The President We Don’t Deserve

[babylonsister]

http://www.blue-route.org/blog/op-ed-2/the-president-we-dont-deserve/

The President We Don’t Deserve
November 12, 2014
Posted by: David Phillips

snip//

We are terrible. The only group of people I can think of in this country that might be worse are those that presently serve in congress. Democrats who run from the President, and their own successes, and Republicans who run from sanity.

That truth does not let us off the hook. A few weeks ago, the center-right columnist, Jon Avlon, was on Real Time with Bill Maher, and he made the most simple and yet one of strongest defenses of the Obama presidency I have heard. He essentially said, if you compare the way things are now to the way they were when he entered the office, it is inarguable that things are appreciably better. He’s exactly right. And somehow, this is true despite zero assistance from that not so loyal opposition known as the GOP, and relatively feckless support from the party whose standard Barack Obama bears like a 60 pound stone.

For this, we–the American people–have paid this man almost no dividend. His approval ratings are underwater, and the oh so recent midterms were an unqualified disaster, due in no small part to the inability of those of us on the left to show up. We provided a vacuum for a sour, science denying, willfully ignorant, and yes, appreciably racist hard right to step right in, and wipe the floor with us. We made it so easy; it’s embarrassing.

snip//

There is no point in trying to cure the sickness of apathy, misplaced anger, and reckless stupidity that grips this country, the way many seem to foolishly fear Ebola one day will. In short, we can’t be pleased. Therefore, this president should set his sights higher–not that it will be hard to do. He should look to those who will either come after us, or are still too young to understand the complexities of the difficult times we live in. Those whom he might just be able to leave a better world. Maybe they will thank him for it. Certainly those that go on to become historians will.

And that seems to be just what he’s doing. It has barely been a week since his party and his supporters abandoned him. In that time he has pushed for–in the strongest of terms–the maintaining of net neutrality. Late last night he reached a historic accord with China (China!) to greatly reduce carbon emissions, and next week he’s primed to take major executive action on immigration reform. If you are a progressive, these are exactly the things you should want. If you are anyone else, these are exactly the things you need–whether you want them or not.

I wish I could I say we were worthy of it. That we would recognize it. That we might deserve it. Lucky for us, as Clint Eastwood once said, “Deserve’s got nothing to do with it.” And we are damn lucky. Much luckier to have Obama than he is to have us.

[greatauntoftriplets]

1. Happy to be the first to recommend this!

[Faux pas]

2. Kickin'

[freshwest]

3. Been saying this for a long, long time. Enjoy him while you can, folks. It's all downhill from here.

[classof56]

4. Giant K&R

Thanks for posting! I recognize our good fortune. I can only hope I am worthy of our President as I give him my wholehearted support. And yes, I know the issues that seem to abound among those who would criticize and refuse to acknowledge all the good he has done while in office, in spite of the barriers he's faced. I cannot understand how those who claim to be Democrats can fail to support him and stand up for the values he represents.

Stay strong, Mr. President. The future of our nation is at stake.

Class

[brer cat]

5. K&R

[byronius]

6. Best president of my lifetime.

And people who should know better crap all over him for dealing with harsh realities that would melt their own brains.

The dedication of the lockstep Right and the splintering of the whining Left are dragging us to Hell.

[freshwest]

15. Well said, byronius. Better than I could have.

[Trajan]

30. Why don't you just pick a side ... and get it over with ...

You hate the 'whining left' ?, then escape them completely ... be done with them ...

You, and Mary Landrieu, can finally come out of the shadows and be somebody, for a change ...

Signed,
Whining Lefty ...

[Cha]

31. Yeah, the "whining left" who are whining they didn't vote b/c they had no reason.. Not having the

brains to think about our Planet Earth and Global Climate Change..

"We provided a vacuum for a sour, science denying, willfully ignorant, and yes, appreciably racist hard right to step right in.."

[cry baby]

7. 'Tis true. nt

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

10. See, this shit right here gets on my nerves. If someone says anything good about Obama--

because we're looking at THE BIG PICTURE and saying that he is a great president, inevitably there will be someone charging "blind allegiance"!! Tired of that shit right here!

