The media has been breathlessly and anxiously reporting how the honeymoon was over for this President since before the poor man's inauguration.
Well, I guess from the mood around here, it's over alright.
Let me briefly state why I'm still a supporter of ( call me a 'bot, I don't really care ) and why progressives probably need to wise up soon.
Ever wonder why it's so hard to elect or re-elect a Democratic president in the U.S?
Carter, who was probably wayyy ahead of his time, of course didn't get reelected and is now considered in modern times as the model NOT to imitate when governing ,hence all the wishing and hoping from the right to make Obama into another Jimmy Carter or the not-so-clever references to O'Carter.
He got primaried from the left by no other than our Ted and even though that probably wasn't the only reason he lost the election, it was a damn big one.
Where did that leave progressives? We got Reagun'. Guess what, he's rated somewhere ( have to find a link) as number 5 in the list of greatest presidents. Number 5!!!!! Can any of you think of any president that set progressives back as much as Ronald? He was a nightmare...
Then we had some sort of fluke in the first election of Bill Clinton. His first couple of years were headlined by his battles with progressives, on gay rights (who else even talked about gay rights before he arrived?), he took on the gun lobby (something not even Obama has touched with a ten foot pole), which by the way some people believe is the reason why Democrats took such a beating in '94 ;he could have recovered from healthcare.
Progressives say that Bill Clinton is really no model progressive but I don't know about you, his presidency was the last one I remember people being genuinely content about where the country was headed.
The discontent from the left however may have cost Gore....Why does it feel like deja vu? Guess who we got again?
Now, am reading and looking around and I m seeing the same signs with this Democratic president too..Listen folks, I don't think this country could ever recover from another Republican government. I really don't .
Of course , some of his choices are kinda dubious. The economy? Sure, we don't get Summers and Geithner but I remember last fall when everything was in a free fall and the DOW was in red,red,red until that one day when those two stood with Obama as he was nominating them. For that one day, it seemed like some sort of order had returned. Even progressives didn't say a word as everyone wanted.to.make.it.stop. please!
When people scream for their heads now, I shake my head thinking "excuse me, I thought this was a wreckage 15 year old in the making?"... Unemployment is high but unfortunately, they told us it would be. They said it would get worse before it gets better. Every economist told us that. Now, if it's the same deal in 2 years, then we got a problem. I just want to see my President work his butt off to find ways to make it better. I have a feeling he's not getting much sleep.
Afghanistan? Mm.. I guess this is a case where everyone heard what they wanted to hear. I heard : Iraq , bad- Afghanistan, necessary. Heck, am surprised it's taking him this long to send troops.
Healthcare? Be assertive, Obama. Knock heads, Barack. Why don't u own this, you weak minded undecider? Ugh. Well, whatever his method is, it s gotten him closer than any president in 40 years so he's doing something right. Clinton stood there, pen in hand, looking over his glasses on his nose: I will not sign anything short of universal healthcare.
Yeah, that worked out.
Oh, but it's a weak bill, so watered down....And? There are 100 senators and what, how many in congress? Do u know the amount of political skill, cajolement, threats, compromise etc..it must take to get even 2 of them in agreement?? This is someone who was in the senate 2 years! Biden knows these people for like half his life, see them as friends but still can't get them to fall in line.
Progress is just that. It comes in small increment, doesn't always yield immediate results and even though impatience is sometimes necessary, it's ultimately a useless if not counter productive tool.
How so? Republicans are licking their chops and when someone like Santorum thinks that with the way things are now, he's got a shot at 2012...
Oy.
Our impatience really worked well the last 20 years uh? Sure it's nice to hold off for Kusinich but it ain't gonna happen. We must work with what we've got. We'll make noise, push, write but baseless and personal attacks on this president only serve to divide us.
I'm not ready to give up on him and am sure as hell not letting people forget who is responsible for this mess so that they elect them again.
Sometimes, progressives, it's not them (Carter, Clinton, Obama)...it's really us.