Under his watch the national debt has skyrocketed, a terrorist group has its own country, and the Cold War has started again.

All these things happened on his watch... That is enough bad for 100 presidential terms, let alone 8 years.

If  he was a Republican there would be very little debate from the left about how historically bad his track record has been (I figured what was missing from this post was a broad generalization of the left, you're welcome )

Here is why:

1.  Debt - First, debt and deficits in this country are part of a structural problem.  The amount of actual wiggle room the President has is small.  Then there is the issue that ALL funding originates in the House and the purse is (still) a function of the Congress.  Then there is the issue of what Obama inherited.  Even if he was not in bed with all the big money people and exacerbated W's big money policies . . . much of the debt and deficit was set in motion by things outside his control.  Just as the deficit is starting to climb . . . as I kept telling all the crowers it would . . . because that is what the projections told based on our current law (see SS, Medicare, all fixed expenses).  So to pin "the debt doubled under Obama" without at least word of mention of any of the above is specious.

 2.  War, terror, military operations - That terrorist group had a country as much because Bush totally #badword#ed up the middle as it does because Obama dithered (in a really unwinnable situation).  We must ask . . . if you are being fair . . . how many American lives and how much treasure was saved by Obama's dithering.  That thought at least needs to float across the cerebral cortex of anyone address this problem.  However, there is much room to criticize Obama on this topic.  First he did dither . . . he did not commit or bring them home (my choice).  He instead expanded the drone program and ensconced the dangerous notion already predicated by one GWB that the POTUS can wage total and complete war anywhere on the globe . . . killing any US citizen or otherwise . . . as he only sees fit.  It belies his dithering or dangerous belief that we reduced "boots on the ground" while expanding the air campaigns that can so easily suck in the warmongers that see "low impact".  This has been destructive to Libya, Yemen, Iraq, Syria . . . and possibly others.  

3.  Economic policies - these were mostly standard big government policies that GWB or other republicans would pursue . . . I don't see much difference.  They all hire the same people, ignore the same abuses, and claim credit where little is due.  They simply pick their set of winners and losers differently from the plebs.

4.  Medicine - even here, his signature achievement . . . we know this started as a republican plan, implemented by a republican governor and now republicans can't see to find their way to a true market solution.  I predict more big government much like the ACA with nary a turn back to the light.  So while the ACA is a disaster, unconstitutional, etc. etc. to my mind . . . the republicans are not going to fix that.  They will double down on it . . . picking winners and losers with different metrics but always pushing more big government solutions.

5.  Drugs, criminal justice, etc. - I find this mixed.  He's done some really good things (and most of you have seen me post about them over the past few years).  However, he could have done much more.  The power he absolutely does have unequivocally, the pardon, he did a decent, commendable job.