While I agree with you on almost all points in principle, the expectation that the most besieged president in recent history was going to change everything "with a stroke of the pen" (*) - or even that he would be able to do so - within the first two years of office was not realistic. If the economy had continued to fall at the rate it was in plummeting in 2009, if the Gulf oil spill had continued unchecked, if we were still shoveling lives and money into Iraq, nothing else would have mattered.
Politics is a tank, not a Masarati. Even for a skilled operator, it takes forever to maneuver the damn thing. While I find myself frustrated by certain choices and concessions Obama has made, I lived in Washington long enough to realize that you can't change the national momentum overnight. That so many of us dismiss the progressive actions this administration has taken just shows how out of touch we are with day-to-day political reality.
An American president is limited, by law and procedure, in his ability to do things personally. The fact that his predecessor ignored both laws and procedures in order to "be the decider" does not mean Obama should do the same; actually, it shows exactly why he should not. GBLT and reproductive rights should be won by We The People, not bestowed or taken away by any one politician. Only with the force of law and public support can they remain standing for long.
The opposition to GBLT rights in all fields is deeply entrenched; so is opposition to reproductive rights. It takes more than presidential fiat to change those things - it takes We The People fighting like mad. Obama has shown support for GBLT rights, too; as recently as last week, he released a video in support of an effort reaching out to gay kids... an effort sparked by a certain gay Seattle sex columnist. What other president has done such a thing? Which one would have even considered it? Answer: Not one.
Given that so many progressives have already given up on this administration, it begs the question: "Who threw whom under the bus first?"
------------ * - A common misstatement in the DODT argument is that Truman integrated the Armed Forces "with a stroke of his pen." In reality, racial integration within the services took two decades, four administrations, the Cold War, Vietnam, and the Civil Rights battles back home. Truman didn't do it by himself, and Obama could not have done so either.
I'm not naiive. I didn't expect him to wave a magic wand and fix every thing. But he could have told the Justice Department not to appeal the DADT decision. He could have chosen not to continue Bush era invasion of privacy policies. He could have spent less PR time and energy telling his base they were stupid and more PR time and energy actually defending against the right wing reframing of progressive accomplishments as liabilities.
Politics is a tank, not a Masarati. Even for a skilled operator, it takes forever to maneuver the damn thing. While I find myself frustrated by certain choices and concessions Obama has made, I lived in Washington long enough to realize that you can't change the national momentum overnight. That so many of us dismiss the progressive actions this administration has taken just shows how out of touch we are with day-to-day political reality.
An American president is limited, by law and procedure, in his ability to do things personally. The fact that his predecessor ignored both laws and procedures in order to "be the decider" does not mean Obama should do the same; actually, it shows exactly why he should not. GBLT and reproductive rights should be won by We The People, not bestowed or taken away by any one politician. Only with the force of law and public support can they remain standing for long.
The opposition to GBLT rights in all fields is deeply entrenched; so is opposition to reproductive rights. It takes more than presidential fiat to change those things - it takes We The People fighting like mad. Obama has shown support for GBLT rights, too; as recently as last week, he released a video in support of an effort reaching out to gay kids... an effort sparked by a certain gay Seattle sex columnist. What other president has done such a thing? Which one would have even considered it? Answer: Not one.
Given that so many progressives have already given up on this administration, it begs the question: "Who threw whom under the bus first?"
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* - A common misstatement in the DODT argument is that Truman integrated the Armed Forces "with a stroke of his pen." In reality, racial integration within the services took two decades, four administrations, the Cold War, Vietnam, and the Civil Rights battles back home. Truman didn't do it by himself, and Obama could not have done so either.
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It actually takes more time and skill to drive a Maserati to it's fullest potential than a modern main battle tank. Let's look at the numbers.
Maserati Gran Turismo S
curb weight: 4 144lbs
top speed: 183mph
braking distance: 60mph - 0 114ft.
turning circle: 35ft
M1A2 Abrams Tank:
Curb Weight: 139,080lbs
Top Speed: 42mph (governed)
braking distance: about 20ft
turning circle: inside diameter 3" outside diameter 28ft
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