One Year Later, What Is Left Of The Hope For Change?

[Better Believe It]

One Year Later, What Is Left Of The Hope For Change?
By Gilbert Mercier
November 1, 2009

Almost a year ago, on November 4th 2008, an euphoria of hope was spreading in America and around the world. The wind of change that Barack Obama personified was expected, by some in America and elsewhere, to bring with it a peaceful revolution. With the election of the first African-American President the world was dreaming of a less arrogant America, an America open to international dialogue and consensus. One year later, the lofty, and quite frankly, unrealistic expectation have been replaced, at least on the left, by a growing sense of frustration and disappointment.

The promises were countless: Americans would have universal health care; the US would take the lead on climate change; Wall Street and the banks would be regulated with a cap put on salaries and bonuses paid to executives; Guantanamo would be shut down by January 20010; most US troops would be out of Iraq within 16 months; the strategy in Afghanistan would be reviewed; the new administration would provide transparency and accountability unlike the practice of systematic secrecy from the Bush-era.

The reality and results are quite different: Americans will be lucky if they get a water-down version of public option in the health care bill; the climate change bill is unlikely to have a strong enough carbon tax; Wall Street and the banks are doing well, getting ready to paid huge bonuses to executive while Main Street is still in shamble from the recession; Guantanamo will not be shut down by January 2010; Iraq is still volatile, and US troops are likely to be there for at least 5 years; the president is still pondering on workable solutions for the unsolvable puzzle that is Afghanistan; some progress were made on the secrecy issue, but the Patriot Act will be renewed and the President blocked the release of torture documents involving the CIA.

Some Americans thought they were electing a man that would make deep structural change to a broken system, and of course they are disappointed. A temperament of boldness and passion can serve a political leader well; Winston Churchill and FDR had such a character. However, President Obama’s temperament is not bold, but instead cautious and analytical. The upside of it is that President Obama will avoid the catastrophic mistakes of someone as impulsive and impatient as Bush, but the downside is that if you don’t get forceful and blunt with your policy agenda, the inertia of Washington always prevails.

The frustration of the progressives is linked to the fact that they thought President Obama would be a transformational president, and it is not the case. President Obama is a very intelligent man, and an able manager but not a bold visionary. Most progressives feel that he is running a “business as usual” presidency by maintaining the status quo on most issues. At some point the liberal democrats will have to take to the streets in order to make their voices heard, otherwise the corporate Democrats, Wall Street, and the industrial-military complex will keep the upper hand and privilege access to the ear of the President.

Please read the complete article at:

http://newsjunkiepost.com/2009/11/01/one-year-later-what-is-left-of-the-hope-for-change/

[jenmito]

1. Unrec. And it's been nine months. He already accomplished more than most presidents in this

amount of time.

[Deja Q]

3. +1

[niyad]

18. unlike, say, the "new deal" which was done in fdr's first 100 days?

[onenote]

22. and yet another silly comparison to FDR

A suggestion. Get a history book. Read it.

Here are some things you might learn.

First, FDR swept into office on an electoral tide that utterly dwarfs Obama's victory. FDR received over 57 percent of the popular vote and his repub opponent managed less than 40 percent; moreover, FDR won 42 of the 48 states. Compare Obama's victory: 53-46 in the popular vote and only 28 of 50 states.

Second, and even more importantly, FDR's election in 1932 was accompanied by an electoral tidal wave in Congress. For example, the repubs, who two years earlier had a narrow majority in the House, lost 101 seats, giving the Democrats an astounding 72 percent/27 percent margin. While the Democrats made nice gains in 2008, the 21 seats that they picked up hardly compare and the margin (59-41) is paltry relative to what FDR had to work with.

Finally, while FDR certainly accomplished a lot in the first 100 days of his first term, some of his major accomplishments came later, such as the enactment of the National Labor Relations Act and the Works Progress Administration -- both of which were not passed into law until 1935.

In short, holding Obama to the standard of FDR is absurd. Indeed, both Nixon and Reagan had more lopsided electoral victories than Obama yet neither of them came remotely close to FDR in passing a sweeping legislative agenda.

[vaberella]

24. Thanks for this. I didn't knjow much of this. n/t

[Jennicut]

26. Thank You. I am always astounded by those that think Obama

can enact as sweeping change as FDR when he had much less of a mandate.

[joeycola]

31. analogies are meant to compare NOT say they are spot on.

[onenote]

36. and some analogies are simply bad

and comparing what FDR was able to accomplish in 100 days to what Obama has accomplished in nine months is a bad analogy when you factor in the utterly different circumstances.

[niyad]

33. you know, I really do know how to read--I also know that the new deal was put in place in the first

100 days, so quit trying to pretend I said something wrong.

I repeat, for those who have a hard time with comprehension, blind, unquestioning, uncritical loyalty that includes snarling at anyone who dares criticize one's hero is dangerous, no matter the hero, and no matter the worshiper

[onenote]

35. and nothing I said was inaccurate and it shows your using FDR as a model

for what Obama supposedly could/should have accomplished by now is based on an apples to oranges comparison.

