Expecting a Lot from Obama? Get in Line

[babylonsister]

Expecting a Lot from Obama? Get in Line
By Tracie Powell, CQ Guest Columnist


Almost everybody wants something from President Obama.

He had barely moved into the White House when a group of immigration activists was pacing with picket signs, demanding that Obama end workplace raids and deportations of undocumented workers. They seemed to expect him to dance all night, or at least show up at 10 dances during the night, then get up and fix immigration policy to their specifications.

Or maybe he should first fix the crumbling economy and solve the nation’s health care crisis, in one fell swoop.

And while he’s at it, overhaul the nation’s criminal justice system, particularly as it relates to sentencing laws, and improve the quality of education in the nation’s inner cities. That would make many African-American leaders happy. But to delight a swath of liberals, he should also get moving on a big drawdown from Iraq.

And then there are all those people in all those countries waiting to see him prove he cares about them, too.

more...

http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?parm1=5&docID=news-000003017049

[bluestateguy]

1. All these groups think they have the right to be first in line

This tends to be more of a problem for groups on the Left, as opposed to similar groups on the Right.

[FrenchieCat]

2. Now, I know that patience is a virtue.....

But I'm starting to wonder if enough others feel the same.

In the minds of many, they have been waiting for 8 long years.
What they don't get is that is not President Obama's fault....
it is our collective fault.

[elocs]

3. It seems like many expect him to walk on water.

I think he was only half joking when he did that funny schtick last year during the campaign about how he was not born in a manger, but came from the planet Krypton because the expectations seem to be that he should either be God or Superman. I think if Obama even meets half of our expectations he will be a great president, but a qualification to be a Democrat is that you always need to be pissed off about something. I even see posts here with a poll to grade Obama after only 4 full days in office.

[FrenchieCat]

5. Yeah. I saw that fucked up poll.

Also at CNN, they are polling asking if he made his "Closing Gizmo" decision too quickly or not?

If the Left and the Right come together with the media, I'm certain they can beat down President Barack Obama in record time. Yes, they can!

What that will accomplish is not a goddamn thing!

[mtnsnake]

4. I got a beautiful inaugural invitation in the mail, so I'm pretty satisfied

already and no need for me to get in line. :smoke:

[agent46]

6. I'm glad Obama is a thoughtful leader but...

I'm glad Obama is a thoughtful leader and I expect he'll make strides on many fronts. However, I'll be watching carefully just how far we get in returning to our basic constitutional and civil rights. Will there be any effort at all to dismantle the intrusive surveillance state that the corporatists have championed and established over the last decade or so? Will data mining on private citizens continue for the enrichment of the ownership class? Will our rights to privacy of "person and papers" ever be returned to us or will the fact of our current intrusive police state merely be allowed to slip down the collective memory hole while we concern ourselves with dire economic and "defense" issues?

I'm sad to say I'll be surprised if the principles of the Constitution are ever restored in this respect. I think we'll be expected to adjust to the "new normal" of the total surveillance society - but with a kinder face. I know many are still feeling the relief of Bush's departure and the honeymoon glow of a return to hope, but I would try to keep an eye on the bigger picture. Corporatism has become an entrenched order in our society. So long as marketing, profit and militarized law enforcement remain primary institutions of our identity as a nation, the establishment of true liberty will remain a slogan.

I hope I'm completely wrong about this though.

[AnnieBW]

7. He hasn't fulfilled his most important campaign promise yet

WHERE IS THE PUPPY???

:evilgrin: