The time has finally come for me to climb atop my soapbox and dispute a strong political view. The media, politicians and the general public claim the recent Republican midterm victories are due to a failing President and failed Democratic Party. But these claims simply hold no weight.

President Barack Obama has accomplished a lot as President, and I strongly believe that America, and the world, is a better place because of him.

Let me be clear, I initially thought Obama’s election platform to be utopian with promises of drastic changes. I thought he garnered a strong vote based on deliberate social mobilization. But now I view his accomplishments with support and awe because he faced many challenging issues while taking office. It is absolutely clear that Obama has achieved his iconic “change.”

The issue of health care reform dates back to the early 1990s. This was Obama’s mainline policy agenda when he took office. Due to the large scope of this type of change, I truly doubted it would ever pass. But it has, and it’s proving to be a great success. I contend that such a large social reform hasn’t been accomplished since The Great Society in the 1960s.

Those on the right claimed that Obamacare would cripple the nation with bankruptcy, stall the economy and simply never work. But these claims have been proven wrong.

Based on predictions from the Congressional Budget Office, current premiums under the program are coming in below original predictions. Initially, the rollout was plagued with software issues, but those have since been fixed and the exchanges now run smoothly.

Most importantly though, millions of Americans now have healthcare insurance. Americans now have comfort knowing they have flexible health care coverage that isn’t limited by pre-existing conditions, changes in jobs or exorbitant costs. American society is certainly better off because of health care reform.

Now I move on to the economy, which I think is the most overlooked aspect of Obama’s successes. First things first, the recovery is by no means over, and it certainly wasn’t carried out with enough stimulation, but it has certainly worked nonetheless.

During the peak of the Great Recession, unemployment was above 10 percent and real income fell 5.5 percent. Essentially, we were on the cusp of a depression. But through his leadership, the economy has recovered and unemployment is now below 6 percent.

If you contrast this with Europe, which faced similar conditions in 2008, we have certainly fared quite well. Europe, a much more liberal orientated complex mind you, still has unemployment numbers in the double digits, and faces imminent economic recession.

The economic recovery has been slow, and by no means ideal — stimulus should have been larger and lasted longer — but it has made America a better place. Obama has helped the economy grow, and the success is tangible, so any prerogative that he has failed is simply erroneous.

Obama has established strong concerns regarding the state of the environment and he has utilized executive order to at least begin the much-needed action against climate change. He helped to establish the first-ever fuel efficiency standards for motor vehicles, which will drastically reduce carbon emissions in the long run. Similarly, he has worked with the EPA to establish regulations for green house gas emissions from coal burning power plants.

Just last week, Obama unveiled a momentous agreement with China to reduce carbon emissions. Under the agreement, both countries will reduce carbon emissions by up to 28 percent by 2030. Obama has achieved success with environmental protection through deliberate action and admirable leadership. Regardless of political affiliation one must realize that climate change is real, it’s a threat to society long term, and it must be dealt with. Obama has set a precedent, and it is clear that the world and the precious environment will be protected.

Obama also has made significant social change with gay rights and established an imperative attention toward women’s rights. He has helped bring attention to the much-needed increase in wages, which saw success in the midterms with several states raising the minimum wage.

Obama certainly hasn’t achieved the utopian ideals he pledged in 2008, but he has made significant change that has made the U.S. and the world a better place. Yes, he has terrible approval ratings, and yes the Democrats were voted out of office in throngs. Keep in mind that approval ratings are at an all time low for both parties, and we live in a climate with a general negative animosity towards politics in general.

I have yet to hear a logical argument describing why there is so much antagonism toward Obama and his administration. I recognize his achievements and so should you. I believe Obama will leave a legacy of greatness; the proof lies with the facts.

Colin Mummery is a staff writer for The Dakota Student. He can be reached at [email protected].