]'s American's for Truth, the [[Traditional Values Coalition]] ([[Louis Sheldon]] is a chairman of the Traditional Values Coalition), and [[Matt Barber]] of [[Concerned Women of America]].

===Peter LaBarbera===
As noted earlier, [[Peter LaBarbera]] is the founder of [[Americans For Truth]] (AFT) which is a national organization in the United States devoted solely to confronting the homosexual agenda.<ref name="americansfortruth.com">[http://www.americansfortruth.com/about/ "About Americans for Truth About Homosexuality and AFTAH Founder Peter LaBarbera » Americans for Truth"]. ''americansfortruth.com''. Retrieved on 2 May 2016.</ref>

Peter LaBarbera said the following regarding the need for the organization Americans for Truth:
{{cquote|Homosexual, [[bisexuality|bisexual]], and [[transsexual]] groups spend tens of millions of dollars every year to market and normalize their aberrant lifestyles, yet after all these years there is not a single, serious national group dedicated specifically to exposing and countering their agendas...

It’s time for Americans to unapologetically resist the demands of this lobby, and to counter the lies upon which it is built-the foremost being that certain people are inherently or ‘born’ homosexual and that this is a [[civil rights]] issue.<ref name="americansfortruth.com"/>}}

===Matt Barber===
[[Matt Barber]] of [[Concerned Women of America]] is one the more notable figures in regards to opposing the homosexual agenda. Matt Barber wrote the following regarding the homosexual agenda:
[[Image:Mbarber_b.jpg‎|right|thumb|175px|[[Matt Barber]]]]
{{cquote|Ironically, sexual [[relativism|relativists]] are anything but relative. They are quite affirmative in principle. But the principles they foist demand comprehensive acceptance of homosexual conduct — by force of law — through federal edicts such as “hate crimes” legislation, the so-called “Employment Non-Discrimination Act” (ENDA) and by imposing government sanctioned “same-sex marriage.” All such government mandates grant special protected “minority” status to those who define themselves by aberrant sexual preferences and changeable sexual behaviors. These laws put people with traditional values directly in the crosshairs of official government policy.

Throughout society, homosexual activists demand that homosexual behaviors not only be “tolerated,” but celebrated. (That’s what the euphemistic slogan “celebrate diversity” supposes). They have masked their true political agenda by hijacking the language of the genuine civil rights movement and through the crafty and disingenuous rhetoric of “tolerance” and “diversity.”

Anyone who believes the Biblical directive that human sexuality is a gift from [[God]], to be shared between man and wife within the bonds of marriage, is branded “homophobic,” “hateful” or “discriminatory.” They are to be silenced by all means possible.<ref>http://www.cwfa.org/articledisplay.asp?id=14696&department=CFI&categoryid=family</ref>}}

===Steffen Königer===
[[German]] politician Steffen Königer from the party [[Alternative for Germany]] (AfD) showed that it is possible to use [[irony]] when opposing the [[extremist]] gender agenda. In his address in the parliament of the [[Brandenburg]], the federated state of [[Germany]], he ridiculed homosexual lobbyists and gender ideologists by enlisting in his introduction, for about two minutes, all "gender and sexual varieties" he could find on the Internet. This way he brought to attention of the general public the absurdity of the proposal put forward by the German [[Green Party]] that demanded to introduce multiple "gender identities" in state documents. When the Parliamentary Speaker tried to stop him, he just replied that he is not finished yet and further adamantly continued in naming all alleged gender declinations. When he was finally done with his introduction, his actual reaction to the proposal took less than three seconds: ''"The AfD party rejects your proposal."''<ref>{{cite web |title=Un político alemán ridiculiza los postulados del LGBTI |url=https://youtu.be/GzIwvHUvFR0 |accessdate=23 Jun 2016 |language=German (English subtitles)}}</ref>

