After 9/11, Bush created a massive surveillance state. Obama was elected to roll it back and clean that shit up.
Instead Obama grew the surveillance state much further because he felt it was a necessity that he could manage more ethically than Bush had. His administration litigated vigorously against any whistle blowers that opposed it: Assange, Manning, Snowden, etc.. And people were OK with it, because Obama wasn’t Bush; Obama was such a nice guy .. And people didn’t think that far ahead …
The surveillance state will outlast Obama, and will soon be inherited by President Trump.
Thanks Obama!