Is Obama our "King" or our President?

In his own mind, Obama's supreme ruler: My Word
By Edgar B. Wycoff
FEBRUARY 17, 2015 D uring a 2013 White House briefing, President Obama said, "I am not a dictator." But his words and actions suggest otherwise. He uses the executive power of his pen and phone to enact policy changes without Congress, and his last three defense secretaries criticized his micromanaging of the military. Immigration think­tank director Mark Krikorian wrote, "Obama's planned amnesty decree is Caesarism, pure and simple," referring to Julius Caesar.

A revealing trait of a dictator is whether he works with his people's representatives. Sadly, Obama's legacy has been tarnished by his relationship with Congress, which has been contentious and confrontational.
At the 2015 National Prayer Breakfast, the president reflected on ISIS atrocities in a historical context, suggesting their likeness to the Crusades. So it might be telling to view Obama's incumbency in a historical context. Founder of the Roman Empire, Caesar, ruled as king, taking over most of his senate's power. His reign ended in 44 B.C. by a conspiracy of, ironically enough, republican senators. Rome subsequently suffered 13 years of civil wars.
There were 11 significant Roman emperors after Caesar during what was known as the Golden Age of the Empire. Augustus Caesar, emperor after Julius, shared power with his senate for 44 years. The relationship of other emperors varied, as did their legacies. Avoiding being dictatorial, five of the 11 shared power with their senates, while two only limited their senate's power. These seven either restored or improved Rome's economy. Three emperors were tyrannical dictators, collapsing their economies. Only one absolute dictator managed to leave a strong economy. So, if Roman history is any judge, bypassing the people's representatives often ended in failure.
After taking office in 2009, and promising he would listen to Congress about his stimulus package, the president responded to a serious question by a Republican leader with a cynical and sarcastic, "I won." He seemed to suggest that he had become the supreme ruler and that others should submit to his pre­ eminence. It's been downhill since, as Obama struggles with what he recently called "the least productive U.S. Congress in modern history." But how much of the legislative failure can be attributed to obstructionism by Congress and how much might be a result of Obama's dictatorial, condescending attitude in dealing with them?
If Obama wants a decent legacy, he should pay more attention to those pesky senators and representatives of we the people.
Edgar B. Wycoff is an associate emeritus professor at the University of Central Florida.