Based on everything I've seen here for the next few days I think that a lot of Kossacks might as well just give up on Obama.
Every single thing he's doing is being examined for symbolism and meaning and if the whole term is like this then I think it's going to be a miserable four years.
I understand about the gay marriage thing. Not as a "some of my friends are gay" person. Not even because my aunt is a lesbian and I got fired from a job because my born again supervisor freaked when I told her that I was going to NY to attend the funeral of my aunt's lover who got hit by a drunk driver (10 years ago). And forget the fact that I actually have an ex-girlfriend.
No. I say this because Obama is not Kucinich. He's not someone who is off to the left enough for everyone here to approve of and I'm beginning to think that's the only person who would please everybody.
People who are in the GLBT community are furious about his choice of Rick Warren. However they may be perfectly happy with Obama's choice of Vilsack.
People who feel Vilsack is Agribusiness and out to kill the farming industry may not care as much about gay marriage as long as civil unions are considered.
People who are furious about HRC being Secretary of State because of her views on the Iraq War may not care as much about the above two issues. And vice versa.
There are people who are angry that Salazar was appointed because they don't feel he's Green enough.
People are angry about keeping Gates and appointing LaHood for Transporation.
Everyone in the progressive blogosphere is saying the same thing about almost every choice Obama makes:
WHAT IS HE THINKING!!!
Well my answer to them is: HE WAS NEVER A LIBERAL!
And he never claimed to be. If the progressives read his history and looked at what he's said, he's not acting or saying anything different.
Obama has always been a coalition builder.
Obama has always said that he is not for gay marriage but for civil unions.
Obama has always said that he is a man of faith.
And what he is "thinking" now is not a contradiction.
This is where my pragmatism kicks in. I voted for Obama because he was better than the alternative. A man like Kucinich or Sanders even would not get elected President. I'm getting more of my needs met than I would be if McCain was President. And I'm getting less of what I don't need.
Obama has always said he's a pragmatist. He believes in educating the ignorant and seeing both sides. I think the problem is, the Left was so excited to have someone that wasn't Bush that they didn't realize that the "seeing both sides" means exactly that.
You don't like how he stands on things? Educate him! Take him to task when he doesn't something you don't agree with. It may change his mind, it may not.
But if you're going to just say "fuck him" every time he does something you don't like then you might as well just give up now because I'm sure he will do a lot more you don't like. He is in the middle and to be honest with you, I don't think the choices for Cabinet would have been much more progressive if HRC had been elected.