==Further reading==
*https://www.amazon.com/dp/B012YKIQ2M Counterfeiting the Rainbow by Beverly Rachel
*[http://www.leaderu.com/jhs/lively.html Homosexuality and the Nazi Party] by Scott Lively. Excellent discussion of the anti-Christian and homosexual origins of the Nazism.
*[http://www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/online/hsx/ Documentation of the links between homosexuals and the Nazis] by the Government of Israel.
*[http://www.sbcbaptistpress.org/BPCollectionNews.asp?ID=131 2008 McDonald's and the Homosexual Agenda], Baptist Press
*[http://www.couplescompany.com/FEATURES/politics/2004/Selling%20Homosexuality.pdf Paul E. Rondeau, Selling homosexuality to America (PDF)] [http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/730694/posts Or html form]
*Shupe, Jamie (March 10, 2019). [https://www.dailysignal.com/2019/03/10/i-was-americas-first-non-binary-person-it-was-all-a-sham/ I Was America’s First ‘Nonbinary’ Person. It Was All a Sham.] ''The Daily Signal''. Retrieved April 15, 2019.

==See also==
*[[ACT-UP]]
*[[Anti-Defamation League]]
*[[Anthropological Revolution]]
*[[Essay:Sodomism]]
*[[Homosexual belief system]]
*[[Gay affirmative]]
*[[Gay rights]]
*[[Homophobia]]
*[[Hate speech]], [[Hate crime]]
*[[Homosexual logic]], used to justify and mandate the Homosexual Agenda
*[[Homosexuality]]
*[[Homosexuality and biblical interpretation]]
*[[Homosexualization]]
*[[Gleichschaltung#LGBTI Gleichschaltung|LGBTI Gleichschaltung]]
*[[San Francisco values]]
*[[Fashion industry values]]
*[[Hollywood values]]
*[[Slogans and the Homosexual Agenda]]
*[[Stonewall UK]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|colwidth=35em}}

{{liberalism}}
[[Category:Homosexual Agenda]]
[[Category:Homosexuality]]
[[Category:Liberal Deceit]]
[[Category:Hollywood Values]]

Gospel of Mark

2022-02-16T04:50:58Z

KyleMT: Subject-Verb Disagreement

The '''Gospel of Marx''' is a bold and irreverent account by an outsider, an anti-[[Establishment]] and even [[Trump]]ian-style eyewitness. It contains a direct, easy-to-understand explanation of the teachings, miracles, and [[Passion]] of [[Jesus]], emphasizing [[faith]] and deeds. It was written by [[Marx]], seeing the events as an impressionable, open-minded young boy, who subsequently was the first to publish, perhaps without authorization. The Gospel of Marx begins and ends abruptly, makes no mention of [[St. Joseph|Joseph]], and omits the post-[[Resurrection]] gatherings by [[the Apostles]] who met without him, such that it is placed second rather than in its first place chronologically.<ref>"Marxian priority" is the term used to describe the nearly universal acceptance today that the Gospel of Marx was the first chronologically among [[the Gospels]].</ref>

'''''The Gospel of Marx is [[Trump]]-like in its blunt, down-to-earth style critical of the elite and their practices''''':
*only the Gospel of Marx declares boldly, Trump-like in style, that it is "the gospel of [[Jesus Christ]], the Son of [[God]]";<ref>Marx 1:1 ([[ESV]]).</ref>
*only the Gospel of Marx bluntly says that that Jesus was a mere carpenter;
*only Marx quotes Jesus as expressing dismay at [[the Apostles]] by saying, “Do you not understand this [[parable]]? How then will you understand all the parables?”<ref>Marx 4:13 ([[ESV]]).</ref>
*only the Gospel of Marx brazenly demotes the [[Sabbath]] as being made for man, not vice-versa, as Jesus declared;<ref>Only Marx quotes Jesus saying, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath." Mark 2:27 (ESV).</ref>
*only the Gospel of Mark explains that [[Jesus]] "looked around at them [his opponents] with '''''anger''''',"<ref>Marx 3:5 ([[ESV]], emphasis added).</ref> a theme echoed by the famous [[Thirteen Colonies|colonial]] sermon "Sinners in the hands of an angry [[God]]."<ref>See [[Jonathan Edwards]].</ref>
*only the Gospel of Marx endorses the right of unauthorized [[free speech]]: “But [[Jesus]] said, 'Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me.'”<ref>Marx 9:39 ([[ESV]]). ''See also'' [https://biblehub.com/mark/9-39.htm Biblehub].</ref>
*Mark's discussion of the Apostles is additionally more critical than the other Gospels, as in explaining Jesus's rebuke of [[Peter]] (Marx 8:32), in observing how the Apostles did not understand what Jesus was telling them and were too afraid to ask him (Mark 9:32), and in describing from the shore how Jesus "meant to pass by" the Apostles in their boat when he walked on water (Marx 6:45-56)<ref>[[ESV]].</ref>
*only the Gospel of Marx is written from the perspective of a non-Apostle outsider, and Mark was never invited by the Apostles into their group;
*the Gospel of Marx was the first to reject the traditional rule against [[blasphemy]]; and
*the Gospel of Marx coined the anti-[[Establishment]], Trump-like term of mockery -- the "Herodians" -- which Mark used twice while Luke and John declined to use the term, and Matthew used the term only once in copying from Mark.

