"I'm reminded every day that I am not a perfect man. And I will not be a perfect President."

[FrenchieCat]

"We know the road ahead will be difficult. None of the problems we face will be easy to solve and change will not happen overnight. It will take a new spirit of cooperation and sacrifice. It will require each of us to remind ourselves that we rise and fall as one nation; and that a country in which only a few prosper is antithetical to our ideals and our democracy. And it will take a President who can rally Americans of different views and backgrounds to this common cause.

I'm reminded every day that I am not a perfect man. And I will not be a perfect President. But I can promise you this - I will always say what I mean and mean what I say. I will be honest about the challenges we face. And most importantly, I will wake up every single day ready to listen to you, and work for you, and fight for you not just when it's easy, but when it's hard. That's what I did for those men and women on the streets of Chicago. That's what I've done over the last decade for the working families of Illinois. And that's what I will do for the American people if you give me the chance to lead this country. Thank you."--Barack Obama, President Elect of the United States of America
----------------------------

I decided when I voted for him on November 4th, that I was going to give him a chance to lead this country.

[Arctic Dave]

1. This post has no outrage. What is wrong with you kitteh!

[Crazy Dave]

2. Plus look what he's walking into

When Bush took office jobs and wages were at historic highs, the stock market and people's 401k's were high and there was a budget surplus.

[FrenchieCat]

3. He certainly has a mountain to climb......

he certainly does!

That reminds me of his victory speech.....

Let's resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long.

Let's remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House, a party founded on the values of self-reliance and individual liberty and national unity.

Those are values that we all share. And while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress.

As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, we are not enemies but friends. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.

And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your president, too.

[jenmito]

19. Yeah, but...

when he said all those things (not only that night but throughout his entire campaign) the RWers continued to call him things like, "the most liberal Senator in the Senate," then "Socialist," then "Marxist" and "Communist." Why should any of us believe what OBAMA says when we have the RWers to tell us what he REALLY is?!

[firedupdem]

4. Haters can call it lockstep or whatever they want....I support the

man I voted for and until he gives me a reason not to I will continue my support.

[Diamonique]

14. Double ditto!

I am thrilled. He has my full support.

[treestar]

17. Me too. He can't possibly start the administration without people

who have experience, given the quagmire he is walking into.

The Clintons were effective, too, so how can using those Dems who worked for them be a bad thing?

[silverweb]

5. Ditto that.

Democrats who're already criticizing, whining, and saying they've "lost faith" are pissing me off.

They act like they expect to have all their most progressive ideals proclaimed and enacted before the man even takes office, the democratic and legislative processes be damned -- as though we haven't had quite enough of governance by decree.

"Give him a chance" is the very least we need to do. Supporting his efforts to improve the dire situation this country is in, as well as the incredible difficulties that lie ahead with regard to world affairs, is what we owe him, ourselves, and each other.

[jesus_of_suburbia]

6. I think he's going to be great. He impresses me more with each passing day.

[DevonRex]

7. Thank you once again FC. This place is nuts today, sad to say.

But yours is a sane voice and I appreciate you more than I can say.

[FrenchieCat]

8. I hope that it will get better around here.

I hope that folks remember that this is still "Democratic Underground",
and that we have a Democratic President.....finally.

[DevonRex]

10. It would be nice. This is really depressing.

I particularly dislike the dishonesty of folks pretending to support him when they obviously do not and never have.

All I ask is honesty. Is that too much to expect?

[jesus_of_suburbia]

9. FrenchieCat, I'm curious... are you a little upset with Obama so far?

I know you had great dislike for Hillary in the Primaries (let's not pretend otherwise), and most criticism about Obama has come from those who feel like he has chosen the same people Hillary would have for his cabinet.

[FrenchieCat]

11. I disliked Hillary's primary tactics....

But I actually supported Clinton more than I supported Obama initially.
Here's a post to prove it! http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3618976

I disliked the issue of race being used as a wedge, as I am a person of color.
I disliked the fact that Rev. Wright had been to the Clinton WH
at a time of Bill Clinton's greatest hour of need,
and yet, Hillary, didn't have the grace to even acknowledge that she knew the man,
because it was not advantageous to her ambitions. She treated him like a non-person,
and I found that awfully hard to appreciate.
You can choose your pastor but not your family, she said,
as though she had not picked her own husband who was not a paradim of virtue,
yet she had stood by him along with Rev. Wright.

As to whom Hillary would have put into her cabinet, we have no way of knowing that,
and I tend not to dwell on what I can't know.

Finally, Barack Obama is about to become the President of the United States,
that is something that I anticipate with great pleasure....
because after 8 years of pain,
I'm ready to believe in America again.
I have a certain basic standard as to what America is supposed to Represent,
and I am relieved that I will finally see it again.

Perhaps that is why I'm not going to miromanage this Presidency...
because Bush did have a negative impact on my life,
and I'll be damned if I try to find reasons to be unhappy with Barack Obama,
although I easily could if I try hard enough.

Certainly, I have disagreed with Obama on several issues,
and wrote to him expressing such at the time.
but since my aim was not to generate negativity just because I could.
although I divulged my disatifaction on these boards,
I didn't make my disagreements rallying cries,
because I felt strongly that Obama was still the best that America had to offer,
to us as a people and to the world, and I still believe that.
He won't be close to perfect, but I never believed that he would be....
simply that he would offer the kind of leadership that the United States deserves,
and that I originally emigrated here to find.

[Two Americas]

12. how?

What does one do exactly in order to be "giving him a chance to lead the country" as opposed to not doing that?

Seems to me the public is who is giving him "the chance." It goes without saying that when a politician is elected, they are being "given a chance."

Seems to me the thing we are giving any politician a "chance" to do is to listen to and respond to what people say. It should never be used as an excuse for withholding criticism or staying silent. That is not "loyalty" nor does it help or support the new administration.

I am thinking in terms of living in a representative democracy, so that influences my view on this no doubt.

[FrenchieCat]

13. Did I say that you should stay silent?

You should say all that you want, and criticize to your hearts content.

I spoke of what I will do.

There are many here at Democratic Underground who support Barack Obama,
as there are some here who don't...and then, there is everything in between.

Balance is good.

So I'm balancing out those who are having issues with him,
by stating that as of now, I don't.

See how that works? :shrug:

[Two Americas]

15. no, I don't see it that way

You expressed your opinion, I expressed mine. That is "how it works" as far as I can see.

I asked what this "giving him a chance" actually meant. What could it mean here other than what people do and do not say? electing a politician is how we give them a chance. I think everyone here is giving the new administration "a chance," the disagreements are about just what we are giving them a chance to do, and how we should go about that.

I said we should not use "support" nor "loyalty" as an excuse for remaining silent. I say that some are. You may see that differently.

Balance is not always good, unless our goal is the status quo. Change requires upsetting the balance, since it is power that is in balance. I reject the ideas of "centrism," I do not agree with Emmanuel that "we welcome the ideas and concepts" of the right wing, and I do not support the ongoing compromise and cave-ins under the banner of "pragmatism."

[elizm]

16. He will be one of the greatest Presidents in the history of the US...

If not THE greatest.

[kenziemom06]

18. AMEN to that...

and to everything FrenchieCat wrote above. Let's give the man a chance! Please!