"Yes we can . . .

[Brigid]

"but it will take a while."

Were accuracy a virture to consider when creating campaign slogans, Obama might have chosen this. For those who are disappointed with the progress being made on issues form Afghanistan to health care reform, let's keep in mind that this presidency is less than ten months old. My nephew, now three, wasn't even walking yet at that age. Here's Anna Quindlen with some perspective for us:

http://www.newsweek.com/id/219371/page/1

[rug]

1. He said, yes we can, not yes we will.

[Just-plain-Kathy]

3. Amen.

I seen a bumper sticker with a picture of Bush and Obama with a words, "No Change" on it.

It's not far from wrong.

[emulatorloo]

2. Um - "The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even

one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there.

I promise you, we as a people will get there.

There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president. And we know the government can't solve every problem.

But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And, above all, I will ask you to join in the work of remaking this nation, the only way it's been done in America for 221 years -- block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.

MORE AT LINK:

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/04/obama.transcript/

[Just-plain-Kathy]

4. I think that speech has turned out to be Obama's small print.

[HopeOverFear]

7. aaand into the iggy box you go

buh bye....

[Just-plain-Kathy]

26. "iggy box"...are you for real?

[jgraz]

31. KoolaidOverReality is only here to have his pre-conceived ideas reinforced

Wear that "iggy box" like a badge of honor.

[QC]

33. In this new Era of Responsibility, one must use the 'iggy box' responsibly. n/t

[joeycola]

39. 'Change is hard': Obama one year on from election AFP.........

and a closely related theme that is up an coming more often....


'Change is hard': Obama one year on from election
AFP
Published: Sunday November 1, 2009







The tale of the turbulent year since Barack Obama's historic election win is told by his evolving political theme: once he promised "Change We Can Believe In" and now he warns that "change is hard".

On November 4, 2008, Obama bathed in the adoration of a crowd of tens of thousands in a Chicago park, after beating Republican John McCain to the presidency in an election that promised to reshape his nation.

They chanted "Yes we can" on that clear hope-filled night in Obama's hometown, and tears streamed down thousands of cheeks as the president-elect proclaimed America was still a place where anything was possible.

"It's been a long time coming," Obama said. "But tonight, because of what we did on this date, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America."

A year on, the historic promise of America's first black president is being tested by the grim grind of governing a divided nation humbled by the worst recession in decades.

Abroad, Obama's policy of engaging US foes has so far yielded few breakthroughs, and the president who came to power vowing to end one war, in Iraq, must now decide whether to escalate another -- in Afghanistan.

[impik]

12. Oh, don't even bother

They didn't even listen to him.

I'm so tired of this crap.

[MannyGoldstein]

5. The Fierce Urgency of Whenever

Oy.

[Brigid]

6. Patience.

I think that is the point here. We Americans don't do that very well.

[MannyGoldstein]

8. Obama's Words, Not Mine nt

[AndyA]

9. Yes, that is true. But it's hard to be patient when people are dying because

they can't get affordable health care.

It's hard to be patient when friends and neighbors are losing first their jobs, then their homes at an alarming rate.

It's hard to be patient when wealthy people profit from their mistakes and are rewarded, while the average hard working American can't get a break.

It's hard to be patient when politicians put corporate interests (donors) before their constituents.

It's hard to be patient when we're told things are going to change...and they don't.

Every day that passes represents more lost lives, jobs, homes, dreams.

Patience doesn't come easy for some, and with good reason.

[Just-plain-Kathy]

10. A lot of people here can't handle the truth. They want us to be cheerleaders without a brain.

[Jennicut]

40. So if Obama is so bad then don't vote for him again, if you did the first time.

We all have a choice.

[ProSense]

14. It is hard, but it always was. The fact is that Obama is working to change that

He's mopping as fast as he can.

When people say they don't want to be patient, are they saying that they expect Obama to have fixed all the ills of society by now?

He didn't create the problems, many are decades old.

"Every day that passes represents more lost lives, jobs, homes, dreams."

That was true while he was campaigning for the Presidency too.

[AndyA]

19. It's not a matter of not WANTING to be patient.

It's a matter of not BEING ABLE TO.