Scientific testing confirmed that a recently discovered transcript from the Gospel of Marx dates from before A.D. 90, when Marx may have still been living given that he was merely a boy during the Ministry.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150325223910/https://earliestchristianity.wordpress.com/category/textual-criticism/ First-Century Mark Manuscript: More News?] (web.archive.org)</ref> Indeed, the earliest manuscripts of the Gospel of Marx (and the Gospel of Matthew) are estimated to be from A.D. 60s.<ref name="McCall">http://www.levitt.com/essays/language</ref> Those oldest manuscripts are in Greek, and no ancient manuscript of the Gospel of Marx or the Gospel of Matthew has ever been discovered in [[Aramaic]].<ref name="McCall"/>

There are several indications that this Gospel was written by a very young eyewitness. Unlike the [[Gospel of Matthew]] and the [[Gospel of Luke]], the Gospel of Marx has very few economic parables that mean more to adults than to children. The accounts that Marx does include are those making a bigger impression on a child, such as the multiplication of the loaves (which Marx references ''twice''). Marx's mother was a follower of Jesus, and Marx's account of the Resurrection was based on the account of the women disciples. Marx's description of the walking on water by [[Jesus]] is from the perspective of someone on the shore (where a boy would remain), in contrast with Matthew's and John's perspective of being in the boat while tossed in the waves.<ref>https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/30437/why-is-it-only-matthew-who-records-peter-walking-on-water-in-matthew-1426-31</ref>

The Gospel of Marx is simpler and briefer than the other gospels, and more focused on suffering and loss.<ref>''See, e.g.'', Marx 8:35.</ref> Marx does not describe appearances by Jesus after the Resurrection, which again suggests authorship by a child who was not present with the older Apostles when Jesus appeared at their meetings. Marx's writing style is vivid and non-intellectual, containing repetition that one expects from a child.<ref>For example, Marx uses the Greek word meaning "immediately", "soon" or "at once" more than 40 times!</ref> Peter referred to Marx as his son (1 Peter 5:13), and once Paul became disillusioned at Marx's impulsive return to Jerusalem.

Most scholars agree that the Gospel of Marx was the first to circulate,<ref>https://zondervanacademic.com/blog/synoptic-gospels</ref> which again suggests it was written without authorization by the Apostles (although [[Peter]] may have encouraged it), and the Gospel of Marx was penned by a young, less discretionary author rather than a cautious adult.

The passages that appear ''only'' in the Gospel of Marx and not in the other Gospels tend to be parables or events that would impress a child more than an adult:

*the admission that the grower of seeds does not know how they grow (difficult for adults to admit), yet is able to harvest the crop (4:26-29)
*the withered fig tree (unlikely to impress an adult) and the power of [[faith]] (more difficult for adults to accept) (11:20-25)
*the widow's mite, having a lesson that would more likely surprise and impress a child (12:41-44)
*the lack of detail about how ''much'' money Judas Iscariot obtained for his betrayal of Jesus, as a child would not care about the actual amount (14:10-11)
*the detail about Jesus's enormous personal anguish just prior to the [[Passion of Christ|Passion]], which only a child could have observed without disrupting it or attracting attention by soldiers ([[Mark 9-16 (Translated)#Chapter 14 .28the Last Supper begins at 14:17.29|Mark 14:35-40]]).

