Feminist Looking Glass

I have written often about the disappointment I’ve felt about President Obama.  The disappointments included his failure to do anything about “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” his reluctance to make recess appointments, his active opposition to Senate bills that would have allowed drugs to be purchased from other countries, his ambivalence on global warming, and, of course, his decisions making him the “War President.”  And now we have the sorry spectacle of him probably changing his mind on prosecuting the 9/11 people in criminal courts.

When he took office, I knew he wouldn’t be as liberal as I would want, but I expected, at least, that he would be somewhat left of center and would fight the Republicans and right-wing groups.  That has not happened.  Fortunately, there is still time and he at least has given some hope that he will fight for what he believes in rather than continuing to try for bipartisanship and always yielding to the Republicans whenever there is the slightest opposition.

The Nation had an issue titled “Obama at One” in which they assessed Obama’s first year in office and included short opinion articles from many different writers.  A few weeks later, they published very thoughtful letters to the editor about the “Obama at One” issue.  I thought that three of the letters very succinctly gave the pros and cons about Obama’s first year in office.  Here they are.

On the “con” side, John Reeder from Arlington, VA, wrote:

I think the late, beloved Howard Zinn and Adolph Reed Jr. had it about right: Obama is nothing but a neoliberal Democrat wedded t war, empire, the corporation, the banks, Wall Street and the rich.  I never expected otherwise.

Also on the “con” side, Dean DiBasio of Clinton Township, MI, wrote:

As a former Obama supporter, I must say he continues to amaze me.  He says he doesn’t want to punish Wall Street.  He doesn’t want to push for a public option.  Now he’s talking about building nuclear power plants and offshore drilling.  This is change we can believe in?  I’ve never seen a president abandon his base so completely.  He will rightly be celebrated in history as the first black president.  But I suggest he should go down in history as our first Bud Lite president—sound great, less filling.

On the “pro” side, Tina Issa of Chicago wrote:

Here’s what I see: a president who was against the Iraq War and who is ending it; a president who has pulled us away from the brink of economic disaster; a president who treats the rest of the world as his equal, not his servant, and has restored the respect the United States enjoyed until George W. Bush; a president who tries to include the Republicans, even though they have slandered, insulted and disrespected him; a president who respects the Constitution and upholds it; a president who is trying to do the right thing, admits his mistakes and tries to correct them.  At one year out he is doing just fine under some of the most difficult conditions this nation has ever been through.  Thanks, Mr. President.

The three letters make a lot of sense.  They show the disappointments—but also the positives.  I (mostly) agree with all three.  Let’s hope that Obama continues to change—for the better.

Filed under: Politics Tagged: | Barack Obama