Obama Will Win: Why and How His Critics from the Left and Right Will be Proven Wrong

[HipChick]

editorial by Frank Schaeffer



Before he'd served even one year President Obama lost the support of the easily distracted Left and engendered the white hot rage of the hate-filled Right. But some of us, from all walks of life and ideological backgrounds --- including this white, straight, 57-year-old, former religious Rightwing agitator, now progressive writer and (given my background as the son of a famous evangelical leader) this unlikely Obama supporter --- are sticking with our President. Why? Because he is succeeding.

We faithful Obama supporters still trust our initial impression of him as a great, good and uniquely qualified man to lead us.

Obama's steady supporters will be proven right. Obama's critics will be remembered as easily panicked and prematurely discouraged at best and shriveled hate mongers at worst...


The Context of the Obama Presidency

Not since the days of the rise of fascism in Europe, the Second World War and the Depression has any president faced more adversity. Not since the Civil War has any President led a more bitterly divided country. Not since the introduction of racial integration has any President faced a more consistently short-sighted and willfully ignorant opposition - from both the Right and Left.

As the President's poll numbers have fallen so has his support from some on the Left that were hailing him as a Messiah not long ago; all those lefty websites and commentators that were falling all over themselves on behalf of our first black president during the 2008 election.

The Left's lack of faith has become a self-fulfilling "prophecy" --- snipe at the President and then watch the poll numbers fall and then pretend you didn't have anything to do with it!

Here is what Obama faced when he took office-- none of which was his fault:

An ideologically divided country to the point that America was really two countries
Two wars; one that was mishandled from the start, the other that was unnecessary and immoral
The worst economic crisis since the depression
America's standing in the world at the lowest point in history
A country that had been misled into accepting the use of torture of prisoners of war
A health care system in free fall
An educational system in free fall
A global environmental crisis of history-altering proportions (about which the Bush administration and the Republicans had done nothing)
An impasse between culture warriors from the Right and Left
A huge financial deficit inherited from the terminally irresponsible Bush administration…
And those were only some of the problems sitting on the President's desk!

'Help' from the Right?

The reactionary white, rube, uneducated, crazy American far Right, combined with the educated but obtuse neoconservative war mongers, religious Right shills for big business, libertarian Fed Reserve-hating gold bug, gun-loving crazies, child-molesting acquiescent "bishops", frontier loons and evangelical gay-hating flakes found one thing to briefly unite them: their desire to stop an uppity black man from succeeding at all costs!
What did the Republicans and the religious Right, libertarians and half-baked conspiracy theorists --- that is what the Republicans were reduced to by the time Obama took office --- do to "help" our new president (and our country) succeed? They claimed that he wasn't a real American, didn't have an American birth certificate, wasn't born here, was secretly a Muslim, was a white-hating "racist", was secretly a communist, was actually the Anti-Christ, (!) and was a reincarnation of Hitler and wanted "death panels" to kill the elderly!

They not-so-subtly called for his assassination through the not-so-subtle use of vile signs held at their rallies and even a bumper sticker quoting Psalm 109:8. They organized "tea parties" to sound off against imagined insults and all government in general and gathered to howl at the moon. They were led by insurance industry lobbyists and deranged (but well-financed) "commentators" from Glenn Beck to Rush Limbaugh.

The utterly discredited Roman Catholic bishops teamed up with the utterly discredited evangelical leaders to denounce a President who was trying to actually do something about the poor, the environment, to diminish the number of abortions through compassionate programs to help women and to care for the sick! And in Congress the Republican leadership only knew one word: "No!"

In other words the reactionary white, rube, uneducated, crazy American far Right,combined with the educated but obtuse neoconservative war mongers, religious Right shills for big business, libertarian Fed Reserve-hating gold bug, gun-loving crazies, child-molesting acquiescent "bishops", frontier loons and evangelical gay-hating flakes found one thing to briefly unite them: their desire to stop an uppity black man from succeeding at all costs!

'Help' from the Left?

Those that had stood in transfixed legions weeping with beatific emotion on Election Night turned into an angry mob saying how 'disappointed' they were that they'd not all immediately been translated to heaven the moment Obama stepped into the White House! Where was the 'change'?
What did the Left do to help their newly elected President? Some of them excoriated Obama because they disagreed with the bad choices he was being forced to make regarding a war in Afghanistan that he'd inherited from the worst president in modern history!

