As they say, hindsight is always 20-20. But if I could magically go back in time, knowing what I know now about President Barack Obama, I never would have supported his candidacy over the other nearly equally loved candidate at the time, Hillary Clinton.
This is not to say that I didn't share his "hope" message. I remain hopeful. Its not to say I don't want to live in an American where "there are no red states and blues states, only the United States of America". I long to see that day.
But I am a realist. And I believe the centrism conveyed in these basic statements (framed with the Presidents actions, or lack thereof, over the last three years) is the true rot at the core of our government. Partisanship is not a bad thing and our President is afraid to be partisan. Partisanship is the backbone of any politician. Its an acknowledgment to the people that voted for you. Partisanship is are reminder of the promises made to be were you are and you need to uphold those promises every day. Elections ARE the ultimate exercise in partisanship. And leading needs to be the same way. Having a point of view that is based in fact and sound analysis, as the President often has is not a bad thing. But it only matters when he is willing to stand up for what he believes in. Have you EVER seen Barack Obama say no? I can't imagine Hillary Clinton ever allowing the political situation in this country get to this point. I can't imaging her allowing herself to be pushed around. I can't imagine her allowing the debate to be framed by recalcitrant GOP with no interest in compromise, only absolute and complete surrender.
What IS a bad thing is trying to make everyone somehow happy all the time by surrendering your principles and standing as the political leader of this country, something our President seems to want to do more than anything. Mr. President, you are NOT the coordinator in chief. You are the commander is chief. If you want to give a speech on Wednesday and the speaker of the house, for obvious political reasons doesnt want to accomodate you (a first in American history) you take it to the people, and not surrender and allow the speaker to dictate to you. You go make your speech to an empty chamber of congress and point out to the American people on national TV how the real problem is that congress places an unimportant debate far over the message of his speech: jobs and unemployment. Could there not be a better way to point out the hypocrisy of the modern GOP? It was a wasted opportunity of the highest order! The GOP left every receiver that we had wide open in the end zone. All Obama had to do was throw the ball. Instead, he takes a knee. I just dont get it. How can this be SO obvious to nearly all of us and nearly every political pundit alive but be completely lost of the man who is supposed to be "the greatest politician of his generation"? Its a farce.
Is moving the speech a big deal in the large scheme of things? If this was the only thing that Obama bowed to GOP demands for, no. But in the context of serial surrender in which BHO operates, YES it is. It's symbolic of how The President has lead (or not lead) our party and this nation since we all worked so hard to get him there. He is not leading. He is far too easily pushed around. He is much too eager to allow people and groups that large percentages of Americans across the board have little love for. Look at the Speakers numbers, large corporations, the rich, wall street, all of whom Obama has either stood up for or surrendered to...... How can he stand up or acommidate THEM and ignore the core of people who did the dirty work to elect him in the first place!!
He is afraid to call people out, especially the most insane of the all. He is apologetic about the rare occasion that he does get emotional in public (such as he did before the debt ceiling surrender) and actually show some guts. He is far too easily sucked into the right wing framing of every major issue of this generation. He seems to be embarrassed to lead at times. Leadership to our President seems to be nothing more than a nice suit, a podium and an exercise in oral declaration. Where is the arm twisting? He tells the GOP to eat their peas than says nothing as they sweep full plates of them into the garbage in open defiance of who he is and the OFFICE in which he represents. He allows the GOP that is NOT loved by the vast majority of Americans get its way on nearly every issue. And the Democrats in Washington are far too eager to not call the man out on it. He has no partisan accountability, instead choosing to try to lead based on rhetoric, not results. Its NOT working. Its to the point where the office of the President itself is weakened by his lack of action and guts, just as the office was weakened by GWB's complete lack of respect for the laws and morals on which this nation was founded. It just doesn't need to be this way. I could not be more disappointed.
