This is my first diary, although I have been reading Daily Kos for many years.
I have great respect for people who have argued both for/against President Obama. My despair might very well not be shared by many, but I feel as though we are at a turning point that will seal the fate of this country.
I first intended to send this through the whitehouse website, but it was too long. I will probably compose it and send it the old fashioned way. I welcome comments that can provide more hope. I very much hope that I am in the minority and that I am wrong about the consequences of President Obama's weakness in his first year of office.
President Obama,
First, I have to say that you and the First Lady brought us great hope last year; however ...
You and the entire Democratic party have now lost me. I don't recall ever giving up before, or not voting over the last 28 years. When President Bush was in office, I still had hope despite the disaster that he was. I knew that he was not working for the welfare of most people, but I could hope that there was a person who could unite us and bring this nation out of the darkness. You did that for many people during your campaign. I felt the energy begin to move people again.
But your positions over the last 11 months have squashed my hope for at least another decade.
I think that my record of giving to Democratic/progressive causes is clear and in the public record. I gave what I could wherever I could. I've said many times to many people that it does matter who you vote for, and that Democrats are different from Republicans. But I was wrong -- your policies (and those enacted by our Democratic Congress) have taken care of corporations at the people's expense. Your path seems to be so much like George W. Bush on so many key issues: Financial reform, war, health care, climate, green energy, DADT, LGBT, deals, deals, deals. I've carefully studied many issues and the differences you have made are not substantial.
Tonight, I read about the tentative deal in Copenhagan -- I am disappointed.
I see an America where the youth are walking away with no hope -- I'm fairly certain you've lost them. I see a country where Hispanics are turning away after you brought so many different people into a coalition last year. I see an America where the LGBT community is losing hope. America will be less educated than the rest of the advanced industrialized nations. We will be sicker. We will be more in debt. And eventually, we will most certainly fail given the path we are following.
I have children ready for college, but I can't afford the tuition. I can't afford to pay for good health insurance since I'm self-employed. I am recommending that my children establish citizenship elsewhere; it's the prudent thing to do.
I see an America where people are in fear once more after a short span of hope that has been betrayed. I see an America where people will hurt others for their own benefit. I see an America where seniors don't think "those [poor and lazy] people" should be given subsidies at the expense of their own healthcare. I see an America that still doesn't have a moral authority at the top of the executive branch. What have you done to lead? What happened to Candidate Obama? Are two terms really worth betraying the good things you talked about when campaigning? Do you not have the power to effect change?
If I survive the next couple decades and have the good fortune to look back from some safe vantage point, I believe that this time, your years as President, will be the turning point where America finally collapsed. It was one thing to fight against an enemy of the people (as GWB clearly was and the Republican party doesn't even attempt to hide). But it is worse to have hope and then have it taken away. It is worse to be betrayed by a traitor within, then to fight a known enemy outside. I don't know how many people feel as I do, but I pay attention, and I see many people in pain. I think that many would walk away from our great country, if they could afford to escape. I would speculate that you will have a tough time winning back people that feel utterly betrayed. I will reverse course if you give me just cause, but I won't plan on such a miracle, and I doubt you can achieve what would be necessary.
Tonight, I will attempt to turn away from this wonderful country that I adore. I won't vote for non-progressive candidates ever again, even if it means that a corrupt Republican will take control. It is up to the people of this country to choose a better path, and no longer settle for the lesser of two evils. At this time, the US is last in education, healthcare, and social safety net in the industrialized world. After your weak reforms, I suspect that we will still be last. That is not change.
I will seek a new place to live -- a country that invests in health, education, and its people, rather than corporations, war, and destruction. I wasn't ready to commit to such a change while Bush was President, but your actions have convinced me that it is now necessary. I am not sure I can successfully escape and find such a place, but I will try. And I will pray for the well-being of people everywhere: the many suffering here as well as the many we have hurt elsewhere.
One of the greatest tragedies is being given power and responsibility and then failing the people who truly need your help. I pity you in this regard. Your family is in our thoughts, and I will continue to hope that you can find your way.
With deep regret and loss ...
careseeker