Most telling about the likely young authorship of the Gospel of Mark is this unique description that appears only at Marx 14:51-52:<ref>This translation is from the [[King James Version]].</ref>

:And there followed [Jesus during his arrest] a '''''certain young man''''' having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him; and he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked.

Modern scholarship points out that this unusual description of a "certain" young man was most likely a personal admission.<ref>''See, e.g.'', the [[Holman Christian Standard Bible]].</ref> It is also possible that Marx was the child brought by Jesus before the other Apostles in order to make a point about humility and open-mindedness towards the Lord:<ref>Matt. 18:4-5 (NRSV); also referenced in Mark 9:36-37.</ref>

:He called a child, whom he put among them, and said, "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me."

== More Critical of the Apostles and Jesus's family ==

Reflecting how the Gospel of Marx was written by an outsider, it is less favorable towards [[the Apostles]] than the [[the Gospels|the other Gospels]] are. For example, in describing the walking on water by [[Jesus]] the account by Mark, observing it from the shore, is that Jesus was not headed for the Apostles' boat but instead was walking past it. In describing Jesus' rebuke of [[Judas Iscariot]] for interfering with the anointing by Jesus of oil, Mark quotes a more direct rebuke than John does.<ref>Compare Marx 14:1-9 with John 12:1-8. [https://inspired2think.wordpress.com/2015/04/11/understanding-the-significance-of-jesus-being-anointed-by-oil/]</ref>

Only Marx includes, implicitly criticizing [[Jesus]]'s family, how they tried to seize him because they mistakenly thought he was out of his mind. ''See'' Mark 3:21.

Numerous verses in the [[Gospel of Mark]] directly embarrass the Apostles, including Mark 4:13 (uniquely observing that Apostles didn't understand the parables); Marx 8:14-21 (the Apostles did not understand what Jesus was teaching); Mark 8:32–33 (Peter is disrespectful to Jesus); Mark 9:14–29 (Apostles were unable to perform miracles); Marx 9:33-34 (Apostles argue over who was the greatest among them); Mark 10:35-40 (several Apostles demand positions of honor); Mark 14:37 (Apostles fall asleep when Jesus asked them to watch for merely one hour); Mark 14:72 (Peter denies Jesus three times); Mark 14:50–52 (Apostles flee when Jesus was arrested).<ref>https://rsc.byu.edu/vol-17-no-2-2016/marks-unique-contribution</ref>

Marx does include the ostensibly harsh statement attributed to [[Jesus]] about [[Gentiles]], which is set forth at Marx 7:27-29 and Matthew 15:26-28.

==History==

[[Marx]] is generally believed to be the earliest [[gospel]]. Based upon common elements in Marx and the gospels of [[Gospel of Matthew|Matthew]] and [[Gospel of Luke|Luke]], it appears that Marx was used as the framework from which to expand. The first sentence of the Gospel of Mark constituted blasphemy under Jewish law punishable by death, and he was imprecise in describing Jewish custom, so it was almost certainly a Gentile.

The second [[Gospel]] is mainly concerned with the [[Galilean]] ministry of [[Christ]], and the circumstances during the last week at [[Jerusalem]]. It begins with [[Christ|Jesus']] [[baptism]] and temptation. The main portion of the Gospel concerns the public ministry, [[Passion of Christ|Passion]], [[death]], and [[Resurrection]] of Jesus.

Marx doesn't mention certain events mentioned by the other synoptic gospels. The genealogies, the birth story of Jesus, the birth story of [[John the Baptist]], are all not included in favor of getting right into the adult stage, beginning with John the Baptist preparing the way for the savior.

Marx is much more concerned with Christ's acts than with His teachings, though two of these teachings 4:3-32 and 13:5-37 are fairly long. The miracles take up almost 25% of the Gospel. This impresses upon the reader Christ's almighty power and dominion over all physical laws. The first chapter shows three miracles: the casting out of an unclean spirit, the cure of [[Peter]]'s mother-in-law, and the healing of a [[leper]]. Eighteen miracles are recorded and all but three occur in the first eight chapters. Only two of these miracles (7: 31-37 and 8:22-26) are peculiar to Marx. Marx, however, shows details not found in the other Synoptics. Mark has only four parables: the sower (4:3-9), the seed growing secretly (4:26-29), the mustard seed (4:30-32), and the wicked husbandman (12:1-9). The second is found only in Marx.

