Objectively, I agree with what you're saying in a PERFECT WORLD.
But we're not in a perfect world. I also think you're losing yourself in how things are now in 2025 but, not considering the climate of 2009.
You want the President....the first Black President....to jail the CEOs of Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Citi Bank, and Wells Fargo? Really breh? You seriously think that this would happen? Without massive blowback? First of all, you're tanking the market off rip. Next, I could see Republicans trying to spin it as being motivated by racial animus with this black man jailing all these white execs. Putting Jamie Dimon, Lloyd Blankfein in jail back then is like putting Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos in prison right now. It's just not realistic and that's not even getting into the amount of money and influence these companies wield.
Socialism was also a very dirty word back in 2009. It is now but even moreso back then. The Republicans tried to paint Obama as a socialist in all of their attacks and he wasn't even that Progressive. If he nationalized the banks, with his black ass, they would have all the proof they needed to paint him as one and the majority of white people would buy it. Again. I don't necessarily disagree with what you're saying but, you are underselling how much pressure Barack was under and how he would be treated if he did any of the bolded.
I remember the climate. I’m not even saying he had to do those things but there are clear levers of power that he could have used.
The federal government was openly talking about buying shares of the banks of 30% to 50% ownership using the TARP money.
Obama had them by the balls. The public was seething.
Bankers not going to jail is still ridiculous. Obama was popular well into 2009. He used that to build pressure and support for the ACA. That’s fine.
I think Occupy Wall Street would have still happened but there were a couple of things Obama could have done. Writing down mortgages and prosecuting bankers could have been done and helped him politically.
Also the people who slow rolled or defied Obama were Eric Holder at DOJ on prosecution and Tim Geithner at Treasury.
Holder was terrified of prosecuting bankers.
Geithner was against anything that helped home owners and didn’t fulfill Obama’s pledges on keeping people in their homes. He wanted the foreclosure wave.