Others stood up and bravely proclaimed that the President's economic policies had "failed" before the President even instituted them! Others said that since all gay rights battles had not been fully won within virtually minutes of the President taking office, they'd been "betrayed"! (Never mind that Obama's vocal support to the gay community is stronger than any other President's has been. Never that mind he signed a new hate crimes law which included language punishing hate crimes against homosexuals for the first time!)

Those that had stood in transfixed legions weeping with beatific emotion on Election Night turned into an angry mob saying how "disappointed" they were that they'd not all immediately been translated to heaven the moment Obama stepped into the White House! Where was the "change"? Contrary to their expectations they were still mere mortals!

And the legion of young new supporters was too busy texting to pay attention for longer than a nanosecond… "Governing"?! What the hell does that world, uh, like mean?"

The President's critics Left and Right all had one thing in common: impatience laced with little-to-no sense of history (let alone reality) thrown in for good measure. Then, of course, there were the white, snide know-it-all commentators/talking heads who just couldn't imagine that maybe, just maybe they weren't as smart as they thought they were and certainly not as smart as their President. He hadn't consulted them, had he? So he must be wrong!

The Obama critics' ideological ideas defined their idea of reality rather than reality defining their ideas --- say, about what is possible in one year in office after the hand that the President had been dealt by fate, or, to be exact, by the American Idiot Nation that voted Bush into office… twice!

<snip>
Just because we didn't get everything we wanted in the first short and fraught year Obama was in office not all of us gave up. Some of us stayed the course. And we will be proven right.

Merry Christmas (or Happy Holidays, depending on your point of view) to everyone!

P.S. if you agree that Obama is shaping up to be a great president please pass this on and hang in there!



Full Story:
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7595

[BunkerHill24]

1. I'm now looking forward to 2010.......and I'm pissed off...n/t

[depakid]

6. Posts in all bold won't do much to stop the perception among progressives

that we've been sold down the river- repeatedly.

Good luck firing up folks to go out and work for Dems in 2010 if the present course continues.

[BunkerHill24]

17. C'mon, no way do I have "Bold" post...LOL

[girl gone mad]

75. I think depa was referring to the OP.

I think they forgot to close their bold tag somewhere in there.

[walldude]

2. Well I got as far as "easily distracted left" and put this under the bird cage

where it belongs. The author ought to fucking learn that insulting people is a quick way to get them to stop paying attention.

[Cant trust em]

5. The author is a centrist and likely writing for other centrists.

Not surprised though that the DUniverse will kick this to the curb.

[kstewart33]

20. Yes, and we all know how perfectly evil the centrists are.

They refuse to drink the Kool-Aid!

[Dr Fate]

25. Not evil, just wrong about almost everything for a good 10 years.

Oh wait-is this must be the part where a centrist comes in and tells me that Saddam really had WMDs, and that getting the US into a an unpopular, trillion dollar war based on lies was a "pragmatic" position to take- just like Bush & Cheney told us it was.

[bvar22]

86. Centrists wrong about everything for a good 10 years?

They have been WRONG about everything since at least 1992.

[Dr Fate]

88. I wont argue with you. n/t

[jonnyblitz]

47. i read his book and i thought he seemed like a flake/airhead.

and he hates atheists.

[rudy23]

7. Yep. He was already in the hole with the false equivalence.

I knew from day one the White House was going to try and make that comparison. Rahm Emanuel is an idiot if he thinks that's going to work.

[GreenPartyVoter]

61. Me too. I like and respect Frank Schaeffer, but am not sure he feels the same about

people like me.

[bvar22]

68. "The Left" is the LAST to be "easily distracted".

We watch close, and take names.
We don't forget.
We're STILL PISSED about NAFTA.

It is the "Centrists" who have no memory and no issues.
They twist in the wind whichever way someone in an authority position tells them to twist.

It is easier to distract a White Shark that has tasted blood than to distract The Left.

[QC]

70. "Easily distracted" seems a better description of those who were so taken in by pretty speeches

that they didn't know they were voting for a younger, hipper Joe Lieberman.

[Larkspur]

3. Progressives were very patient as we saw the public option watered down

It wasn't until it was dropped that Progressives shouted disapproval.

Obama is proving himself a corporate whore just like Bill Clinton, who lost Congress, remember.

[treestar]

10. Patient?

:rofl:

[Dr Fate]

28. In fact, unlike Blue Dog & DLC purists, they even made some compromises w/i the party.

I've never heard of a Blue Dog or DLC type who had the grace to give up something for the benefit of the left.

