We all know the Right's critique of the President has failed. Rush Limbaugh did not get his wish! But what of the Left? The tone of the criticism of the President on lefty blogs has been persistently negative and none too prescient. According to his critics on the Left President Obama "sold out to Wall Street." He didn't "bring the change he promised," he "is just like the Republicans," etc., etc.
And I'm not even counting the shrillest voices on the Left and Right who have accused President Obama of either/or undermining national security -- by being a "secret terror-codling Muslim" -- or using drones to "murder civilians," because "he is just like the Republicans and part of the corporatist elite."
I happen to be a white 59-year-old former Republican. I happen to be a former religious right leader who came to my senses in the mid 1980s and quit the hate and fear religious right machine. (I explain about why I left the religious right in my book Crazy For God.) I also happen to have been one of the most vocal (and one of the first) Huffington Post bloggers. I was blogging there when we emailed in blogs then were called by the person who posted them. I supported then Senator Obama, just about every week during the Democratic primary season in 08. Back then I had lots of company at HP from the top down. It seemed we were all rooting for Obama.
Not anymore. I still blog at HP and other sites like Alternet but have actually been kicked off several progressive sites for continuing to support the president. (No kidding.)
About 6 months into his presidency lots of bloggers at HP and elsewhere seemed to run out of patience not just with President Obama but with reality itself. President Obama "disappointed" them. I stuck with the President because I believed then, and believe now, that he is smarter, kinder, more reliable and morally superior to his critics let alone to the political alternatives. I also know that the presidency is not as powerful as many people seem to think it is including many liberal commentators who claim to live in a fact-based world. I'm grateful if any president can get anything good done at all.
The Left and Right have united in predicting President Obama's failure and even seeming to root for it, if nothing else to prove they were right. So will the "sky is falling" prophets of doom on the Left and Right -- who have made it a national pastime to predict the "failure" of the Obama presidency -- start to climb down now that all their dire predictions are falling flat re the economy (that Obama did not ruin!) and wars ending (that Obama did not start!)?
The wars are ending and the economy is coming back. Good for the country. Bad for the doom pundits of the Left and Right.
Anyone who thinks Obama didn't "bring change" fast enough is living in a fact-free dreamland. First, they have no to little idea about how limited the president's powers are. Second, they have no idea what this president in particular faced. We'll get the change promised but it will take 2 full terms and it will never live up to the expectations of the utopian groupies of the Left who thought they'd voted for a messiah not a mere president.
Just like Mr. Schaeffer I have been attacked repeatedly by people, many of them liberals, who believe that I "drank the kool-aid" or that I am "giving the President a free pass." Neither of those are true.
But what is true is that my expectations, which admittedly were unreasonable at the outset, became more reality based as I watched the opposition the President faced, and the lack of support from many of his Democratic colleagues, as he tackled truly herculean tasks.
What he has accomplished thus far has been amazing.
But in my opinion it is NOTHING compared to what he will accomplish in the next four years.
I love that! So true. We really have no idea, do we? And yet, he continues, day after day, to push quietly for an agenda that will make America strong again. He makes time for those children, his and ours, and smiles that smile of patience and love. We are very fortunate to have this great man as our President. Perfect? No. The One, as Hannity like to snarl? No one but Fox said he was. But he is intelligent, caring, and a far better example of the Christian faith in action than anyone complaining about him, let alone those lying daily about him (that would be anyone on stage at CPAC.) And, most important right now, he respects and honors women. Can you say that about any of the GOP monsters?
ReplyDeleteO/T Oh, how the mighty have fallen... Sarah will be sharing her moose stew recipe and talking about her favorite fast food.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.iddba.org/program.aspx
Dairy-Deli-Bake 2012 in New Orleans, Louisiana
I agree with you and Frank! The mess President Obama inherited is staggering to think of. That he has been able to do as much as he has, with absolutely NO support from the right side of the aisle and EVERY right-wing windbag rooting daily for him - and our country - to fail is nothing short of amazing. I live in the reality-based world, BTW. And, to answer the question, "is your life better than it was 4 years ago?" I can say YES with a grateful heart.
ReplyDeleteI have had to defend President Obama from my negative friends on the left. He's not perfect, but his actual accomplishments exceed the myth of Ronnie (the reality of Ronnie was easy to beat). He is the first president in a long time who actually inspires me. I'm looking forward to him kicking some ass in the next 4 years.
