Was President Obama Pushed in a "Jobless Economy to Lose Reelection?"

African writer Farouk Martins Aresa says President Obama "pushed into jobless economy to lose election."

I never quite thought of President Obama being "pushed into a bad economy, steeped with high unemployment and foreclosure rates" but Farouk Martins Aresa of ModernGhana.com seems to think he was deliberately set up. He wrote if Obama losing reelection in 2012, it will be a personal disaster. But for whom? Africans or Americans in general? I personally preferred Hillary Clinton because I thought she would have brought much more to the table than Obama, but I ended up voting for him because I refused to support a John McCain-Sarah Palin ticket. But I am amazed at Mr. Aresa's commentary is based on the ridiculous premise that Obama seems to have been pushed into this mess, but nobody forced him to run and, yes, he inherited a horrible economy, but his Administration has made some missteps along the way. Given the Great Depression-like feel to the economy, people aren't feeling Obama and his team right now nor do they care very much for either political party right now. I don't think it's an attack on him per se, it's just he's the man at the helm and he's the one who everyone is mad at. Nobody understands Obamacare and people are just really scared at what's going on in this country right now.  Here's an excerpt from Farouk Aresa's article:

If Obama loses the next election, it will be a personal disaster. Those Africans that would rather support Hilary Clinton for President would come roaring that – I told you so. He has not fulfilled his wish to African American communities to leave them better than he met them as President. While Mrs. Clinton could have been bolder for revival projects in African communities as Johnson did for Civil Rights and even Republican Nixon did targeting Small Business Administration to them, Obama would only be able to point to what he did for all Americans. It will not carry much weight amongst African Americans.

Obama as the first African American President, in spite of all his accomplishment in just three years has not been so credited. In areas conservatives should support him, they have taken opposite side or managed to take his credit. Osama's death only gave him a temporary bump. Some conservatives attacked his bombing of Libya as the left; some for lack of Congress approval. Though he saved the world economy from a depression, it will be difficult for him to go into an election with a high rate of unemployment, no matter what else he accomplished. He has been faulted by the liberals of giving in too easily to the conservatives and always comes out with a raw deal of any compromise....

If Obama loses the next election, the implication for African countries and African Americans will be sobering. He is our son. Of course, Republicans will use Greece as an example of a country that lived above its means when it suits them. But the greatest creator of jobs right now is China by government intervention in the economy. Nobody wants America to be like Greece or China, but the only way America got itself out of a stubborn recession turned depression was by stimulus plan. This recession in America is getting stubborn and some economists are predicting double dip-recession.

While the writer makes some compelling points, but I think he has forgotten that nobody pushed Obama into this mess. He chose to run and it's unfortunate he did so at a time when the economy was in a downward spiral with no end in sight. The notion that he was "pushed in a jobless economy to lose the election" is absurd. This isn't so much about black and white as it is about making tough choices and fiscal responsibility, as well as ending two wars that have drained our resources beyond human comprehension. President Obama has done some positive things, but not enough to jumpstart this stubborn economy and get people working again. I don't know if the expectations we have are too high, since the Republicans haven't offered any viable solutions, but if President Obama loses the election, it won't be because anyone forced him into a jobless economy.