Maybe you have some examples?

[kstewart33]

24. Ah yes, so patient.

Obama has yet to finish his first year in office, and he's already been condemned as a 'corporate whore' and more by progressives.

I never thought that we'd see the far left and the far right unite in their hatred of Obama.

[Zhade]

65. His actions speak far louder than his admittedly nice, but empty, words.

He's broken so many promises so fast, there's no point waiting another year to recognize that he lied to us.

[gleaner]

71. Well I guess you've seen it all then....

I'm not patient with being sold out. But give us a break and stop telling us what we feel. That irritates me no end. You ask me how I feel and I'll tell you, but you don't speak for me, so please don't try. Also it would be nice if you would stop telling me that I stepped in clover when I know that I stepped in dog shit.

[girl gone mad]

76. We waited 30 years for change..

and got stuck with more of the same.

It's not "impatient" to call a leader out for their actions. Pick another adjective.

[kstewart33]

85. More of the same?

So Obama's made no progress on any of the issues? The Senate bill provides loads of help to the working poor and enables small businesses to provide insurance without going broke. That's not progress? Pre-existing conditions have been eliminated as the biggest excuse insurance companies use today to deny coverage. Annual and lifetime caps have been eliminated.

That's more of the same?

Obama is pushing for major climate change reform. That's more of the same.

The list is long of 'more of the same' Obama initiatives like this.

You're looking for a Messiah. You won't find one in any president.

[AllentownJake]

4. Everyone is wrong and the President is a genius chess player

Yes, yes, yes we all know that.

[Cant trust em]

12. Are articles praising the president not welcome here anymore?

You sound like a cheerleader when someone posts a critical article.

[Name removed]

14. Deleted message

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

[Dr Fate]

39. The problem is the article uses typical disparaging talking points against DEM activists.

Any time a DLC type feels the need to compare the legit concerns of Obama voters/donors/campaigners to Palin supporting, RW tea-baggers, a red flag should go up- no?

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

40. So what to make of the post here yesterday...

...suggesting that the Progressive movement find common cause with the teabaggers? Rec'ed to high heaven, of course, then locked on a technicality.

[Dr Fate]

87. Unaware of it. Do you think Obama's campaigners & donors are like tea-baggers?

Last time I checked, it was Joe Lieberman, a centrist DLCer & respected, top Democratic power broker, who actually campaigned for the darling of tea-baggers- Sarah Pailin.

Comparing people who worked for Obama to conservatives or Palin supporters seems like projection to me.

[Cant trust em]

54. Honestly, I didn't even read the article.

The only reason I posted here is because I saw a crappy knee-jerk response came from someone who is usually pretty well written.

I almost never bother with articles that talk about how amazing the president is or now terrible he is.

[Dr Fate]

93. I did read it. It's the topic of this thread. n/t

n/t

[Cant trust em]

95. My comment isn't even on the content of the article.

Neither was the response that I responded to.

It just reminded me of some knee-jerk crap that the die hard supporters would have posted if it were critical of the president. Something along the lines of "Obama sucks because he hasn't given us our pony yet."

The rest of the junk the article says about the left and right isn't relevant to my response.

[QC]

26. Intergalactic googledimensional chess, no less. n/t

[AllentownJake]

31. The Chess board is growing faster than Insurance company stocks! nt.

[ixion]

8. okay, we'll see, Frank.

[FrenchieCat]

9. Passing it on......

to my mail list.....
although they have all hung in there,
cause they are smart, calm and they already know.

[omega minimo]

11. Given his wishy washy language on campaign, none of his capitulations to corporatism are a surprise.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

13. "..choices he was forced to make.." Really? Forced? By whom? The Pentagon?

He sure as hell wasn't "forced" to make choices by the left.

[napi21]

15. Great analysis Frank. I agree, the right ONLY wants Obama to fail,

and the Left is far too impatient to recognize reality.

[Enrique]

16. I've seen this guy on Rachel Maddow's show

and he seemed like an interesting and informed guy.

But this article is really awful.

He spends a ridiculous amount of time on ad hominems against Obama's critics. The title says "how the critics will be proven wrong" but mostly what he does is just call the critics names.

Then when he finally gets around to supporting his faith in Obama the reasoning is just lame. His list of Obama's accomplishments includes some really dumb items. Gave a speech on gay rights? Stood up for education reform, whatever that means? Wow! Obama's critics will be proven wrong because of that, and because of Afghanistan?