No one said, suggested or implied that you couldn't criticize this president or take issue with any of the policy decisions that you disagree with! No one did that!

Of course no one agrees with every single thing he has done, every decisions he has made, or how he has conducted himself in office! Hell, I wish he were more liberal on a host of issues. Of course, I knew that he wasn't before I voted for him in 2008!!

So what the hell are you talking about?

There's no "blind loyalty"! Really! Stop that!

[freshwest]

17. No, there is no blind loyalty. There is blindness in the knee jerk negativity we oppose.

It's why many people have left this website and the Alexa numbers are so low. Negativity doesn't help, and that was all that was. This the BOG, not where blindly trashing Obama is seen as being clever.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

20. Exactly. And you know what? We had a Clinton forum. We had a Kerry forum.

Last edited Fri Nov 14, 2014, 06:54 PM - Edit history (1)

Hell, I think we even had a John Edwards forum for a time.

And never before in the history of DU has one forum been attacked, ridiculed, lambasted and disrespected as much as the BOG forum. I don't even visit BOG often and it's not because I don't support the president. I just feel that we should NOT have to go to a separate forum because the general DU forum hates and disrespects this president so much. It happens so much that the moderators felt that they had to create a separate forum in support of a DEMOCRATIC president.

Again, no other presidential candidate or president has been disrespected and mistreated as much as President Barack Hussein Obama, Jr. Indeed we do not deserve him.

[freshwest]

24. What I've seen here is shocking, worse than RW sites. Dems are tortured for sport. It's nauseating.

Last edited Fri Nov 14, 2014, 11:48 PM - Edit history (1)

And yes, we cannot even have one group to stop the hatred of this President. It's either his color, the values and people he represents, that are hated. If not all.

In either case, it is hatred for rank and file Democrats who had the gall to dare to nominate the black guy for the job of being POTUS. That filters into attacks on this group which are arrogant and absolutely shameless in their sense of entitlement to come and take a dump in our virtual living room here. Last year we were being trolled with lies, but mostly pure vitriol. If not that, with the same tone of mealy-mouthed, begrudging commentary better associated with Rush and O'Reilly.

Irisheyes asked why was it allowed? Why do people come with impunity and toss feces in the air, then complain when they are not allowed back in to take a piss on us? Who allows that in their own home? Are we just supposed to take it like dumb doormats, or do they expect us to get down on our knees and humbly ask for more abuse?

Yes, we saw something in 2007 and still see more in 2014 in Obama, that is more than his color. Black people have supported so many white candidates who ascribe to the values that would perfect this nation, without endless whining. But we have this crew that demands he cater to them and their fantasies exclusively and demand he serve them alone.

I see the caterwauling about the ACA as defining the racial lines at DU. No, it was not Nirvana. Obama never promised that. It was a lifeline for the invisible, the ones who can't afford to post at DU. The ones who don't spend their time complaining about the NSA because they have been treated as suspect all along.

Oh, yes, they are touted by those who just now notice the problem and want black people to entertain them with a revolution, they want to see blood run in the streets. The new dance they want to see black people do for them.

It won't be their blood though, it never was. People who bled take things more seriously and don't want violence, they don't want to be on TV, they want it resolved. Those who cheer on any opportunity for violence sound more like voyeurs to me than anything else.

Their main heroes are the celebrity naysayers, the purveyors of disdain and haters of Obama and Democrats. They will not be hurt if he fails in his mission. We know damn well they are paid handsomely for it, and don't give a damn about the unnecessary deaths of black people in this nation every year that far exceed the flashier deaths by police.

The silent, the unknown, the black souls who have gone to their graves for lack of ANY health care AT ALL. Sheshe posted the statistics some time back, the daily holocaust.

When they see a lifeline they must take it, as they have no room to complain for not getting the perfect, a luxury they don't have, nor do the disabled or impoverished. We need solutions, not rigid ideology and can't care where it comes from.

I did not get much out of the ACA, but then, I was not totally without any means. Some are and have been for years. The Medicaid expansion was meant to save the lives of nameless and unwanted people who don't post here, yet they are humans. If the naysayers believed in Equality, they would accept that they may just be better off than some others.

But they won't, they keep whining about what they didn't get. It reminds me of the fat caterpillars on the juicy leaves high up the tree, looking down on their kin dying in the dust far below and without sustenance and then finding fault with the for the few leaves that fell down for them. That is what I call gall.

The blindness we're trolled with must be a form of racism, and there is more than one kind. The kind that honestly says like the insane Right, that Obama can never be good enough because of his skin color as if skin color is the sum total of character, just what MLK argued against, and the Reich argued for.

The other is the racism that Obama cannot be his own man, cannot express any difference than white memes that have not worked for POC. There are many who accuse Obama of not being liberal, or progressive, or whatever the litmus test du jour is, because he does not solve problems to give their groups, mainly white ones, more power. So in what way are they different than that goon who owned the Lakers, saying blacks were the enemy?

I could rant more but I have some things to do offline. Glad you posted here at the BOG. See you later, LS.

[Jamaal510]

48. +1

I just feel that we should NOT have to go to a separate forum because the general DU forum hates and disrespects this president so much. It happens so much that the moderators felt that they had to create a separate forum in support of a DEMOCRATIC president.

DU have its own wingnuts, apparently (unless some of them are actually RW infiltrators). It's hard to tell.

[IrishAyes]

38. This is the only remotely political spot I care to read at all on DU anymore.

I'd just as soon poison my brain at the Blaze as to get a whiff of DU's GD. While there are a few other forums and groups based on other interests - I happen to like Catholicism and Orthodox Christianity - they're not enough to keep me returning to DU at my former avid pace.

But I do hope the BOG remains, because it's here where I'm reminded of the good in life - and sometimes that's sorely needed.

[Cha]

36. Thank you, Liberal_Stalwart.. I agree.. well done! Invaribly someone brings up something like

"blind loyalty"! to those who support President Obama.. like we can't support him without it.

All I ask for when the President is criticized is respect and not some knee jerk ignorant cheap "pos" pot shot.

And, that's why we have the Barack Obama Group so we don't have to put up with that.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

12. "Perfect Is The Enemy Of Good"

Being demanding is one thing. Mirror imaging the Tea Party isn't.

[freshwest]

18. And you did not rec the thread, either. Do you know this is the BOG? I wish you'd delete.

[sheshe2]

28. They have been banned freshwest.

[IrishAyes]

39. I'm sure the vast majority of us appreciate that greatly.

[sheshe2]

40. hey Irish~

Good to see you. Actually they wrote me, a nice PM. I reinstated them so they could delete.

Hugs~ Tired and heading to sleep soon.

Will talk to you soon.

[freshwest]

43. You're so nice, sheshe and cha is very fair. I'm so sick of the teabagger enablers I'd never fit in

as a BOG host which I explained it a while back. Thanks for taking time from real life for us.

[sheshe2]

44. Thanks freshwest.

That's the second time I reinstated someone. The first one wanted to be reinstated to post an apology OP and they did. This one, I tried to explain why BOG is here, our safe haven from all the vitriol that is tossed at us and Obama. It was a little scattered because I had a splitting headache. I only said I would appreciate a delete and that it was up to them to decide.

They sent me back a thank you~

freshwest.

[freshwest]

45. I'm still not as nice as you, sweets. Good work. I'll skip my thoughts.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

9. Just said this to folks on Facebook who haven't got a clue.

I'm STILL convinced that even on a subconscious level, this man's race has something to do with it.

We treat him much worse than Bill Clinton. Yes, Clinton has issues from some members of his own party, but even when he faced the Monica allegations, he had Democrats of all stripes stand by him.

Democrats--collectively--stood by Clinton despite his deregulatory policies that continue to have a negative impact on all of us to this day. And we continue to defend this so-called "political prowess" of the Clintons, though their involvement hasn't helped not one Red State Democrat win reelection. Not one!

And still we give little respect to this president. We complain about every lucky fucking thing, no matter how small or inconsequential. We whine and bitch that what he does "isn't liberal enough" and then call him all kinds of horrible names or relegate him to The "Worse Than Bush" file.

It's sad.

