Indulge me for a moment. I want to try an exercise.
If you find yourself defending the President most of the time, try playing the other role - list 5 things you disagree with the President about- be it policy, politics or bargaining. If you find yourself usually critical of the President, try playing the other role, list 5 thingsyou agree with the President about.
I'll go first. As a usual critic of the President, here are my 5 favorite Obama moments:
(1) Saving Detroit in 2009. Brilliant, bold and right. On the policy and the politics.
(2) Sotomayor and Kagan on the SCOTUS. Two bright and progressive women on the highest Court. Very meaningful, in terms of women's role in society and in terms of policy. Remember, the SCOTUS is extraordinary.
(3) Repeal of DADT. A historic breakthrough. It's very likely to be in the first or second graf of the encyclopedia article on the Obama Presidency. We probably underestimate its historic importance.
(4) Ending torture. While I don't think anyone should get special credit for being a decent human being, the policy shift it too important for me to let slip by.
(5) The stimulus. Yes, you know what I think (too small, too much tax cuts) , but it is still a top 5 for me.
Now it's your turn.