I was an adamant supporter of Obama. I saw him in person in Iowa before the primaries. I donated politically for the first time because of him. I engaged in political blogging (if only a little) for the first time because of him. A picture of him hangs in my home office even as I write this diary.
I stood by him through the mire of health care negotiations, deferring to his political acumen and pragmatism. No doubt, it was a success in many ways. In retrospect, I wonder if we could have got a lot more with Howard Dean’s proposal. But still, I have stood faithfully with Obama until today.
I sent an email to the White House a few days ago with a warning, a clear line—capitulating to the Republicans on bonus tax cuts for income in excess of 250k would cost him my support. Of course, I was only holding him accountable to the line he drew so clearly and repeatedly in his campaign and his presidency.
Bad Metaphor: The Line that is No Line
Even in today’s press conference, he continued to state that this was his line--even after he had already walked clear over his line to shake hands with the Republicans. Apparently, a "line" to him is dashed, something with gaps in it. A "line" is an ideal that, since so often unrealizable in terms of real politics, can and must be crossed.
But that is not a line; that is a preference. No matter how repeatedly championed in his campaign, no matter how stern his appearance and tone of voice defending it now, when it comes down to it, drawing back tax cuts for the super-wealthy is only Obama’s preference.
The poverty of the metaphor raises a deeper question. Does Obama have any real lines at all, any principles he is unwilling to compromise, any beliefs he is unwilling to sacrifice? Does the Pragmatist have any Ideals at all?
Pure pragmatism cedes the logic, the narrative, the issue and most of the power to the Republicans. In this day and age, it is ceding Democracy to the Plutocrats. They define reality. They stand on principle. Obama can only respond to this reality.
In his own words,
I have not been able to budge them. And I don't think there's any suggestion anybody in this room thinks, realistically, that we can budge them right now.
From Obama's point of view, the Republicans are the immovable object. From my point of view, the one elected to office as an apparently unstoppable force has now been halted and turned clean around, pledging his support against his own pledge.
Bush 2.0 was a deeply immoral president, selling out his country and sacrificing his military to corporate interests.
But because he had principles and stuck by those principles, he was enormously effective at bringing about his immoral ends.
Only a President with sharp, clear and consistent moral principles will be able to undo the damage of that Presidency.
Wrong Analogy: The Negotiator's Crisis vs. a Crisis of Leadership
Which brings us to the analogy Obama used today—a hostage crisis.
The analogy has a certain rhetorical edge and appeal—the Republicans are painted as the bad guys, trying to use people’s lives (unemployment benefits) to acquire the desired ransom (tax breaks for the super-wealthy).
But more disturbing is how Obama's analogy paints Obama, limning his own political identity and role. From his own point of view, Obama is a negotiator. Yes, a concerned, compassionate negotiator, fighting for the lives of the American people—but at the end, still only a negotiator. Not the head of the executive branch. Not the most powerful person in the world. Not even the guy with the veto pen. Just the lead negotiator during a long-lasting economic crisis.
Apparently Obama is still living out his self-perception as legislative Dealmaker-in-Chief, reliving his history in the Illinois State Senate and US Senate as the guy who brought people together on both sides of the aisle to get things done for the common good. This is a noble goal, but it is not suitable to the Office he now holds.
We need something different from our Executive-in-Chief. We need someone who leads, who channels the hopes and touches the pains of the American people. We need someone who defines clear, simple, moral principles and stands by them without wavering. We need someone who draws up the debate and defines reality with his veto pen and then pins it on the Republicans if they do not respond to this reality. We need a moral leader, a principled Executive-in-Chief.
I thought, many of us thought, that is what we had in Candidate Obama. But President Obama is not acting like a President.
Since the President drew a line, I have drawn a line.
Since he crossed his own line, he has crossed my line.
He has lost my support. The picture comes down today. Donations stop today. Defending him stops today.
It may be possible for him to regain my support and trust. But he will have to earn it.
He will have to start being the President we elected him to be.