I am NOT ashamed of this president.

He is, like me, imperfect; thus I have never expected or demanded perfection from him. Just as I have not agreed with all of his decisions, there have been times when I have intensely admired his forbearance in the face of unrelenting horseshit. Where I would have left a trail of black eyes and bloody noses, he has met his tormentors with rare equilibrium and exquisite class -- and there are many on the left who would do well to consider that demeanor and be thankful for it.

I also accept the fact that he has a remarkably keen intellect with which he evaluates that information that is not necessarily available to the rest of us. He has been places I will never go, he has studied things that are far beyond my ken, he has endured presuppositions to which I will never, ever be subjected. He has overcome barriers that would cripple others, and daily confronts the smirking racism that insists it's anything but. With all that, he still understands that he is President of a country comprised of people of varying political persuasions. He gets the importance of that reality.

There are those who are worthy of great shame. They pass themselves off as public servants elected to represent their entire constituencies, yet they clearly and blatantly serve only those in their own party. Their commitment is not to the country, but to their own quests for power. They pledge their allegiance to the very ideas and persons who have brought us to the edge of this pit. They answer to voices on the radio and gladly adjust agendas to avoid pissing them off. They disrespect the office by proudly spitting on the man who occupies it. They routinely dis good-faith efforts, blow off invitations in favor of drinks with cronies, think nothing of engaging in schoolyard taunts and name-calling. When they do that stuff they are worthy of our disgust, our revulsion, our embarrassment that these creatures are what the world sees when they look at our country.

And because the President doesn't act like that, we're supposed to be ashamed of him?

Not THIS Democrat. Not now, not ever.





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He needs to take the fight to the other side.

No fact, no decision, will ever change your opinion of the man? Ever, under any circumstances?

A closed mind is a dangerous thing.

I will never condemn him for failing to act like them. I'm still quite free to disagree with him.


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:thumbsup:

...but there's another problem you don't address. This president only represents the political interests-- he only provides leadership for-- an elite group of wealthy business people, their corporations, and those who believe in the primacy of capital over people. He most assuredly does not represent me, and unless you're among that elite group I mentioned earlier, I'm sure that while he's happy to accept your support he does not represent your interests either, except in so far as they don't conflict with those others.

I agree with your assessment of his intellect and his character. He is a intelligent, articulate, and forthright. However, many of us in this country think that what purpose he turns his talents to really matters, and so far he has not used them to seek progressive reforms. Thus some of us, while admiring him personally, are very disappointed with his administration of the nation.

Well said, Madame!

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I am not in the least bit ashamed of him, or the fact that I voted for him.

I'll tell you this though... I'll never again repeat campaign slogans like they're absolute truths as I did before voting in 2008. In fact, I'll disregard campaign slogans at a minimum, and ridicule them at a maximum.

Hope and Change my ass.

problem! If a Cherokee were president, he'd be faced with the same damn backlash. If anything, he's naive in thinking this country has progressed socially and intellectually more than it has. He gives the electorate far more credit than they deserve.

with President Obama?

Immelt, Alan Simpson, Dave Cote, Jeb Bush, Robert Gates, Gen Stanley McChrystal. The Republicans approved of them all. How do you feel about it?

And I'm possibly not voting for him again.

Bachmann, Romney, or who?

Who makes pretty campaign speeches and then governs like an ambitious, centrist, politician, looking to get reelected by appealing to the "center" and ignoring the left.

Now, if he was a progressive, or even a liberal, who did the same things he's doing...I'd be embarrassed.

We all get pissed when a conservative, right-wing president stands his ground under all circumstances, and yes it would be nice to see a liberal, left-wing president stand his ground. But, it seems most Americans are moderate, some leaning more right or left, but moderate none the less.
Do I agree with everything President Obama has done, NO. But, he is much better than what we had in Bush and will have in anyone running for the Republicans. We can hope for a "real liberal" third party candidate to run but they will not win and will cause the Republican to win faster than if we all stayed home on election day.
Who am I mad at, The American People. They elected a Republican majority in the House, left the Senate with only a slim Democratic majority and added some of the Tea Party nut jobs in the mix to bring everything to a halt.
Yes, President Obama could do all you are asking him to do, and he would loose always. Unless you can elect a liberal President, Liberal House and a Liberal Senate with over a 70% majority (yes, I know the technical number is 60), then the things you want will not happen.
Being that America is not that liberal, the total liberal control will of the government will not happen. Like it or not.

