Yes, I know that many of us worked hard to get Obama elected. Did any of us really think that it ended there? Get Obama elected and then sit back and let him do all the work? If you believed that, then in MHO you are very naive, indeed. PLUS, it means that you never really listened to his message or his campaign.
Did Obama ever say "Yes, I can"? No. He said "Yes, WE can!"
Not him. Not the Senate. Not the House. "WE can". All of us.
Obama, quoting a Native American, took it one step further:
Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.
Pay attention to the first part of that quote: "Change will not come if we wait for
some other person..."
So, criticize Obama if you feel you must. I will be the first to say that there is plenty of room for criticism for many of his policies.
BUT, remember also that if you want him to be able to fulfill his campaign promises it is up to US to continue to press for the CHANGE that we need. He has done a lot more than most people realize, but he can only do more if WE do our part and continue to push for the change that WE need.
After all, this is a Democracy. Which is a government of WE, the People.
What is my point? Well, I have seen a lot of DUer's spend a lot of time and energy "bashing" Obama because he wasn't acting quickly enough to resolve their favorite issue. First of all, I'd like to point out that Obama is NOT GWBush; Obama actually likes to gather information and make an informed decision - which takes time and patience - and he also understands that real change takes time and patience. Secondly, he can only do the job we want him to do if WE support and push his efforts - because he believes in a democratic solution as opposed to the "Unitary Executive" theory of his predecessor. He could issue an "Executive Order" like a dictator (which could be repealed easily by the next President); or he could try to work within the Constitution to get a law passed that will last long past his short 4-year term. Yes, Obama could repeal DADT with a stroke of his pen. But the next Pres could undo it just as easily. Obama wants to put it through Congress, so it cannot be revoked quite so easily.
So, to my LGBT brothers and sisters - Obama is not trying to just "appease" you, he is working for your civil rights ONCE AND FOR ALL. He wants to make your rights Law, so that they can't be taken away with a stroke of a pen. But that takes time. And if the battle for Health Care Reform - which should be simple enough ad yet is so unbelievably controversial - is so difficult, can you imagine the battle for spreading civil rights for sexual orientation? Look at the Civil Rights movements of the 60's. And now consider how much progress we have made - and how much more we have to do.
To sum up: If Obama hasn't lived up to your expectations - stop relying on Obama. He is an advocate, nothing more. The fight has just begun!
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