ReplyDeleteYes, I will end up voting for Obama. No, I am not happy. The fact that he has not stood behind habeas corpus, that he has insisted that he has the right to assassinate US citizens, that he signed a bill that negates the constitutional right to speedy trial and allows unconstitutional search and seizure - all of these and more were the opposite of what he campaigned on. Is he better than Mitt or Newt or Rick or Sarah? Of course. Is he a saint? Absolutely not. The key thing for America and the preservation of whatever democracy we have left (damn little)is the Supreme Court. We can count on more corporate clones if a Republican gets in. We can hope (if we are not indefinitely detained) that Obama will have the opportunity to replace one of the clones with someone who will reverse some of his policies.
ReplyDeleteGreat post G - it almost sounded like you wrote that yourself - you've made similar statements here many times.
ReplyDeleteI still love our prez and it's sad that he's been attacked relentlessly for the past 3 yrs.
History will someday show what a great president he was. Wish people would open their eyes now before it's too late.
He deserves our support and respect.
I'm with you Gryphen! I too was a bit disappointed in the President in year 2 &3 of his presidency, but then reality kicked in and I thought about his quiet perseverance in the face of so much opposition and I realized how much he has done, with so little help, and I knew it was time to rally behind him. I can't wait to see what he does in the next 4 years!
ReplyDelete-Ayerishgrl
Only the intelligent knows that the president has done great considering the enormous mess he inherited and the obstruction from the right he has had to deal with, NO cooperation whatsoever from the right. And LITTLE support from the left.
ReplyDeleteI am one of those intelligent. I have never wavered in my support for President Obama.
Funny how the so-called Dems expected president Obama to walk the water, but they never treated prior Dem presidents like this. The Dems respected and worked with Clinton. The Repubs even retreated Clinton better that they treat President Obama.
The Dems who should have been supporting him, started undermining President Obama soon after he was elected.
So, I guess the impatient, immature Dems will not be happy until they get another Repub president. But it won't be this time, Democrats, you will have to wait until 2016 to try for another Repub president. Because President Obama is going to win in November.
Signing off, disgusted with fair-weather Democrats.
I will never understand why so many liberals thought that Obama was a saint, why they thought he could fix 8 years of Bush mayhem in 1 or 2 years, why they are angry because he didn't focus on each one of their particular pet grievances first, why he hasn't single handedly, without the support of Congress passed all the legislation he aimed for and now they are angry because he won't tie one hand behind his back and run for a second against billionaires without a superpac. When are they going to start whining about how disappointed they are because he isn't walking on water yet? We realists who support him have never expected him to be a saint and never expected miracles overnight. That he has accomplished as much as he has with the obstruction he has encountered is a miracle in itself.
ReplyDeleteSo are they paying Sarah to bake cookies at the Dairy Deli thingy or is she paying them to come and see her? Will Bristol be giving her "best selling book" away, too?
ReplyDeleteFantastic column and I agree wholeheartedly!
ReplyDeleteAmen to that...
ReplyDelete+++
What Deni said... to the 44th power!
ReplyDelete8^)
I was angry with the President when he sold the Coast Guard to BP during the Gulf oil spew.
ReplyDeleteHe might have realized the hopelessness of the situation and cut his losses.
Karma is at work, however, because owning the Coast Guard isn't helping BP as Haliburton and Transocean have escaped culpability in court regarding paying the fines.
o/t -- the iddba.org is a serious organization for food providers. SP is stuck in one-hour morning slot on the second day, right before the coffee break.
ReplyDeleteI don't think she'll be entering the cake decorating contest (face-smashing is her decorating signature), and none of her children will be eligible for undergraduate or graduate scholarship help in the food field.
How being a "rogue" ties into their agenda remains to be seen.
But, yes, this appears to be all her speakers' bureau could come up with nowadays -- a food convention in New Orleans, with Terry Bradshaw giving the final motivational speech the next day.
Some Democrats have acted terribly towards President Obama.
ReplyDeleteNo Dem politician has ever come to his defense against all these disrespectful attacks. But I do recall Pelosi and Rangle coming to the defense of Bush.
I have lost all respect for the Dem Congress.
Come on Dems, lets make it happen, A LANDSLIDE VICTORY, for President Obama. Lets stick it to his haters, on the right as well ad the left.
Thank you! I wonder why it never occurs to critics of Pres Obama that we live in an imperfect world where even the POTUS can't get everything he wants.
ReplyDeleteI am a grateful supporter of our president. We are so lucky to have this good man as our leader in this time of crisis.
Imagine if McCain were at the helm.
It's all true.
ReplyDeleteHow many years do the critics feel one President can turn the country around, without any Congressional support, without a bipartisan team that works together for the common good. Every thing that President Obama and the First Lady do or say, they are criticized.