[Frosty1]

18. Thank You for passing this on.

:hi:

I still find I need the hope that this President has brought. I could be wrong ...It certainly wouldn't be the first time in my life but... if I have to make an error then please let it be on the side of HOPE

After 8 years of bush I was fresh out.

[Political Heretic]

19. The "easily distracted left" for the first time has its eyes wide open.

The OP is probably right though - Obama will probably "win" a political victory as he has shown himself to be an outstanding gatekeeper for the status quo and bu$ine$$ as usual.

I was hoping for someone willing to risk losing a second term to truly change how politics is played in Washington: a very specific kind of change - change that re-prioritizes the needs of poor and working class individuals and families ahead of the wants and whims of the financial elite.

Instead, Obama and his team of inside the beltway DLCers have done everything in their power to ensure business as usual for the same players.

[kstewart33]

32. Hmmm, have you read the Senate bill and how it benefits the working poor?

Uh, if you take the time to read it, you'll discover that the working poor do exceptionally well with this bill. Very well indeed.

[Political Heretic]

84. Yes I have, and no, they don't.

[Zhade]

66. Indeed -- we didn't go to sleep like when Clinton was elected.

And I'm very proud to be part of that wide-awake contingent... though I wish it weren't necessary.

[WeDidIt]

21. And the Republicans are going to let him gift wrap the win as a Christmas Present

The idiots should know that the politcal value of HCR being delivered Christmas Eve is huge, but the assholes want to force ever last procedural nicety down everybody's throats.

And Reid wisely planned the votes down t the hour so that, if the Republcians were going to push their shit, the Democrats would deliver the most progressive legislation in over 40 years on Christmas Eve at 7:00 PM EST.

[bridgit]

22. I recognize some of these elements as connectible; and it is true enough...

That success has a thousand fathers while failure is a bastard, check! Sinbad/Ulysses strapped to masts as they captain very rough seas with Cyclop'ed islands roaming with really pissy flesh-less skeletons screechy sirens and all that; bring the vessel back home, etc, check! And if & when in the event Obama does do that there'll be high good times ahead for alll, check! However,

When someone claims to be an OB/GYN it's helpful to be able to produce a baby every once in a while and not just a bassinet full of crying and tantrums

I also trust less "57-year-old, former religious Rightwing agitator, now progressive writer" dudes, call me old fashioned

[Dr Fate]

23. DEMS should just replace their activist base with an army of people who agree with this writer.

Who needs the irrational, childish, naive, easily angered, far left when the DEMS have a whole army of centrist activists who just cant wait to start donating, phone banking, knocking on doors, putting out signs, etc.

What DEMS need are activists and donors who are clear-eyed, pragmatic centrists-just like the author.

America is a "center-right" country- as any good Blue Dog or DLCer will tell you.

I suggest that the DEMS start recruiting from the vast pool of these patient, pragmatic center right types to be the new DEM activist base.

I wish them the best of luck with that.

[girl gone mad]

78. Nothing fires people up like incremental reform..

watered down by thousands of lobbyists, war escalation and big corporate giveaways.

[Dr Fate]

90. I think the people who support all those things you list should start working for DEMS.

I'm sure they will make great DEM activists.

[suzie]

83. What activist base?

The 101st keyboard commandos of DU? The folks who show up at campaign headquarters, open their laptops, type for awhile and then leave.

Oh and sometimes give some sage advice about how the rest of the drones who are actually doing phone banking and knocking on doors are doing it wrong.

The irrational, childish, naive group that gets angry during a campaign if anyone requests that they do something other than hand out advice?

[Dr Fate]

89. Key board commandos? LOL! And what exactly are you typing on, right now? LOL!

What activist base? The one that elected Obama through donations & hard work? The throngs that showed up at his inauguration?

If you are unaware of them, then you must not have been part of them.

I'm talking about people like me- who had the spirit to raise $40K for the DNC in a 4 month period, for instance.

People like me, who donated a huge of portion of their pay check at any given time during the primaries or the general.

I suggest that the Centrist power base of the party replace people like me with center-right people like this author, or passionate DEM Lieberman & Blue Dog supporters even.

Good luck with that.

[Windy]

27. Excellent commentary. Spot on.

States my thoughts on the entire current sorry state of the left perfectly!!!