The title of this diary has to do with Hillary Clinton, and if I could step back into a time machine, I would have without question voted for her to take on todays GOP who is rooted in opposition, and nothing more. While she was seen as a centrist, she is a fighter. And at the core of partisanship is always a fight. Someone with a proven track record of dealing with intense partisanship and the courage to be victorious over it. Someone who is not afraid to call out the insanity that is around her. Someone who has been fighting the GOP "dirty tricks" since NIXON. Someone who can see a smear campaign from a mile away and call people out on it. Someone who had the courage to propose a sweeping reform of the health care industry years ago in concrete step by step detail. Someone with the guts to not be intimidated. Someone who fought even in a primary battle to the very end, then had the grace to admit defeat and the serve in the administration of the man who defeated her, all for the best of the party! If life only had do-overs........
I regret ever voting for Barack Obama and SpeechGate is the final straw. I cant maintain the facade of support for him any longer. I mourn as I watch this country be taken over by a Republican Party who is so completely out of touch with reality its hard to believe with a president who is far to willing to deal with them on their ground, not on the ground that he was elected and certainly not in reality.
To Mr. President of any of his representatives, if I am lucky enough to have one of you read this please know this: I supported you with everything that I had in 2008. Why? Because you made me believe. Nearly everything that you have done since your election has left me disappointed in the person that I thought you were and the leadership in which I thought you could provide. What am I and millions of others asking for? For you to lead based on the principles that you orated in 2008. Find your backbone. Get some guts. NOW. Surrender and capitulation were never a part of the Barack Obama that got my vote. Leading does not happen by committee or by making the opposition happy and certainly is NOT allowing a GOP to dictate to you about the core of what our democracy is: the ability of its leader to address the representatives of its people. Is such a minor thing but there could be nothing more symbolic of the failure of your presidency over the last 3 years. Its an embarrassment that you allow John Boehner get away with it.
Mr President, if you have a hope with me and millions of others in your "base" in 2012, you better get busy. As of today, I am not voting for you. Furthermore, I am not sending you any money. I am not making any calls. I am not converting any family members. I am not registering any friends to vote. I am not putting a sign in my yard. I am not writing letters to the editor in support of you. At least until you show me and ALL of us SOMETHING. Remember, Americans dislike one thing more than anything: lack of guts and courage to do the right thing. And to stand up for the people that you represent. With each capitulation, you are sowing your political grave with your own base. Do you even realize this?
Where is your courage Mr. President? We do not live in a poker game where each move is a bluff in some grand scheme of achieving a grand political goal where you are viewed as the knight in shining armor. We live in an America with huge problems which need your leadership. We want results. Day to day. In the trenches. Do you realize that we "rope-a-dope" the collections agencies and the banks every day? Do you realize that WE are forced to come up with strategies to deal with formidable foes every day interested in our demise, simply to survive and put food on the table for our familes? Do you not see how we can be frustrated when if WE have the courage and guts to fight for ourselves and our own day to day battles, its IMPOSSIBLE for us to understand and continue support you when you are simply unwilling to fight back to the foes that you face? We find ways to stay alive in the worst economy in generations. And YOU cant even fight to give a speech on the night in which you choose? You are THE PRESIDENT. Where is the fight?
We thought you were our champion, willing to right the wrongs of the previous generation. Instead, thru your inaction and capitulation, you have only allowed those insults to American democracy to be even more firmly established in the politics of our time.
I could NOT be more disappointed in you, Barack Obama.
I should have voted for Hillary.
Update: Phrase noted in comments removed. Sorry if it offended anyone. Not meant that way. That being said, I am a bit surprised at the push back on this. Is there anything in the diary that IS NOT TRUE about how the president has governed? You are free to disagree with me for factual statements (and certainly comments you may find offensive) but I stand by my diary. There are millions of democrats who feel the same way as me. If we have a chance of pulling Obama back towards the base that got him elected, it will not be from continuing to support his unsuccessful and insane attempts at bi-partisanship with a GOP that has NO interest in the matter at all. I want Obama to FIGHT.