I've never seen or heard in my 54 years any First Lady being criticized so much as some kind of control freak, who wants to push good eating habits on everyone. I've never seen an interviewer ask a First Lady if the accusations in a book about her being difficult are true? - while her husband still holds Office?
In my view, this President has had to endure so much unnecessary BS all for trying to bandaid the country together, yet through the lies and accusations, he's still shown himself to be a human being with great integrity and a true leader.
5:02 AM is that you Gasman? Sounds so familiar, but you're just posting under an Anonymous.
ReplyDeleteIf not, then whoever you are, you really need to go do your homework and quit being so friggin' paranoid.
And don't bother voting for Obama if you're so goddamn unhappy. I never understand people like you who are quick to accuse and berate, but don't ever post a positive statement to counter balance.
I'm delighted with our President, and even though I can list MANY things that I don't agree with, I still have the intelligence and maturity to recognize that this is natural and logical. You can't always get what you want, but what I HAVE seen and gotten is exemplary.
Obama ROCKS! 2012+
As soon as it's proved WE were wrong and that Obama has been telling the truth. Hint: it never will be because we see what you refuse to, liar in the oval office. It's in HIS words.
ReplyDeleteAFAIC, Obama showed his true colors by inviting that disgusting bloated bigoted pig Rick Warren to bless his inauguration.
ReplyDeleteNo, actually, he showed them when he agreed to be grilled in the first place by that smarmy ass hypocrite.
Does that mean Obama is as bad as a Republican?
No. But it doesn't have to.
Just add up all the times Obama has stroked, coddled, and caved into the right wing (i.e. people didn't vote for him and who will NEVER vote for him) at the expense of liberals/progressives, AKA the people who DID vote for him.
Because if you expect those of us who are bitterly disappointed in Obama's presidency to read Schaeffer's commentary with an open mind, Gryphen, you better damn sight open your mind to what I'm saying.
Because you have to know that's also true. Just read Glenn Greenwald's latest columns in Salon, if you're even interested in the truth, to learn how drastically Obama is out-Bushing Bush.
I live in the South and listen to a morning hunting, fishing, and sports show on the radio. The show is basically three good old boy hosts bantering back and forth with a wide variety of guests. It starts with Red Skeleton reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by a country singer (I forgot her name) singing the National Anthem. This show has the most accurate weather reports anywhere, so I switch from NPR to this show to catch the forecast. The report is often dragged out a good fifteen minutes as topics other than the weather are discussed with the meteorologist.
ReplyDeleteRomney ¨is an out of touch rich guy.¨ And ¨the others do nothing for me.¨
They all like President Obama.
Our President and First Lady are outstanding. I will vote for the man in November and be proud to do so.
ReplyDeleteScorpie
Mr Schaeffer doesn't mince words! His message is LOUD and CLEAR for those who are listening!
ReplyDeleteI and all my family members can not wait to vote for President Obama AGAIN in November!
OBAMA 2012!!
http://www.iddba.org/program.aspx
ReplyDeleteAh, New Orleans in June in these times of climate change. It's a good thing for Snowdrift Snooki that her kind of evangelical denies climate change. That way she'll never feel the 90% humidity and the now-annual flooding of the Mississipi threatening the NOLA levees.
http://goneworleans.about.com/od/festivals/a/Jube.htm
Good thing we don't yet have what the GOP threatens to do, doing away with the Army Corps of Engineers and privatizing fixing those levees (i.e., skimming federal funds and doing a crappy job).
Her speech is scheduled for 9:20-10:20 am on Monday June 11th.
Does she even get up that early, let alone apply the spackle and eyeliner and mascara? Will her wig fluffer be accompanying her again, with a boxful of books to hawk?
I hope a IM faithful can sign up for her speech, give us a boots-on-the-ground report; otherwise we'll have to rely on the C4Pers who are interested in the dairy-deli-bakery industry.
>>Just read Glenn Greenwald's latest columns in Salon
ReplyDeleteYeah, right. The BIGGEST Firebagger of all. I wouldn't give you 2 cents for Greenwald's Garbage. Go do some research on that idiot. Phil at PA used to sing his praises, too. He's one of the WORST offenders on the left, along with Jane and her crew. So, you don't get ANY credibility using that guy's name, no way, no how.
Bitterly disappointed? Oh good god, what did YOU expect to leave you so bitter? You do realize that YOU are in charge of your expectations, NOT President Obama, and if you projected YOUR expectations on him and didn't get what you wanted, that sits with YOU. So grow up, and wake up to the political reality that we live in. I suspect you live with the 'glass half full' in your life, which is why you can be so bitter.
I join those who recognize what amazing things have been accomplished in the last three years in the face of the dire circumstances that faced the young president upon arrival. He has done it with grace, honor, humility, fairness, deep intelligence, stunning compassion and strong convictions. I am proud to support him now, before and into the 4 years of his leadership.
