This is in reference to this opinion piece:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=433&topic_id=347944&mesg_id=347944"Obama is emotionally maimed"
http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2010/6/19/111352/058 Wanker of the Day: Charles Blow
by BooMan
Sat Jun 19th, 2010 at 11:13:52 AM EST
I want to like Charles Blow but
it's becoming increasingly apparent that he's the left's version of Peggy Noonan, earning a reputation for meandering stream-of-consciousness opinion pieces based on the most conventional of beltway wisdom that never quite get to the point.Take this for starters.
President Obama’s relationship with America, like many a young marriage, is growing sour.
That’s my surmise after reviewing recent polling and watching the carping that followed his Oval Office speech (which I thought was just fine, by the way).
Never mind the fact that over forty percent of Americans appear not to have even attended their own wedding (i.e., this analogy is not good), he's basing his premise on watching cable news bobbleheads' response to Obama speech on the oil spill. If Keith Olbermann was disappointed, the glow must be coming off the rose. Mr. Blow should stick to examining the polling data. Or, maybe, he should dig a little deeper? Maybe go talk to people living in communities that gave Obama over seventy percent of their vote and see if they're disillusioned? See who they blame? No. That would be work. That might put some doubt to this next assertion:
It is becoming increasingly apparent that the magic has drained away. Even among his most ardent supporters, there now exists a certain frustration and disillusionment — not necessarily in the execution of his duties, but in his inability to seize moments, chart a course and navigate the choppy waters of public opinion.
I see a lot more frustration than disillusionment among his most ardent supporters. They're frustrated that he has trouble getting credit for successes. They're frustrated that the Senate has failed to confirm dozens of nominees or act on hundreds of bills passed by the House. They want the president to pass climate and immigration reform, and close Guantanamo Bay, but know that members of his own party won't allow it. I don't mean to say that his base is suffering from no disappointment. But it's not because he fails to seize moments or maintain stratospheric approval numbers. It's because he's let too many Bushies off the hook for their crimes and that he has not curtailed all of Bush's infringements of civil liberties. It's because he is pursuing a dubious path in Afghanistan. But where are the people on the left in Washington who would have his back if he changed these policies? They are nowhere to be found.
snip//
Mr. Blow seems to blame everyone, including the people.
America has to grow up and calm down. Expectations must be better managed. On balance, this president is doing a good job — not perfect, but good — particularly in light of the incredible mess he inherited. The Web site PolitiFact.com is tracking more than 500 promises Obama made on the campaign trail. Of the 168 promises where action has been completed, they judge Obama to have broken only 19. That’s not bad, and it must be acknowledged. We have to stop waiting for him to be great and allow him to be good.
But that's the problem with this essay. He blames the Republicans for "being united in their thirst for his demise" and the Blue Dogs for their cowardice, and the people for their unrealistic expectations, and the president's staff, and the president's personality disorder, but he concludes that everyone must compromise so that the country can be truly transformed in the way the president promised in his campaign. Yet, the president should give up on trying to unite the country because that ship has sailed.
How could the president follow this advice even if he wanted to?
The Republicans decided to oppose everything Obama does and to encourage wild anxiety-producing conspiracy theories about his background and intentions. They have used every procedural rule in the book to delay and obstruct. They've used their massive media advantage to drown out a semblance of real debate on this issues. But the president has a maimed character and that explains the gridlock in Washington DC.
Wank on, wank off. 
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