SIMS: Obama, The Master Illusionist

I was one of the millions swept up in Barack Obama’s promise of hope and change. His inauguration was an emotional high, seemingly ushering in a new era. But looking back, it’s clear that Obama perfected the system’s illusions instead of delivering real progress. His legacy—which includes fostering today’s racial and political divisions and fueling the rise of a dangerous “deep state”—deserves a critical reckoning.

How Obama’s Policies Created Racial and Political Divisions

Obama’s presidency amplified America’s identity politics, framing policy and public rhetoric around race, gender, and difference. Moments such as the Trayvon Martin case and Ferguson protests saw Obama intervene rhetorically, which critics argue only deepened divides and inflamed grievances, using racial terminology to rally support but ultimately reopening wounds instead of healing them. My own research revealed that words like “racist,” “oppressed,” and “white supremacy” surged online whenever Obama campaigned or spoke—suggesting a deliberate strategy of weaponizing identity to drive political momentum, rather than unity.

Institutionally, Obama’s Justice Department spotlighted perceived systemic injustices, but these actions polarized the public and undermined trust in law enforcement, fueling the “us vs. them” mentality that now dominates our discourse. By making executive decisions that sidestepped Congress—such as on immigration (DACA)—Obama further divided Americans, as many saw these unilateral actions as flouting constitutional checks and catering to special interests rather than the broader public.

The passage of the Affordable Care Act without bipartisan support and the subsequent rise of movements like the Tea Party entrenched partisan animosity, setting the stage for a new era of populism and polarization that continues to fragment our politics.

Promoting the Deep State and Undermining Democracy

Obama’s embrace of executive power didn’t just create new policies; it empowered the federal bureaucracy and intelligence agencies to operate above public accountability. The widespread use of warrantless surveillance, the aggressive prosecution of whistleblowers, and the unparalleled deportation apparatus built an infrastructure of control and secrecy. The cumulative effect? Americans began to suspect that unelected “deep state” actors held more sway than voters or their representatives.

Recently Declassified: Gabbard’s Russiagate Exposé and Clinton’s Role

Recent events have only validated these fears. The most explosive new revelations come from Tulsi Gabbard, now Director of National Intelligence, who declassified documents detailing firsthand accounts of the Obama administration’s orchestration of the Russiagate narrative. According to Gabbard’s public disclosures, Obama—together with allies such as the Clintons—actively suppressed intelligence pointing to no significant Russian interference in the 2016 election. Instead, they promoted a manufactured tale of collusion, rooted in the Clinton-funded Steele dossier, to delegitimize Trump’s presidency and feed years of division and distrust among Americans.

Gabbard’s documents indicate that Obama’s inner circle not only greenlit but drove the intelligence politicization that became Russiagate. Memos show Hillary Clinton personally approved the plan to “smear Donald Trump by magnifying the scandal tied to the intrusion by Russian special services,” intending to distract public and media attention from her own mounting email and ethics crises. A newly declassified “Clinton annex” from the DOJ watchdog found the FBI deliberately cut corners and failed to take basic steps when investigating her classified email scandal, raising major concerns about the integrity of federal law enforcement and the system-wide bias at play.

Adding further intrigue, congressional committees recently subpoenaed both Clintons regarding the ongoing Epstein investigation, underlining the depth and complexity of legal accusations surrounding Hillary Clinton, especially in light of her alleged attempts to “smear” opponents and personally sign off on the spread of false information about Trump’s campaign. Newly unearthed intelligence even suggests Putin had far more damaging material about Clinton but chose not to release it, expecting her to win—and some of this material reportedly reveals questionable secret meetings and troubling psycho-emotional issues.

Obama’s administration also targeted political opponents with the IRS, spied on journalists and activists, and utilized kill lists and drone strikes outside due process—all hallmarks of a government willing to override the Constitution for short-term advantage. These precedents laid the foundation for the concentration and abuse of power we see today.

Historical and Ongoing Harm

Add to these revelations Obama’s destructive international record—Libya reduced to chaos, failing to stop mass atrocities in Syria, fueling the humanitarian disaster in Yemen, bailing out Wall Street with no accountability, and expanding drone warfare—it’s clear his “accomplishments” undermined America’s global credibility and deepened domestic disillusionment. Even celebrated innovations like Obamacare failed millions, raising costs and failing to deliver security.

Prominent Black voices have recognized the painful irony:

Cornel West called Obama “counterfeit,” Margaret Kimberley dubbed him “the more effective evil,” and Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor and Tavis Smiley highlighted his disastrous legacy for Black wealth and progress.

Obama’s presidency substituted symbolic achievement for meaningful transformation, leaving Black America—and the nation—worse off.

Today: A Nation Divided, Institutions Compromised

The “Open City” phenomenon—where factional interests overwhelm weakened institutions—is visible everywhere, from the politicization of the FBI and the intelligence community to the splintered media ecosystem and relentless identity politics. Obama didn’t fix America—he perfected the art of division and distraction, all while keeping hope alive.

The most recent news confirms what many suspected: the Russiagate story was engineered with deception, the Clintons were deeply involved, and Obama’s hand guided the agencies that manufactured the crisis. Tulsi Gabbard’s investigation lays bare the lengths to which power will go to preserve itself, even at the expense of democracy itself.

Obama’s legacy is not unity, progress, or healing—it’s division, distrust, and the chilling precedent that unchecked power can destroy the foundations of representative government. His era was a Trojan Horse not for reform, but for quiet, systematic dismantling—and America is still reckoning with the consequences.

Quotes from prominent Black voices:

“Obama posed as a progressive and turned out to be counterfeit. We ended up with a Wall Street presidency, a drone presidency, a national security presidency.”
— Cornel West

“Obama is not the lesser evil, he is the more effective evil. Because he is Black, he is able to do things white presidents could not get away with, like neutralizing Black opposition to imperialism and austerity.”
— Glen Ford, Black Agenda Report

“Obama ended his presidency with Black median wealth lower than when he began… His election became a substitute for real justice and transformation.”
— Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor

“Obama did more harm than Bush because he made Democrats love war, surveillance, and Wall Street… He put a Black face on imperialism.”
— Margaret Kimberley

“Obama’s legacy for Black America is his greatest disappointment.”
— Tavis Smiley

Obama was not the answer. He was the illusion. Today’s divided, uncertain America is his true legacy—and the system must be seen for what it is before real change is even possible.

Authors’ opinions are their own and may not represent those of Grok Media, LLC, GraniteGrok.com, its sponsors, readers, authors, or advertisers.

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