Anon @ 7:34 AM invoking that POS left-wing rhetorical bomb-thrower Glenn Greenwald. who defended a Twitter-follower who said "Obama could rape a nun"?
ReplyDeleteYou just took yourself out of the conversation.
Anon @ 7:34 AM, since you disparaged fat people (you must not have gotten the memo from the other trolls the past day or so)...
ReplyDelete...Sarah Palin showed her true colors "when she invited that disgusting bloated bigoted pig" Rebecca Mansour to be her Facebook and Twitter ghostwriter.
I so agree with Frank and Gryph. Yes, the President has done many things I don't like, particularly with regard to civil liberties. However, during the campaign he openly agreed with Patriot Act, so I knew that was going to be a problem.
ReplyDeleteIs any candidate going to agree with me on all issues? No. So, I'll take the best one I can, and that was Barack Obama. Overall he has accomplished a great deal in the face of vicious opposition. The Left needs to dial down their rhetoric during an election year (I'm looking at you Phil), and resume challenging the President to do better once he's re-elected. You know no one on the Right will listen to you at all.
~physicsmom
Anonymous @ 7:30 AM
ReplyDeletePlease, we keep asking you. What lies are you talking about? Why can't you spell out the lies? Enlighten us about them so we can follow your holy wisdom. So far you have come up with nothing that is coherent.
We are so grateful for having President Obama as President and Michelle Obama as First Lady.
ReplyDeletePresident Obama has wielded his calm, patient intelligence in ways that may not be obvious to those who only appreciate the obvious. He knows the Presidency has limited power, knows when to push a progressive agenda and when to make realistic compromises.
I absolutely adore him for standing against the far right desire to invade Iran, to stand against the Keystone Pipeline, to make sure women have accessible, affordable healthcare.
The "dreaded Obamacare" will prove itself to most of the country as its provisions kick-in. People need to be aware of how much good it is already doing and how much it will. There was no way he could have gotten single payer done in one term given the original opposition and then the 2010 Tea Party influx into the House. I think if we take back the House, he will move us towards a single payer plan.
These changes take time. Anyone who lived through or has studied the Civil Rights movement knows this. What Obama has done for the LGBT community is astonishing considering the opposition.
I commend this President for what he has accomplished and believe he can accomplish even more if we have his back. I will work to make sure he gets re-elected.
The Story of Us: Five Years Ago Today
ReplyDeletePresident Obama wrote a message to us today:
"Five years ago today, a few thousand of us gathered in Springfield, Illinois, to launch an improbable campaign for president.
The task was to build a grassroots movement capable of making the kind of change we believe in.
You've got to see this video about that journey -- it will make you smile.
From the very start this has been an experiment in our political process, testing whether ordinary people really can still come together to change this country.
We proved that it's possible. But we've also learned that entrenched interests adapt and claw back even harder, which means this election will be even more of a challenge.
I can't wait to see what you can do.
Barack"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=v896_ZvM97Y
I believe this man was sent to us by a higher power, and I don't mean you know who...although I am an atheist, I am very spiritual. He is the best of us, the whole package, which is why they hate him so much. Being half white makes him being black that much worse to them. What better time for this country to make such a statement and elect him? 2008 was a true turning point and I think there will not be another Republican president for many years to come. I can't imagine the 2016 guy coming close to what the Obama family represents, Michele is the female version of him. Their smiles and warm hugs
ReplyDeleteare so sincere as you watch the babies and children responding everytime...as do adults. I for one am looking forward to the next 4 years of kicking ass. My hope is that those states finally wake up and vote out McConnell, Cantor and McCain..and Bohner.
I've disagreed with the president on tactics or on the breadth of his policies, but not once have I ever questioned his intellect, compassion, or his citizenship.
ReplyDeleteAmerican conservatism is so bereft of reason and intellect that you pretty much say any batshit crazy ludimocrosity and get applause from a GOP gathering. The insanity is piled upon insanity and it compounds itself until it is beyond any and all sense of reason or reality.
They don't debate the issues. They attempt to pummel the opposition into to the dust. They want to utterly destroy all opposing thought. They want a theocratic, one party dictatorship with their people at the helm. They want to crush all political opposition or get us to leave the country.
They are stupid, they are arrogant, they are mean.
They are also SO arrogant, condescending and strident in their message that they are unelectable nationally.
Santorum can spout his neo-Medieval social philosophies all he wants. It makes it that much more likely that President Obama will be reelected by an overwhelming majority.
"he is smarter, kinder, more reliable and morally superior to his critics let alone to the political alternatives."
