Top 5 Reasons We Miss Having President Obama in White House (IMAGES/VIDEO)

As difficult as it may be to remember, it wasn’t long ago that there was a smart, articulate, decent, honorable man in the Oval Office, and not… President Donald Trump.

There are many reasons why we miss having Barack Obama as our president. Here are the top five:

5. Knowledge of English

Barack Obama first gained national attention with the help of his keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, and has since continued to move and inspire millions of Americans with his eloquence and oratorical skills.

Besides being a captivating speaker, President Obama, unusually for a politician, has also written books with genuine literary value. His memoir Dreams from My Father for example, was described by the New York Times as:

The most evocative, lyrical and candid autobiography written by a future president.”

As for Donald Trump, there is a strong possibility that he has never even read a book in his adult life (all of Trump’s books were ghost-written, of course). But even more alarming than his apparent inability to read, is that he doesn’t seem to know how to speak English. Consider, for example, the infamous Access Hollywood tape, where the only thing more offensive than what Trump said was the trademark nonsensical, non-grammatical way he said it.

Image By We Really Miss You President Obama Via Facebook.

Newsflash, Donald: “I moved on her on like a bitch” isn’t “locker room talk.” It isn’t even English.

While Trump has bragged that he has the “best words,” he mostly just has the wrong ones. Like this gem, also from the Access Hollywood tapes: “I moved on her very heavily” (we can only guess the word he was looking for was “aggressively”).

As bad as Trump’s crimes against the Constitution and common decency may be, they are minor compared to his crimes against the English language.

4. Damage Control Against Paul Ryan & Co.

Republicans controlled at least one house of Congress for 6 of President Obama’s 8 years in office, and their endless obstructionism limited how much President Obama could accomplish legislatively during this period

Image By Forward Via Facebook.

But President Obama did prevent Paul Ryan and his Republican allies from enacting their agenda. With Donald Trump in the White House, Congressional Republicans will have almost no check on their misbegotten plans, including repeal of Obamacare–which will likely result in tens of millions of Americans losing their healthcare–and harmful cuts in Medicaid and other critical programs. Trump has already signed a bill repealing an important environmental regulation enacted by the Obama administration.

3. Respect of the World

President Obama was widely respected and revered around the world. For example, a 2015 survey by Pew found that among 40 countries polled, a median of 65 percent of respondents said they had confidence in President Obama to do the right thing in world affairs, compared to only 27 percent who lacked such confidence.

Image Via We Really Miss You President Obama Via Facebook.

Donald Trump? Not so much. His election was greeted by protests not only in the United States but around the world, from London to Japan to Australia. Though he does seem to have some supporters in Moscow.

2. Optimism

It’s a long way from “hope and change” to “our country is going to hell” (an actual thing said by Donald Trump while running from president).

Image: Screenshot Via YouTube Video.

Elected during a brutal recession, known now as the Great Recession, President Obama won the presidency with a message of optimism and inclusion.

Eight years after President Obama’s election, unemployment had been cut in half, the stock market was at a record high, and the uninsured rate was at a record low. Of course, you would never know any of this from listening to Donald Trump, who was spouting “alternative facts”– like that the real “unemployment rate” may be 42 percent, and that crime rates are near record highs — long before KellyAnne Conway coined the term.

1. Two Words…

…Michelle Obama.

Image Via We Really Miss You President Obama Via Facebook.

Check out this video collage that looks back at President’Obama’s time in the White House – we miss him even more.

Featured image We Miss You President Obama Facebook.

Jeff Cahlon is a lawyer and writer residing in New York.