Forbes recently released its rankings of “The World’s Most Powerful People,” and the results don’t look good for President Barack Obama. As the president enjoys his last few weeks as commander in chief, his approval and respect have seemingly diminished significantly, as his place on Forbes’ list dropped dramatically from last year.
In 2015, Obama came in as the third most powerful person, which wasn’t great, considering he is supposed to be the leader of the free world. But it was nevertheless much better than 2016’s list, which has him placed at an embarrassing number 48.
Last year, Forbes explained why the U.S. president wasn’t number one, or even number two.
“There’s no doubt that the United States remains the world’s greatest economic, cultural, diplomatic, technological and military power,” the publication wrote in 2015. “But as Obama enters the final year of his presidency, it’s clear his influence is shrinking, and it’s a bigger struggle than ever to get things done.”
His influence and ability to “get things done” must have hit rock bottom for him to fall a whopping 45 spots in just one year.
What’s even more embarrassing than the fact that Obama didn’t make the top 10, much less the top 25, or even the top 40, were some of the people who outranked him.
For example, North Korean Dictator Kim Jong Un was five spots ahead of Obama.
If a ridiculous, barbaric leader who imprisons, enslaves and executes political and religious dissenters and restricts the most basic of freedoms is ahead of the U.S. president, you know there is a real problem.
Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed the number one spot, again, while a new face appeared at number two — President-elect Donald Trump.
“Donald Trump is trading in Trump Tower for the White House. The New York native will become the first billionaire president of the United States, after upsetting Hillary Clinton in a surprising election victory, when he takes over the Oval Office in 2017,” Forbes said about the incoming president.
Meanwhile, the publication issued a brutal but honest assessment of the outgoing president whose policies and legacy were rejected in November when voters chose Trump over what would have been essentially a third-term Obama in Democrat Hillary Clinton.
“America’s outgoing president faces a legacy in jeopardy as his successor has threatened to unravel signature achievements, including health care reform and the Iranian nuclear accord,” Forbes wrote about Obama.
Furthermore, the publication noted, the 44th president is leaving office “at a time of global upheaval,” such as the surge of populism in Europe as evidenced by the June 2016 Brexit referendum.
And despite his best efforts, Obama was unsuccessful in convincing voters to give his progressive policies another chance in the November 2016 elections.
President Obama is leaving the Oval Office on anything but a good note, and his legacy will reflect his dismal performance as the nation’s leader.
