HuffingtonPost: "Tough Love Time for Obama"

[villager]

by
Marty Kaplan

<snip>

I don't think that President Obama is in a policy bubble, that he's not doing what I want him to do because there's no one in the White House forcefully making my case to him. On the contrary, I'm pretty sure that in every decision he makes, the political, moral and policy pros and cons are all starkly in front of him. Nor is it plausible to me that he lacks the smarts and values to know the right thing, or the courage to do the right thing, or that he's become a captive of the Washington insider/corporate media establishment, or that he's a bait-and-switch President who ran as a Democrat but governs as a post-partisan.

On the other hand, I don't have to agree with Obama all the time. In fact, it's my responsibility to be loud and clear when he lets me down.

During the Bush years, I was astonished by the ability of Republicans to walk in lockstep, to justify everything the administration did, to bend themselves into a pretzel in order to claim that night is day and black is white. On the Hill, among the interest groups, in the right-wing echo chamber, there was no lie too blatant or hypocrisy too appalling to be saluted as sweet reason.

Obama doesn't get that kind of treatment, nor should he. There's no reason his supporters on the left should suck it up and defend him when we disagree with him. Tough love for him is a sign of respect. Sure, vocal dissent runs the risk of propagating a media meme: "Obama's in trouble with his base, but where are they going to go?" But so what if criticism plays into that narrative? After eight years of dissent being demonized as unpatriotic, it's a relief to be mixing it up again.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marty-kaplan/its-tough-love-time-for-o_b_204721.html

[Mythsaje]

1. Yup Yup Yup

Pretty much my thoughts exactly.

[jgraz]

2. A.K.A: participatory democracy.

[Captain Hilts]

3. Are you citizens or subjects? nt

[liberalmuse]

4. And President Obama would not want it any other way.

Really. That's what I love about him, even though I may vehemently disagree with some of his policy decisions.

[flyarm]

6. you wouldn't think so by this thread..

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=5669873&mesg_id=5669873

[pleah]

5. K&R That is our job. To help keep him on the right track.

After all, he works for us, all of us.

[flyarm]

7. In fact, it's my responsibility to be loud and clear when he lets me down.

absolutely correct!!

It's our responsibility!

[MasonJar]

8. Kaplan pretty much hit on my complaints, but I am not as mollified as he

by other good choices.

[glitch]

9. I just wish the corporatists had to fight as hard to "make him do it" that we do.

What about an even playing field to get a "centrist's" attention?

[ShortnFiery]

10. Our Problem is The Corruption - K street involvement - within The Senate.

:thumbsdown:

[Skittles]

11. lots of pretzels on DU, that's for sure

[Doctor_J]

12. I guess those who were expecting a tall, dark Dennis Kucinich are doomed to disappointment

If you expect him to toe the line of strict liberalism, you probably want to start RalphDennis2012.com before it gets taken. O hasn't been perfect, but he's a giant step in the right direction and as soon as a few more DINOS are booted from office, more progress will be made.