You lose your job, your home, your dreams. How long do you expect people to hold on while Congress is bickering back and forth with each other?

Yes, many of the problems we have are decades old. And some of the people in Congress brought those problems to us. I think you'd expect more if you were living in your car, and didn't know where your next meal was coming from. Being patient is not an option for some.

[ProSense]

23. That has always been the case.

"Being patient is not an option for some."

This is a sad and tragic reality, but you still seem to be making the case that because of this reality Obama can somehow wave a wand and change it. He can't. He's not going to be able to get everyone a job, he can create the conditions to improve the economy and continue to do what he can to improve the quality of people's lives, whether through health care or other reform. Still, this is not something that happens overnight.

[AndyA]

35. You're putting words into my post that weren't there.

I don't expect Obama to work miracles, but I do expect to see him work toward the goals he spoke of and I expect him to keep the promises he made.

Gays are still being discriminated against, and thrown out of the military, almost a year into the Obama Administration. If the gays hadn't supported Obama, he wouldn't be in office, yet they wait for equality.

Not good enough.

And many feel Obama should have been more involved in the health care reform. No one seems to know what he REALLY wants. He's been very vague about it, and it seems the hope for real health reform for everyone is melting away.

Not acceptable.

And again, while everyone is bickering and Obama isn't getting involved, people are dying and losing everything. He needs to do more.

[treestar]

16. What good does impatience do?

What good does whining and moaning and insulting those trying to help do?

There have always been tragedies. And Bush is to blame for a lot. And we are to blame for letting Bush win.

[AndyA]

18. Some of those "trying to help" as you put it are part of the problem.

What they're trying to help themselves to is more money. And some of them Obama has put in important positions. Look at the Wall Street corporations who have profited from this mess. Check the links between them and some of Obama's people.

What good does not saying anything do? At least if people are "whining and moaning and insulting" the powers that be know they're being watched, and we will expect an explanation from them if they screw us (again).

[treestar]

21. I think you're stuck on the idea of getting screwed

During the Boosh Administration we really were, but some are having a hard time letting go of it.

Wall Street corps employ a lot of people, if the stimulus hadn't been used, they might have crashed with disastrous results. Obama isn't going to start a left wing revolution. It's not necessarily a bad thing that this is a stable country.

[Odin2005]

29. Oh oh, the armchair rebel wannabes are gonna come after you.

[AndyA]

34. There have been a lot of broken promises on the part of Obama.

Lack of transparency being one. What is he hiding? We know he's protecting Bushco, at least so far he has. And in my book, that makes him complicit in those crimes. There is a duty to uphold justice in this country, and so far justice hasn't been served.

We'll see how things turn out, but 4 years will slip by quickly.

[Odin2005]

28. And whining on an Internet Message Boad will change that HOW?

Armchair Rebels that insist that "The Elites" will never let change happen short of a (romanticized) violent revolution will change that HOW?

Get off your ass and work on replacing the DINOs in the primaries.

[Brigid]

11. For myself, I always knew patience would be required.

Many messes can be created in an instant and take forever to clean up. And Obama never claimed he could work miracles.

[Clio the Leo]

13. well said. NT

[NYC_SKP]

15. K & R! nt

[Ineeda]

17. It takes a lot longer to clean up a mess

than it does to make one. Obviously.

[Hippo_Tron]

20. Fact is that you campaign in poetry and govern in prose

[Brigid]

22. Exactly.

And prose sometimes can be boring. But it's necessary to get things done.

[Kind of Blue]

38. That's good. n/t

[HopeOverFear]

24. to the whiners, complainers and armchair activists...grab a mop and STFU

[eridani]

25. What if you are more concerned about the DIRECTION of change

--than how long it is taking?

[Name removed]

27. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[treestar]

30. Well said!

[Odin2005]

32. Thank you!

[Cha]

36. Obama has always said this though.. He's always said that

it would Never Be Easy, also.

Just letting us know the reality of the situation bc he knows he's dealing with corporatemediawhores and those on the so called left who like to tap their feet in front of the microwave.

[ind_thinker2]

37. He has come weak on promises, He needs atleast HCR otherwise ratings will be low