I certainly never demanded bipartisanship

[ThomWV]

I did not mind the idea of working with the other side, listening to their ideas, but at no time did I demand that Republicans be integrated into what I fully expected to be a Democratic Administration. Enough of this shit is enough, there are 3 of them now. That's a guarantee of 3 Agencies at which Republicans who have been planted in the civil service will not only avoid being rooted out, you can expect them to flourish. That is a pity, just a plain and simple god damned pity.

[Xipe Totec]

1. Remember, not everybody who voted for Obama was a Democrat

To be President, he has to be bipartisan.

That's what the job calls for.

That's where Dubya, the miserable failure, went wrong.

It's up to the congress and senate to be partisan; to represent the local interest of the Congressional districts and of the states.

It's up to Obama to crystallize that into "The Will of the People of the United States".

JMHO

[ThomWV]

2. and a well stated opinion it is

I can accept your argument but I think it is weak. Where it is weak, in my estimation, is that even those Republicans who voted for Obama did so expecting that if he won, well, then it would be Democrats who won with the quite reasonable result that they would take high office themselves.

[Xipe Totec]

3. I can see where you're coming from, and I have no problem with that

The point I want to make, and the one we have to keep in mind, is that Obama is already looking at 2012, and the votes he will need to get re-elected.

That only makes sense.

We should not be lulled into a false sense of security because we elected a Democratic President.

We should continue to, vociferously, advocate our progressive agenda.

It is up to us to focus his attention on the issues that matter to us now.

Do not expect to rest, and let Obama carry the burden for us.

[cynatnite]

4. And while Obama is being Mr. Nice guy...

the repukes are saying 'hell no' every step of the way. Obama goes up to the hill and they give him the basic 'fuck you very much' for his effort.

The repukes wanted more tax breaks...they got them. The repukes whined about birth control and the funding was yanked. They bitched about repairing the grass down at the mall (which would have created jobs) and Obama took it out. The repukes still refused to support even after Obama gave in.

There is no compromising when one side refuses to compromise.

[Xipe Totec]

5. 2012...

That's Obama's focus, 2012.

If that means thowing the pugs a bone, that's what he will do.

He is not the President of the Democratic Party, he is the President of the United States.

Let's try to keep that in mind.

[cynatnite]

6. that should not be his focus...

He wasn't elected to campaign for 2012.

He was elected to fix the economy and get us out of Iraq. That's what he should be doing. Fuck the repukes.

If he does his job correctly, then 2012 will happen. If he doesn't...he's out.

[Xipe Totec]

9. And yet...

The 2008 election is history.

He is, necessarily, looking to the next election.

Our job is to remind him what the price of our vote in 2012 will be.

And we will have to decide between a 2nd Obama administration and a Palin/Joe the Plumber Administration...

[stillcool]

7. So you think birth control, and replacing grass...

were deal breakers? The Republicans are not the minority. They have the media, which creates perception, and people are more than willing to follow their lead. How many people do you think have contacted Republican elected officials about the stimulus package?

[maxsolomon]

8. if he keeps extending his hand over & over only to have it slapped away

then's it's the GOP that looks churlish (they already do, but not to everyone). he's backing them into a corner & the 3 GOP appointees are the only ones smart enough to save their own skins.

eventually, they'll have to take his hand. but the current GOP leadership (boehner, mcconnell) will be overthrown first.

which is perfectly fine with me.