Yes, we do not deserve him. Not at all.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

14. And there was no Fox News for most of Clinton's presidency

The most harm done to him was from Letterman and Leno. Compare that to the media giants Obama and Liberals face today. No contest. Clinton had Kenneth Star and Rush Limbaugh balanced by a relatively unbiased news media.

Since the rise of the chickenhawks in 2001, the MIC/corporate media is obese with war booty. No comparison.

The Fourth Estate is long dead; murdered by Neocons. And most Americans are clueless about that. But carry on America Inc. Undermine your best last chance at democracy.

Idiots.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

16. Added to this, Clinton had friends in the media. Jim Carville and Paul Begala; and then

George Stephenopoulos (sp?) for awhile. That's why the ReThugs renamed CNN the "Clinton News Network".

Obama has NO friends in the media. Even MSNBC can't be relied on because the so-called liberals who have their late afternoon and evening commentary shows are quick to throw him under the bus when he isn't liberal enough to pass their liberalism litmus test.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

21. Not because he's "not liberal enough" in most cases.

The MSNBC voices who are heard outside their network are just jumping on the meme of the day - like the Ebola scare just before the election. I think they behaved like cowards in the face of the dark money tsunami.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

22. Yes, that too. Plus, they tend to be reactionary, which is worse. Hey, look at the ReThug

outrage of the day. Now, let's react to what they are doing.

Really, the Republican Party sets the narrative. Then, Faux News puts that narrative in the media and sets the tone for the Corporate Media. That narrative is repeated by so-called "more balanced" outlets--all trying to compete with Faux News.

But what happens is that they're all REACTING to the narrative that Republicans set.

And because they are afraid of being tarred with the dreaded "liberal" label ( oh, noes! can't be liberals! ) they go out of their way to be the reaction against the meme or to act as if "both sides are the same" and therefore government is broken.

And if government is broken, which party does that benefit? The party that views government as necessary for benefitting the public good and serving those in need? Or the party that views government as bad, evil--the problem!

That's really why the Democrats lost. Not only were they cowards, but they didn't have a response to the prevailing corporate narrative--the meme that suggests government is broken.

Government is broken because we elect people who deliberately want to break it so that they can turn around, point to it, and go "seeeee, see how bad government is!".

[SleeplessinSoCal]

25. Absolutely. Think Tanks figured out what you describe.

And highly paid tv newsers simply accompany the tune they play.

[Cosmocat]

11. The treatment of this man by EVERYONE in this country is an embarrasment

republicans for absolute deranged partisanship driving them to do what they have done his entire term - oppose just to oppose, democrats for not standing up for him and the overall populace for letting republicans act like they have and not only not holding them accountable but REWARDING them for holding back the progress of the country in their crazed opposition to him.

[gmb92]

13. And the irony

of progressives claiming Obama is too conservative and Democrats are the same as Republicans, causing them to stay home and not vote, is that we end up with a more right-wing government, which moves all existing progressive leaders further to the right, and giving the non-voters even more apparent ammo. President Obama's greatest achievements were front-loaded in the years he had political capital and Congressional control, with more modest results since (rolling back Bush tax cuts for top incomes after the 2012 election, and various executive action). The people who don't vote don't have a say if the needle moves to the right further. That's their own doing.

But the post exaggerates quite a bit. Obama's approval rating is still averaging low 40's, not that unusual for a 6th year president, maybe 8% below the 50% mark. The 2014 election turnout was low, but not much lower than 2010. It's a midterm voter turnout problem that goes way beyond President Obama. Having him on the ballot actually turns out voters in record numbers (in recent decades). It's the midterms that are the big problem.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

19. YES!! I never understood this logic! I've been screaming this for years!

These people sit back and declare that not voting will "show them!". Show them what? That electing more Republicans will move policies to the left?

Does that make any sense at all? No it fucking doesn't. And I never understood that way of thinking.

So people went in on me because I'm rooting for Mary Landrieu to win her reelection. Well, she's not liberal enough, according to them. So having a Republican replace her will make the Senate pass more liberal bills? HUH??!?!? Do you see the logic in that way of thinking? I don't.

