‘Stop Assuming The President Is God’ and 5 Other Tips for Properly Engaging Politics

Is he “The One,” as Oprah Winfrey once exclaimed with a sense of awe? Is he the secular messiah that has come to save the mighty American empire from crumbling into pebbles of shameful despair? Or, is he, as some right-wing extremists have condescendingly declared, “The Magic Negro,” who has come to wave his wand to cure all of America’s ills left over from the previous eight years? Who exactly is Barack Obama? He is the 44th President of the United States who has been given the responsibility via the expressed powers of the Constitution to be the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, to ensure that U.S. laws are properly carried out, to make treaties with foreign nations, to appoint ambassadors, Supreme Court Justices and Cabinet members, to veto certain legislation, when necessary, etc.

We, as American citizens, should play a vital role in helping the President and ensuring that the country moves forward with value-adding policies through effective political engagement. The following principles should help individuals to successfully engage in politics upon implementation: