I think we, meaning, progressives, moderates, the younger generation have been looking to him to take on the right and fight the battle for us. When I say us, I mean the busy, preoccupied or ambivalent. The bully pulpit can only reach so far and usually that is just preaching to the choir.
With the world falling apart around us, and the right wing trying to self-destruct us from within, what do we want him to really concentrate on? Who has the ability to force Congress and the state and local legislatures to listen? I'm looking at Wisconsin to answer that question.
Is the President the only one who can save us?
Realistically, one man, even with presidential powers has only so much influence. This representative government is suppose to be run by the people, but we have been abdicating that responsibility just as much as Congress has. Some of it comes from hopelessness. Some of it comes from apathy. Some of it comes from honest disagreement. A lot of it comes from buying into the corporate mentality that they will take care of us, if we give them what they want. (In other words, don't make waves.) A lot of it comes from expecting a few to do the work of many.
I am not a political person and I don't enjoy politics, so for most of my life I have avoided them. Do I have the right to complain? I don't know, but probably a whole lot less than the ones who do get involved. Yet one of the things learned, watching the unions fight back is that one person (or even a few dedicate souls) can't do it alone. Whether it is collective bargaining, human rights, environmental issues, etc..... , we cannot expect to have someone else solve our problems.
The same can be applied to this President. Do you think that he may be expecting us to speak up for ourselves this time?