From the time that Barack Obama campaigned for the Democratic Nomination for President to a year and a half into his Presidency, he has been hammered by the GOP, the media, big corporations, the Tea Party and even some Democrats for not being enough. Every day there is an attack on Obama for never being enough of something. Can we ever be satisfied?
This is how it goes. He didn’t have enough political experience. He didn’t have enough executive experience. He wasn’t Black enough. He wasn’t White enough. He wasn’t old enough. He wasn’t liberal enough. He wasn’t conservative enough. He wasn’t tough enough. He wasn’t angry enough. He wasn’t American enough. He wasn’t partisan enough. He wasn’t bipartisan enough. He wasn’t transparent enough. He wasn’t in the White House enough. He wasn’t out of the White House enough. He wasn’t patriotic enough. He wasn’t apologetic enough. He wasn’t pro Israel enough. He wasn’t anti Israel enough. He wasn’t pro Muslim enough. He wasn’t anti Muslim enough. He wasn’t enough of a peacemaker. He wasn’t enough of a war monger. He’s not concerned enough about education but he’s too educated. He doesn’t take his family on vacations to the right place enough or he doesn’t take vacations at the right time enough. It goes on and on. On one hand the Tea Party accused him of not being enough. On the other hand they accused him of being Hitler and taking over “their” country.
No matter how you look at it, there’s an accusation or an attack on President Obama that he isn’t enough of something. You hear it all day long on the cable networks. You hear it from the GOP every time they speak with rare exceptions. This day to be moderate seems to be the “kiss of death” for the GOP. It’s seen as a lack of purity. If you’re not leaning far enough to the right as a Republican, and denouncing Obama in every way possible, then those who are pulling the strings, clamp down. And who is pulling those strings?
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You hear it from Blacks and you hear it from Whites. You hear it from so called liberal Democrats. You even hear it from Senate Majority leader, Harry Reid, right after Barack Obama stomped for him in Nevada. He said Obama wasn’t forceful enough. He was too much of a peacemaker.
The fact is that President Barack Obama is very serious, purposeful and strong. Again, starting back with the Democratic Presidential Campaign, he was underestimated by both parties. Obama was able to defeat the Clinton machine. He later was able to unite with his formidable opponent, Hillary Clinton, for a strong union today that works best for this nation and each other. It even includes Bill Clinton all for the good of the country. The President now utilizes the strength, character, dedication and knowledge of Hillary to head up the State Department. He was able to beat the hard line GOP war hero, John McCain with a significant majority. He was then able to incorporate strong members of the GOP into his cabinet to play roles to assist in the transition like GOP Secretary Gates in the Defense Dept.
Many Americans and media personalities still don’t comprehend the style and approach of this President. He is a diplomat at heart and believes in a peaceful state of being. Martin Luther King, Ghandi and Mandela were great men of character and peaceful leaders but were not referred to as weak men. These men led without violence or combative dialogs, yet they each had highly significant and positive impacts on the world. Barack Obama can be firm and formidable when he needs to be, for example, he secured twenty billion dollars from BP for the victims of the Gulf.
Obama’s method of madness does work. He doesn’t have to scream and holler or shut people down to accomplish his goals and policies. He is pragmatic and inclusive. He intends to spread the wealth because he’s a fair man. He was dealt a disastrous hand that was not of his creation and it continues. He becomes either the Fix it man or Mr. Clean up man. He chose to take it all on, and still it isn’t enough.
The American people, according to current polls, believe all the negative press. Americans are struggling and have to blame someone. Bush was given 8 years to do just about whatever he wanted and he had a surplus leftover by the Clinton administration to consume. He consumed it all and then he managed to play cowboy with our country and our lives. He started two wars that were not paid for. He gave tax cuts to the rich that he didn’t pay for. Bush and the GOP didn’t pay for any of it.
They are not the deficit hawks that they project themselves to be. They are quite the opposite. Big business got the benefits and main stream America had to suffer. The tax cuts did not work to bring us new jobs or help small businesses or provide business loans; and we’re still fighting two major wars. The GOP is campaigning to extend the Bush tax cuts that were never paid for, didn’t help small business, and didn’t create new jobs. Everything that the GOP are proposing will add to the deficit in the tune of about 3 trillion dollars according to Rachel Maddow’s research announced on her show this week on MSNBC.
Jonathon Alter, distinguished journalist of Newsweek and author of “The Promise” (Obama’s first year) says the GOP is being compromised by whack jobs. The “whack jobs” are creating a fear based and dangerous environment. I can’t believe that everyday Americans are buying into the GOP and cable rhetoric, but the polls don’t support Obama.
We cannot let the GOP take leadership again. They have made it their intentions to support big business and Wall Street and not the average hardworking American. The GOP, Fox news, Boehner, McConnell, Limbaugh, Sarah Palin, Beck and the other usual suspects are dangerous to our country and to our President. Obama is a strong leader for the people. After a year and a half of attacks, he has stood his ground. He continues to fight the giants on behalf of the American people. Obama has faced more obstruction from Congress than any other President. The Congress is holding up the jobs bill.
In spite of this fact, he has enormous legislative victories…..more than any other President in the time period. As citizens, let’s demand that all Democrats, Independents, and sane Republicans get out and work with the President for the people and for this country, and don’t underestimate Barack Obama. He is a force to be reckoned with. Let’s join his energy in getting Americans back to work, because Obama has done more than enough as president. It’s time he gets the credit that he deserves.