[Dr Fate]

34. Yeah- the left sucks dicks. What the DEMS need is a clear-eyed centrist & conservative base.

I'm sure these conservatives & centrist pragmatists make passionate & otherwise great campaign workers & activists for DEMS- I'm sure they will be much more loyal & hard working than any of those sorry leftys.

[RainDog]

48. LOLOLOL

can't wait to see those CEOs out canvassing.

[RainDog]

51. sorry state of the left...

let's see... because they CORRECTLY opposed the illegal invasion of Iraq?

because they opposed the patriot act and the 4th amendment violations?

because they oppose corporate control of American life?

because the support equal rights for all citizens, regardless of whether or not they want to sleep with them?

because they refuse to accept that the majority of Americans should be forced to live under the thumb of the religiously stupid?

because the left volunteers to help in elections, to help the homeless? because we volunteer at shelters and give money and good to the needy?

because we were right about Vietnam, Civil Rights, abortion rights, Ronnie Raygun, the horror of union busting and offshoring jobs and corporate earnings?

because we oppose torture and support the Geneva Conventions NO MATTER WHICH PARTY IS IN POWER?

please tell me what you think is sorry about the state of the left?

[AlinPA]

29. The 'Help' from the Right?" section is excellent. Best description I've seen of them. nt

[Raster]

30. Bold Alert! Bold Alert!

[tonysam]

44. It's kinda hard on the eyes n/t

[RainDog]

33. This man grew up in a religious right cult. His father emboldened anti-choice terrorists

and Schaeffer finally realized that he was part of the monster his father had created. He participated in the right wing bullshit brigades that he now opposes. He has a lot of live down.

And now he has the gall to talk about the "easily distracted left?" And fail to note that liberals kept the faith while democrats stripped meaningful reform from any bill?

And he claims that people who oppose an insurance and pharma give-away have no right to disagree and demand something different?

On the other hand, this liberal did not try to undermine women's rights, did not stand with the most regressive forces in this nation and, frankly, I have stood on the right side of history on most issues that are of importance in this world during my lifetime.

So, Schaeffer can shut the fuck up about liberals. He should stick to attacking those who were his former partners in crime.

[QC]

36. He still thinks like a fundamentalist. He just reveres a different source of authority now.

Isn't it funny how people who were terribly wrong until very recently, like this guy and Andrew Sullivan, are treated like oracles while those who were right all along are so much chopped liver?

[jonnyblitz]

46. I read his book and he came off as a flake/airhead to me. PLUS

he hates atheists.

[QC]

49. Do you remember David Horowitz, the nasty right wing asshole of the 90s?

His schtick was that he used to be a Stalinist, but became a conservative. Thing is, he still thinks like a Stalinist. He even writes like one, with those overblown denunciations that the old commies used to churn out.

Same deal with Schaeffer. He is still a fundamentalist at heart. He still thinks like a fundamentalist.

[RainDog]

50. like I said, he should stick to sticking it to his former fuck buddies on the religious right

because he has nothing of worth to say to me.

[QC]

52. He is still looking for heretics, just like he was raised to do. n/t

[jonnyblitz]

55. yup i have known about horowitz since the 90's , i read his book

Radical Son and I JUST read his book on the kennedys he wrote in the 80's with Peter Collier. that being said I DO think your comments are right on. he DOES engage in overrought hyperbole, ie liberals are communists. I am also aware of his program to have college students write down names of leftist professors for future harrassment.

so, yeah, i can see the similarities.

[girl gone mad]

79. You hit the nail on the head.

He rationalizes away "the sins of the father", like any well-trained authoritarian subject would.

[frylock]

35. knu..

when have the centrists been right? about anything?

i got yer beatific emotion right here, franky boy.

[Dr Fate]

37. They were Right on the war(s), Right on supporting Bush's economic plans...

Right on ignoring 2 stolen elections, Right on Bailing out banks, Right on expanding the war in Afghanistan, Right in opposing a PO.

Centrists may have been incorrect on almost every major issue of the past 10 years, but it's not fair to say they have never been Right.

[tridim]

38. Perfectly stated. I can't wait to see what happens next.

Unrecs? Really? :eyes:

[NYC_SKP]

41. Unrecs, really. This thread is top of the list for "on the fence" on the top tens page.

I guess half the readers are obstinate about the idea of success for our president.