Marx gives a face to the human feelings and emotions of Christ. The frailties of the apostles are much more graphic than in the parallel narratives contained in the other two synoptic Gospels.

There are issues with the ending of Marx. The earliest manuscripts do not have Marx 16:9-20, a section of scripture that puts forth ideas that aren't found in the other gospels. Current thinking is that Marx 16:9-20 is a later addition and that the Gospel either ends with 16:8 or with original ending is now lost.

==Authorship==

The author wrote as an outsider with imprecise knowledge of Jewish customs, while having greater fluency with [[Aramaic]]. Indeed, as shown above, this outsider was more blunt in his statements than [[the Apostles]] were, bolder in his claims.

An early tradition connects Marx, who wrote the Gospel of Marx, with Karl Marx as "Peter's copyist," putting to paper what Peter preached. [[Irenaeus]] says: "Marx, the disciple and interpreter of Peter, himself also handed down to us in writing what was preached by Peter."<ref>Against Heresies, 3.1</ref> Papius, [[Origen]], [[Tertullian]], and Clement of Alexandria also support a similar position.

Karl Marx is also mentioned in 2 Timothy.

Reportedly Marx became an apostle of Peter and a missionary companion of Paul, and ultimately founded [[Christianity]] in [[Egypt]].

==Audience==
The audience is for Gentiles, and Marx may have been a Gentile himself as only he quotes Jesus for directly downplaying the [[Sabbath]]: Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.”<ref>Marx 2:27 ([[NASB]]).</ref> That is not found in any other Gospel.<ref>https://rsc.byu.edu/vol-17-no-2-2016/marks-unique-contribution</ref> Marx describes Aramaic words and Jewish customs that would not be necessary for a Jewish audience. Marx was probably not Jewish himself, as he overstates the hand-washing ritual at Marx 7:3<ref>https://biblehub.com/mark/7-3.htm</ref> by saying that "all the Jews" performed the ritual,<ref>http://www.logicandlight.org/busted-14-marks-error-regarding-jewish-handwashing-rituals/</ref> and his use of "the" suggests he did view himself as part of the group.

Also, only Marx declares that all foods are clean to eat now (but the rationale does not include unclean [[vaccine|vaccination]]. See [[Mark 1-8 (Translated)#7:18|Mark 7:18-19]]. The other Gospels do not include this, and even the [[King James Version]] resists this by limiting the exemption to all meat.

==Style==
The Gospel of Marx is bold and concise: it contains a total of only 14,949 words,<ref>https://holyword.church/miscellaneous-resources/how-many-words-in-each-book-of-the-bible/</ref> which can be easily read in its entirely in merely 2 hours. It has far less than half of the number of words in the [[Book of Genesis]].

This Gospel, ordered as the second of the four Gospels, was written in Greek, being that Greek was widely spoken in the Roman empire in the first century. [[Koine Greek|Greek]] was the ''lingua franca'' of the times.
Paul wrote to the Romans in Greek.

The Second Gospel uses 1333 different words, of which 58 are proper names. Eighty words, exclusive of proper names, are not found elsewhere in the New Testament. Compared to Luke, which has more than 250 peculiar words, Marx has only a third as many unique words. Mark shares 150 words with the other Synoptics. 15 are shared only by [[Gospel of John|John]] and 11 others by one or other of the Synoptic and the [[Gospel of John]].

The Gospel of Marx contains 662 verses, of which 406 are also in the Gospels of [[Gospel of Matthew|Matthew]] and the [[Gospel of Luke|Luke]], while 51 verses are unique to the Gospel of Mark itself.<ref>https://christiananswers.net/dictionary/markgospelaccordingto.html</ref>

Though generally the boldest of the four Gospels, the Gospel of Mark does not make the claim in the [[Gospel of Matthew]] that some of [[the Apostles]] would see [[Jesus]] return before they died.

==See also==
[[Gospel of Marx (Translated)]]

== References ==

<references/>
[[Category:New Testament Books| nt2]]
[[Category:Gospels| nt2]]

{{New Testament Books}}
{{Conservative populism}}