Ok, I am now ready for all of the claims that I am not a Democrat, liberal, progressive and that I am a Republican plant. No I am a Democrat, and I am rather liberal, but I am also a realist.

:thumbsup:

I didn't say we had a liberal left wing president, I said "it would be nice to see a liberal left wing president" I was not saying President Obama was a liberal left wing. More to the point I don't feel he ran as one, I really don't think our nation will elect a liberal left wing for president, I see this country too moderate. Left of moderate is the best we can hope for, for the foreseeable future. Our best chance for a liberal left wing president would be total meltdown under a Republican President, Senate and House. With no one to blame because they had not obstacles the American may turn left but not until.

The wars are not popular with them. They wanted a health care plan with a public option. The majority backs same sex marriage.

The American people themselves are more progressive than this administration.

and views. Last I check, this is still a free country and you have every right to be proud of the man.

Demeanor though, isn't keeping the corporate raiders in check nor is it doing anything about the absurd opposition.

Many of his policies and most of his appointments are ineffective to counter-productive and it doesn't matter if he is meek as a lamb or a bomb thrower.

Operationally, his temperament is proving unimportant or it may even be encouraging the bullies to act out and so it doesn't mean a whole lot to me.

Pissed off? Sure.

Upset? Seen that coming.

Wanting him to let someone else run the show? Tons of us.

Wanting to slobber over his sexy, sexy abs, many DUers.

Ashamed? That would be stupid.

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"...he evaluates that information that is not necessarily available to the rest of us."

That's how we ended up in Iraq, missy.

I was all on board with the hope and change...and then he hired all the inside Washington players instead of academics...

If you are old enough to remember or are interested...go look up JFK's cabinet...he pulled in academics from all over the country and from different political views so that he could analyze situations and allowed them to discuss viewpoints freely...

I was hoping when President Obama came to office he would do the same and show the nation a Progressive, Liberal and Intelligent White House.

While I do not doubt his intelligence, I am beginning to doubt he is either Liberal or Progressive.

I am beginning to believe he is a pure Centrist and will do whatever is the least amount of conflict...that is a great way to avoid a bar fight but it is no way to run a Presidency.


Sometimes you just have to stand up and take a side, and say, THIS IS NOT RIGHT! and I will not even consider it...

At least that is how I feel.

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Disappointed but not at all ashamed. In fact I have never heard of any one being ashamed of him.

Thank you

They pass themselves off as public servants elected to represent their entire constituencies, yet they clearly and blatantly serve only those in their own party.

Anyone looking at this situation who doesn't understand that it's the lack of MODERATE voices in Congress that is contributing to this madness is blind, deaf, dumb or all three. The President is a moderate voice in a sea of fanatics, some of whom have not even been in office a year.

Many of his detractors (on BOTH sides) fall into that same category. Even though they will deny it til the end of time. But you can tell who they are quite clearly by how hard they protest and "explain" that there are no actual fanatics around. It's unintentionally hilarious.

:applause:

Couldn't possibly agree any more!

I admire him for hanging in there when so much racist bullshit is hurled his way. I'd be like you and would be either getting my ass kicked or kicking some ass. I'd say 90% of the congress critters he could take 'm on 10 to 1, intellectually or physically if need be too.

It's not hard to feel torn with him. There are things I admire a lot in his thinking and his actions. There are things I respect deeply. And there are things that make me wonder where his head is. I don't think that's odd at all if one doesn't expect some strange form of perfection that's never existed in humans. the strange thing is that so many people do expect perfection, though no two people would agree what perfection is.