The last time I was this disappointed with a Democratic leader took place
when, well, everyone else was annoyed also. Bill Clinton had taken the
country on a rather unpleasant roller coaster ride, and despite his
bewildering popularity, a lot of the electorate was pretty much over it.
Fast forward twelve years. Since my first election in that still-too-painful-
to-discuss 2000 race, I have consistently voted Democratic. Gore was
my choice the first time I voted for a president. In 2004, although I was
one of the many who "dated Dean and married Kerry", I still voted to put
the longtime Massachusetts senator in the White House. In 2008, I liked
the message and diversity of the young, charismatic Barack Obama--and
was pleased when he won the election.
Unfortunately, the President is losing me.
I want to clarify what that means, though. I still support President Obama.
I will never vote anyone into office whose platform remotely resembles
that of former President Bush's. Nevertheless, the Democrats in Congress
and the Administration have missed numerous chances to do the right
thing, and have instead focused on doing what is politically expedient. If
we were only playing politics, that would be admirable. The problem is that
the people who enthusiastically elected Illinois' junior senator expected
more than what they're getting. I'm talking about Liberals and Progressives;
those who almost took Obama's play book as something biblical.
I assume that we were an easy sell. Following the shady election in 2000,
we entered the Bush Administration already bitter and looking for revenge.
Pour out new wars, mix with an inadequate response to the biggest natural
disaster in U.S. history, add a sprinkle of the alienation of our World allies
and a generous serving of social Conservatism and voila!: a group, whom
after eight years--was glad that someone, anyone was paying attention to
them. When Conservative media outlets announced in barely-concealed
horror that Obama was the "most liberal member of the Senate", we, the
down-trodden squealed with delight. Finally--it was happening. Things were
going somewhere.
Not that they still can't. The President has two years left in his first term,
and a lot can happen in that time. But Barack Obama is allowing
Republicans, the very people who hated him to begin with, to define his
Presidency. In doing so, he is completely repulsing his Liberal base--the
people who stood behind him on his platform of a health care public option,
ending tax cuts for the wealthy and repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." He
has caved to Republicans on all of these issues. And it is getting old.
Mr. President, I'm not asking for you to become a Miracle Worker. We did
have hope that things would be different when you entered the majestic
Oval Office, but most of us who use reasoning skills understand that not
everyone was on board with your plans from the very start.
These days, Mr. President, all we ask for is bold leadership. Take the
Democratic Party, known for its tendency to self-destruct due to lack of
unity, and do what we elected you to do. Stick to your guns. And if, as a
result, you meet the fate of Jimmy Carter and go down in flames as a one-
term President, we'll stand behind you. We'll support you, Mr. President,
because you'll have been defeated pushing for the Change that you
inspired us to believe. But if you stay on your current path of making
convenient decisions and caring more about shrewd moves than integrity,
I'm afraid that I'll have to go shopping for someone else to believe in.
And I doubt I will be alone.
