There have to be millions of American liberals, gays and left wingers totally disappointed with President Barack Obama today. It would seem that he, like they, were the idealists running headlong into the brick wall of harsh realities, and will now be running headlong into each other.
Even the Mighty KOS can’t hold them at bay.
You won’t find any of that disaffection in the Vein Stream Media, of course. Just as you’ll find none over people eating tree bark in Kim Jong-Il’s PR machine, and for the same Dear Leader reasons. But the press can cheerlead President Obama all it wants. It is the political base that matters, the grassroots networks upon which all fundraising, canvassing and voting is dependent.
And unless I’m completely mistaken, the President’s grassroots political base is, and will be, experiencing a number of earth-shaking political tremors in the days, months and years to come. Pick an issue, any issue. Gitmo? Having trouble there. Military tribunals for detainees? Ran against them, supporting them now. You know. Kinder, gentler violations of international law.
The release of torture photos? Sure! Umm, wait a second. Habeas Corpus for Bagram detainees? Habeas this. Skyrocketing domestic NSA intercepts, beyond even the limits set by Congress? Who, us? How about the prosecution of Bush-era war criminals? That might be kinda dicey, since many now consider the President a war criminal for the same reasons as Bush.
How about gay rights? Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, which candidate Obama ran against? Don’t ask Daneil Choi! Support for gay marriage and same-sex rights issues? Still in the closet, with Daniel Choi. What did gays expect? Why do gays consider Obama a gay rights hero, when his policies on gay marriage and DADT are no different from President Bush’s or Clinton’s? When has Obama ever given his unqualified support to gay issues? Prop 8? Don’t think so.
Obama could overturn DADT tomorrow with an executive order. Why doesn’t he? He promised to.
Tax hikes? How about Whoopi Mania? I’m sure more than a few Democrats attended the Tea Parties as well. They don’t all have trust funds or big Hollywood salaries, you know. But Whoopi Goldberg does, and even she’s hollering to the skies about it.
So those are the details, and it’s only going to get worse. But that’s what happens when idealism runs into reality. What if President Obama can’t close Gitmo by next January? What happens when military tribunals are cranked up again for Gitmo detainees? Or if the President uses executive privilege to prevent the release of torture photos? Do the jumpsuited protesters start chaining themselves to the White House fence again? Will Obama become the new American Hitler?
Will gays start protesting as President Obama totally ignores the issues that concern them most, as he has to date? Will the President even move to act on stopping the Holocaust of gays in Iraq, yet another issue that is beginning to inflame American gays, considering it is happening on our dime and watch? If we broke Iraq and it is ours to fix, as Gen. Colin Powell stated, what of this major breakage, which Newsweek called “Don’t Ask, Do Kill”?
Can’t blame all this stuff on Bush now. He’s watching Ranger games in Texas. And waiting to be called up for those long-awaited war crimes trials, though I wouldn’t recommend that the former President give up his season tickets just yet.
I. for one, am certainly not disappointed. In fact, I’m elated! But I’m not a liberal Democrat, either.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.