ReplyDeleteSo was Jimmy Carter. He was a less than effective president because he was too nice, compromised too much and didn't have enough of a backbone or cajones to push his agenda.
There is such a thing as being too nice, compromising too much, being too patient.
I still say Obama should have been the one taking on the dog for training. You learn a lot about discipline training a dog.
Lieberman should have been punished for his betrayal. The blue dog Dems should have been disciplined. All of the Dems should have been whipped into a cohesive whole voting as a block.
I'm not saying Obama hasn't done anything. I'm saying he could have done a lot more and opportunities slipped by.
I also feel his appointments have not been the best. Salazar, Vilsack and now the new FDA guy. Monsanto? Really?
Sharon said...
ReplyDeleteI believe this man was sent to us by a higher power
Yes, Sharon, I fully agree. I also don't follow any traditional organized religious idea, but I know a Light Being when I see one.
I'm voting for President Obama AGAIN and many friends and family members of mine are going to too! I so dislike the constant negative stuff put out there by our media (to include those that supposedly lean left - i.e. Chris Matthews) - Republicans especially. But, I guess that is their job - the parties just don't think the same.
ReplyDeletePresident Obama seems to keep above it all and does not do the personal stuff. He is a saint as I'd be telling them by name to 'f--- off and get some facts together'!
Santorum will never be elected. Sex is ONLY for making babies - not for enjoyment. Plus, he wants to immediately stop access to birth control. I cannot believe we have MEN spouting this crap - trying to control women in 2012!!! It will never work!
ReplyDeleteSo much is going well for President Obama, the USA and American citizens that the Republicans have nothing else to bring forward. I suspect their 'anti' women discussion will bring out the voters in mass and President Obama will be re elected!
Vote all Republicans out of office in Congress - state governors - state legislators and in city governments. They hurt us - they don't help us. Congress has a 10% approval rating now. What friggin assholes - doing no work other than try to stop President Obama every step of the way.
President Obama is amazing in accomplishing the things he has in spite of the U.S. Congress and their lack of support. Where are your friggin job bills, Boehner? (House/Congress)
Don't forget to vote and donate to the President Obama national campaign. I'm sending him another check soon! Grassroots folks - very, very important - just like last election for him.
When Candidate Obama came on the scene, as much as I wanted a female president for myself and for my daughters to see it in their lifetime, I compared him to Hillary and it was abundandtly clear who was the better candidate.
ReplyDeleteI'm sick and tired of the fringees on both sides, but especially for the democrats who feel Obama "owes" them for voting for him because they believed he'd get their "pet issue" passed.
This post by schaeffer puts it succintly, and those who don't hear what they want to, might as well vote GOP, or better yet, not vote at all.
But don't complain when the bottom falls out. I've never seen a president accomplish this much in three years, he's earned respect from foreign countries and he's earned the respect of all US Citizens- but he won't get it.
And he's done all this against a tidal wave of obstruction and back stabbing. Read "IF" by Rudyard Kippling, and you have the essence of how President Obama leads.
Anon @ 7:04,
ReplyDeleteShould I be offended by your flinging your shit in my direction? No, 5:02 was not me. I don't post anonymously. However, I find it absolutely precious that you hurl the turd "but you're just posting under an Anonymous," WHILE you are posting anonymously. No, unlike you I am consistent in my usage of a nom de plume.
Your reading comprehension skills are apparently so deficient that you are unable to comprehend the fact that I have CONSISTENTLY maintained that I was one of the earliest and most vocal Obama supporters, I voted for him in my state's primary and the general election, I have continued to be a supporter of his, and I WILL VOTE FOR HIM IN NOVEMBER. However, that does NOT mean that I am restricted to servile featly toward everything that he does in office. I can be a supporter AND disagree with some of what he does. You'll find that a common trait among adults.
How fucking insecure are you in your positions that you require unanimous consent from everyone you interact with? I enjoy debating with people that disagree with me, even vehemently so, and can do so civilly without simply resorting to ad hominem. Notice that when I have disagreed with the president I have very specifically cited my policy differences and explained them in some detail. You simply hurl your shit.
I find your tactics indistinguishable from those of the teabaggers or Palinbot buffoons. Being an arrogant bully is no more acceptable from supporters of President Obama than it is from his implacable foes.
If you want to debate, fine; state something in an adult manner, buttressed by facts or at least well articulated and well reasoned opinion and I'll be more than happy to spar with you. However, I will NEVER lurk behind anonymity and will be more than happy to hand you your ass on a plate if insist on acting like a venomous wounded toddler.
So, fuck you very much and anybody that looks like you.