I agree so much with you here. And thank you for helping me point this out.

I will continue to point it out, too, because as a political scientist, this shit gets really frustrating.

And welcome to DU, by the way!

[gmb92]

23. Some make it about the candidate rather than about the American people

Landrieu's wrong on environmental issues, supports oil and gas interests, and one of the most conservative Democrats...and still far better than any Republican running against her.

Some don't vote because they believe a candidate or the party deserves a kick in the butt. If they don't agree with them on almost everything they're not worth voting for - binary thought that one would think progressives would avoid. So they sacrifice a few politicians and get a result far-reaching consequences for the American people, with future policies becoming more unfavorable and remaining progressive politicians seeming more conservative. Their remaining favored leaders become less effective. Elections should always about voting for the best candidate (or least worst - they are logically equivalent).

[Cha]

34. Very Well said, gmb! And, the President's polls are not quite "underwater" but it seems that's

the popular thing to say.

Welcome to DU!

[randys1]

26. Obama has been Superman given the circumstances

[Cha]

35. Others agree, randy..

http://www.democraticunderground.com/110226664#post2

[sheshe2]

29. Thank you bsis.

"we are damn lucky. Much luckier to have Obama than he is to have us."

So true these words.

[Alittleliberal]

32. The media has aggressively pushing two narratives of who Obama is

One is that he is a liberal commie Marxist. The other is that he is a warmongering corporatist.

Neither are true, but it's been enough to convince people on both sides of the political spectrum that they should hate him. Because hes destroying democracy and something about Benghazi or Ebola.

I was 6 when bush was elected the first time. I remember what it was like to be a liberal in a highly conservative district middle school. Bush committed war crimes and I was called a traitor for criticizing his disastrous policies. I was told that he was the president and he deserved my respect even if he fucked everything up. Told that even if you didn't respect the man you respected the office. It's fucking sickening.

[Cha]

33. “Obama’s greatest mistake was overestimating the American public.” From your link..

"And that’s mostly how I feel right now about this country, and those that are contained within. Embarrassed. Because if you would have told me at the ass end of the Bush Administration that in six short years, the stock market would be at record highs, millions more people would have health care, job growth would be constant and ever expanding, we would be relatively safe from terrorists and loose nukes, have many fewer troops in harm’s way, be nearing a full acceptance of gay rights, and generally just not walking around trying not to shit our pants as all that we hold dear seems to be crumbling around us, not only would I be ecstatic, I would have purchased a hammer and a chisel from the hardware store, hopped in my car, set my GPS for Mount Rushmore, and requested a photo of the man who would lead us out of that doleful wilderness so I could get to adding a fifth face to that monument. But that’s just me.

So what should President Obama do with his remaining two years surrounded by an obstructionist Republican majority, a reeling Democratic minority, and a public that can’t be bothered to know or appreciate anything he has done? He should tell us all to go straight to Hell, and do what he’s been doing for the last six years…what he by and large believes is right. Only now, he should do it harder. The irony of it all is that will probably end up being what is best for us as well."

Thank you for this babylonsistah~ I like this guy, David Phillips.. it is mind boggling.. that the goPropaganda Big LIe Hate Machine Works so well.

[IrishAyes]

37. Wish I could rec this x1M.

[Lady Freedom Returns]

41. +1.

[Kath1]

42. Agree 100%!

Yes, we are damn lucky!

[jambo101]

46. Wow a place where people actually like Obama/.

Unremarkable black kid from broken home rises through hard work and academic genius to become 2X duly elected President of the USA.
One can only dream of the heights he could have taken this country had he been given free reign to implement his policies,
Unfortunately he was met with obstruction,filibuster and a shortsighted dysfunctional congress that impeded his greatness and genius.
Hopefully in the future history will see the true measure of this great man.

[Jamaal510]

47. O didn't deserve

to be damned with this block-everything Congress. All the time, I hear people say he didn't do shit and that Democrats lose because the party doesn't stand for anything, but he got a lot accomplished (especially before 2010), and Democrats have been the ones pushing for higher minimum wages, equality, and more. The RW-nuts and the non-voting whiners have no one but themselves to blame for this perpetual stalemate.