Talking the Obama presidency with Carl Cannon, editor at Real Clear Politics

The Think Tank explores Real Clear Politics' Carl Cannon's views on the Barack Obama presidency, its successes, failures and legacy.

BY MIKE O'NEIL/THE THINK TANK

Jan 20, 2017, 3:47 PM

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Former President Barack Obama waves as he boards a Marine helicopter during a departure ceremony on the East Front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017, after President Donald Trump was inaugurated. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Our guest, Carl M. Cannon, is executive editor and Washington bureau chief for Real Clear Politics, a go-to website for most political junkies.

The Think Tank explores his views on the Barack Obama presidency, its successes, failures and legacy. We pay special attention to three key areas:

Healthcare: Obamacare is clearly a signature achievement of this administration. Presidents since Theodore Roosevelt have tried and failed to expand the provision of healthcare in a way that Obama succeeded, but Obamacare has become a contentious issue.

The Economy: When Obama took office, the world’s economy was on the brink of collapse. Critics, however, have charged that the actions he took were at too great a cost.

Foreign policy: At his inauguration, the United States had over 200,000 troops engaged in increasingly unpopular wars. The president largely completed a withdrawal of these troops, but some have argued that this withdrawal precipitated the growth of ISIS and other unwelcome developments.

He completed a nuclear agreement with Iran and Russia has become more adventurous in the Ukraine and throughout the Middle East.