It's okay to be disappointed with the way things are going right now. Whether you're disappointed in the President or Congress, that's your right. Every election these people make promises to the American people, and specifically their constituents, and then turn around and do something else after they win only to make the same promises again the next go round. I am frustrated with President Obama, I'm not going to lie and say I think everything is going swimmingly. I had rather high (and possibly unrealistic) expectations of Pres. Obama. I know he inherited a busload of HUGE problems that were never going to be fixed in one year. But at the same time, I had expectations that he'd make bigger splashes, have more progress, in certain areas than he has.
I am MORE frustrated with Congress. Obama can only do so much. With regards to healthcare, he said what he wanted for health care repeatedly. People can debate how hard he's fought to get those things, but I don't think he was just sitting around twiddling his thumbs. But when we have people like Joe LIEberman hijacking the legislation because he has a grudge against "liberals", that's just something totally different.
With that being said, this is not the time to just say "oh, I'm not going to vote." This site is supposed to be about electing BETTER Democrats, right? Well we can't do that if we don't vote. If you don't want to campaign and/or donate, that's fine, but don't just "not vote." Take a break from following the process day by day for a while if you must, but don't just give up on your right to be heard.
I'm not going to say "well it's not like McCain/Palin would be any better", we all agree or we would have voted for them. I'm also not going to say "well it's not like this stuff will get done if Republicans were in control" for the same reason.
It's okay to be disappointed, it's not okay to just give up.
There's a poem that I learned in undergrad, that I think is appropriate for what's going on right now:
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow--
You may succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor's cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out--
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit--
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.
- Author unknown
I have a framed copy of this that my mom gave me that I have to stop and read from time to time because it's easy to be disappointed and to feel discouraged, but like the poem said "it's when things seem worst that you must not quit." I honestly don't think things are as bad as they could be right now, so that's all the more reason to not just give up.
Oh, and just for clarification, it's also okay to be "not" disappointed, but I don't think the people who are satisfied are the ones who are saying they won't vote. :o)