But you knew that.

[Deja Q]

2. On the plus side, 20010 is rather a long way off...

:hide:

[Tuesday Afternoon]

4. uhm ....

yeah it is :o

[NYC_SKP]

6. Well then we're well ahead of schedule.

That's good. :P

[firedupdem]

10. Yes We Are! n/t

[jefferson_dem]

5. "Guantanamo would be shut down by January 20010..."

Uh huh. :eyes:

[ind_thinker2]

12. where are 215 detainees going?

we can place 10-15 more.

[Teaser]

7. 20010: SERIOUSNESS FAIL

.

[katandmoon]

8. K&R

[bluestateguy]

9. Self-righeous and pompous.

and filled with the usual historical revisionism about FDR (as if everything that he did was progressive).

[jonnyblitz]

21. oh come on. japanese internment camps were no big thang!!

:sarcasm: don't be dissing any sacred cows now.

[firedupdem]

11. unrec n/t

[gratefultobelib]

13. My first unrec. Felt quite good to do it!

[Better Believe It]

17. Too bad. I don't unrecommend any posts because that's undemocratic

Can you explain what you disagree with in the article and why or would that be too difficult?

If that's an impossible task, I can understand why someone would unrecommend in leiu of honest and effective criticism.

[dionysus]

42. no one buys your horseshit "innocent"act. that's why everything you post fails. you're transparent.

:shrug:

[earth mom]

44. REC to your unrec.

How does it feel now? :evilgrin:

[tblue]

14. Was thIs Anna Quindlen? I'm recommending because

I'd like to see some real leadership. On, for instance, Halliburton, wiretapping, DADT and DOMA, holding war criminals accountable, praising Olympia Snowe and Charles Grassley (not Ron Wyden and Tom Harkin) for their work on HCR. What is that? I voted for Obama in the primary and worked hard to elect him in the general election. I like the man, but I'm not wild about his leadership on certain issues. Yes, I am impatient because we could lose the House in 2010. Then what?

[Beregond2]

15. Short of a major debacle,

there is no way we are going to lose the House anytime soon. Look at the polls. The Republicans are less popular today than they were last year.

[xchrom]

16. kick

[cherokeeprogressive]

19. As long as my guests keep sitting on my couch, there will ALWAYS be hope for change. n/t

[Ikonoklast]

20. Only if you shake them, vigorously.

The, you better believe it, there will be change.

Unrec.

[PretzelWarrior]

23. why would I read that load of garbage?

[Better Believe It]

27. Because you prefer reading a load of crap that fits your fantasy politics game?

[JTFrog]

29. Because you prefer posting a load of crap that fits your fantasy politics game?

There sure are alternate views out there besides the negative crap you post every day. The same negative crap that seems to fit nicely along with the right wing's fantasy by the way.

[Garam_Masala]

25. Why people believe in "campaign promises" is my first question!

Very naive indeed. Secondly, Obama is smart to carry on business
as usual in his 1st term. That will assure him a 2nd term. In the
2nd term he will not be encumbered with re-election and will push
for "transformational" changes he promised during his campaign.

[niyad]

34. and you are also naive if you truly believe what you posted here

[Jennicut]

28. People unahppy with Obama can do one simple thing

In 2012 they can not vote for him.
I plan on voting for Obama again. I would rather have his "failures" then another Rethug in office.

[hileeopnyn8d]

30. That was really poorly written.

Maybe it's a language barrier, since the "writer" is a French photo-journalist. Or maybe it's just because he's not a writer, nor does he have any credentials or insight that would lead to a reasoned and compelling article.

[uponit7771]

32. Yeap, usually these hit pieces have little to no facts in them

[Arugula Latte]

37. Hope and Change, right here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8728181

[joeglow3]

38. The article is almost as bad as the grammar

Seriously, if this is your job, would you not proofread what you are writing?

[Better Believe It]

41. Here's some change you can believe in.

[dionysus]

43. that is the cleverest thing i have seen... ever. huhuhuhuhuhuh

[butterfly77]

39. My family and I still have a lot of Hope for change ....

as soon as we get rid of the roadblocks,moles in our government and military contracts/Contractors and lobbyists, that are stifling our country and the world from changing...

[dionysus]

40. another day, another bitter, failed smear attempt.

at least you'll get the usual 2 or 3 clowns who like this fail-porn. that's gotta make your day.

[CakeGrrl]

45. Damn, and here I figured he'd have all this shit cleaned up in SIX MONTHS!

He's a damn failure.

Oh yeah...unrec.

[Better Believe It]

46. It will take longer than 6 months for the insurance industry and Wall Street to impose their agenda.

Their political whores in Congress need just a bit more time if you don't mind.

Cutting social security benefits is next on their agenda.