Obama gave a standard stump speech, which the crowd liked. Shouts of "O-BA-MA" were frequent. He did slip up once..he said "Urban Action Network" instead of "National", but the crowd corrected him. I'm sure that will be covered here by others.
Finally, on his way out I managed to get in a handshake. We exchanged smiles. He and I are the same height so we met eye to eye.
That was me writing in the Spring of 2007 about my first face-to-face encounter with Barack Obama. That was when I was one of the few people who got an early eye-to-eye look at a future president before all the security and handlers surrounded him. It was longer than a normal political handshake, but not as long as that of old friends. It was a brief handshake, but definitely eye to eye. I'm big on handshakes. I size people up with them. I found then Senator Obama's handshake firm and assertive. The hands were soft, but not excessively so. More of the sort frequently washed with rough soap. The eyes were steady and confident. "Good luck" and "thank you" were the only words exchanged and the smile was sincere. It seems like a long, long time ago now.
Well, here we are, in fall of 2010 facing an election in which Barack Obama has asked that we not turn back and that we stick with him. There is a good case to be made that this president does not deserve to be stuck with. Those who feel this way have arguments I largely agree with. I don't need to repeat them. There is another case to be made that the alternative to him and his party is so unpalatable, regardless of how you feel about the record, that this president is better than the alternative. You know all the particulars of that case, and certainly agree with that as well. Then there is also an argument that says this president deserves to be stuck with because he has done all he could do with what he had, and that he has gone in the right direction. And there is the argument that he is doing a great job, and that some people simply need to be convinced that this is the case. Most Democrats fall into one of these categories. President Obama has asked all of us, irrespective of our position, to stick with him. I will. But I have two things: an explanation and a caveat.
The main reason I am sticking with President Obama is because he has confronted some of the toughest issues this country faces. For that, he stands in stark contrast to his predecessor. I do not always agree with the position the president has taken on issues, ranging from peace in the middle east all the way to trade policy. But on those fronts and many others, this president has confronted them--sometimes ably and effectively as with saving America's auto industry, sometimes incompetently as with the foreclosure crisis. Never before has a president faced such a myriad of major problems, both foreign and domestic. But rather than ignore them, this president has, for the vast majority of these issues, chose to deal with them For that, he deserves a great deal of respect and the loyalty of his party.
It would the easiest thing in the world for this president to attend lots of patriotic events and sing paeans to the Founding Fathers. The most politically expedient thing to do is spend his presidency attending ribbon cuttings and medal awards. The presidency has a damn good benefits package if you can get it, but there are no requirements as far as work ethic. You can hire an army of lieutenants to attend to all the busywork if you want, and literally spend your day handing out cufflinks and signing whatever is put in front of you. With the amount of problems this president faces, it is a marvel he hasn't thrown up his hands and flown off to Camp David. For that, we should be thankful. But we should be loyal because he has gone beyond that and thrown himself into the job, sometimes well, and sometimes like a bonehead. I am pleased the president loves this country enough to do what has to be the best worst job in the world.
I don't know what his eyes look like today. I don't know if the handshake would give me the same confidence in him as it did that first time. I do know he has my support as long as he keeps his shoulder to the wheel, even though I may often be critical of his push and posture.
There is one line in the sand, however: Social Security. Social Security is THE bedrock social compact that binds this nation together through generation after generation. It is THE signature achievement of modern American democracy. It is the foundation program of the modern Democratic Party. There is nothing wrong with it. It produces substantial surpluses every single year and will for many years into the future. It is the one program that ties youth, work, sacrifice, perseverance, aging, sickness, old age, and death together all at once. It is so important, it nears the sacred. For that reason, there is really no reason at all to remain a Democrat if a Democratic president cuts Social Security. For now, I take the president at his word when he says he prefers to raise taxes on the wealthy to account for distant shortfalls in the program. But when he says, "All options are on the table," I start to worry. It makes me fearful that he will mess around with the last, best, hope of an impoverished middle class. Make no mistake: Cutting Social Security is a dealbreaker, pure and simple. Cut it, and I'm gone.
So, on Tuesday I encourage you do like me and go to the polls and vote. Vote for Democrats, including the ones who make you want pull your hair out if you have any left. Trust me, I feel you on that. But the truth is the Democrats are the only party that is even bothering to talk about the important issues in this country. The other party only cares about who is and is not Muslim or a minority and other ridiculous fluff nobody should care about. Let's stick with the team, even though most of them really do make us want to hit the showers, including the star player.