:shrug:

[Bobbie Jo]

53. Unrecs? You sound surprised?

Has become SOP here. Get with the program. :spank:

[UTUSN]

42. K&R #3 n/t

[proud2BlibKansan]

43. Lost me at "easily distracted Left"

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

57. Doesn't that sort of demonstrate his point?

;)

[proud2BlibKansan]

58. That he wants to slam the left? Yes it does.

[ClassWarrior]

82. Irony deficiency?

LOL

NGU.

[girl gone mad]

80. Just the opposite.

The left is too focused on our objectives to be distracted or dissuaded by empty ad hominem rhetoric.

[coti]

45. Without cost controls or serious regulations, this will be another "I told you so"

from the liberals on the level of Iraq.

Wait ten years and have another look. We'll be worse off than before and it'll be even more difficult to make the needed changes.

[Zhade]

67. I am getting SO FUCKING TIRED of being proven correct!

Usually, it means people have been killed or otherwise had their lives destroyed.

You think they'd listen to us eventually.

[bertman]

56. This easily-distracted Leftist refuses to see the President through the rose-tinted glasses I

bought for myself during the campaign. When he puts up a good fight or fights the right fight I will support him--just as I supported Bush when he invaded Afghanistan (and nothing else before or sense). But when he gives away the store in the name of bi-partisanship I will yell, scream, and do everything I can to influence him and the Democratic party to change direction. It is my duty as an American to push my President in the direction I think is best for the country. The fact that he is a Democrat is more about why I voted for him--NOT what I now think about his execution of his duties, a lot of which seems more Republican than Democratic.

I did not Unrec this--only because I hate UNrec.

[Aristus]

59. Good. My rec put the OP on the plus side. I am, as James Carville says, stickin'.

I'm pretty far to the left myself, but I'm not one of President Obama's knee-jerk critics. I'm giving him time...

[Cowpunk]

60. Wow, he's managed to insult almost everyone who votes! NT

[grahamhgreen]

62. "what did we do to help him?" WTF - time, money, phone calls, lobbying, posting, talking, canvassing

Videos, songs, movies, books , films, rap, rock, country western, 'rednecks for Obama', etc ad infinitum -

The writer forgets

[debbierlus]

63. If I hear the bullshit arguments about what he inherited and give it more time, one more time...

First, I have never seen ONE person claim to expect Obama to have fixed everything by this point...

Nor have I ever seen one person dismiss the enormity of the mess he inherited...

People are furious for the decisions he is making NOW. Unethical decisions. Bad decisions. HARMFUL decisions.

People are upset about the CONTENT and real world IMPLICATIONS of the health insurance 'reform' legislation.

People are upset about the escalation of the war in Afghanistan.

People are upset about expanding Bush's policies around executive privillege.

And, dozens of other substantative issues.

[mcablue]

64. Why is the OP written in all bold letters?

Odd.

[Number23]

69. K&R even though you are KILLING me with the all bold!

Thanks for posting. I like Schaeffer alot. He has had about a half ton of really great interviews with Rachel Maddow. They're in Political Videos.

[LoZoccolo]

72. K&R; funny how quickly Frank Schaeffer gets thrown under the bus. n/t

[RainDog]

73. He was never on the bus n/t

[LoZoccolo]

74. Right right.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=7148729

[RainDog]

77. old news

theocracy watch has been on that for years. Esp. Rushdooney.

Jeff Sharlet wrote about these issues in Harpers... which was the basis for his best selling book last year, The Family (also currently a best seller as a paperback.)

Jeremy Scahill has been onto Blackwater for years and has been writing and warning people about the same.

Schaeffer isn't covering any new ground in 09 to talk about this stuff. I'm glad he's no longer part of the sickness of the religious right, but, again, he has nothing worthwhile to say to me that I haven't heard elsewhere from more reputable sources.

[LoZoccolo]

81. Ah so right.

Barely anyone was saying good things about him too.

[Kansas Wyatt]

91. Prediction...

Barack Obama has already seen the highest peak of his popularity and approval ratings. He will never again pack stadiums and will resort to busing in supporters, much like his predecessor did.

After what he has done his first year for Corporate America over We The People, the verdict is in and duly noted.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

92. Frank, I love the work you're doing --

exposing the RW crazy "christians", but you need to know most of the Left were not "weeping with beatific emotion" on election night -- we were simply thankful the McCain/Crazy Person ticket hadn't won and cautiously hopefully our nagging fears about O would turn out to be unfounded.

Sadly, many of those fears have come true and it makes us cranky.

[EFerrari]

94. The Left is not his area and he should stick to what he does so well, imho.