increasingly disenheartened with administration policy and decisions of late

[Lerkfish]

but where does that leave me? I can't fully discuss it here, or anywhere without offending someone, but there is and continues to be an offense to the voters who supported this candidate as the policies and decisions of the previous heinous administration are either ignored, mollified or perpetuated.

honestly, any advice?

[NRaleighLiberal]

1. I am with you. My first thoughts this AM after reading headlines linked in my response.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x209287

[villager]

2. First, even though it will be necessary to vote for certain Democrats, you don't have to stay

...registered as one. If they start losing voters "off the books" to indie status, or whatever, that's one way to show you're no longer willing to be taken for granted, or lied to.

[Lerkfish]

3. nah, I'm always a democrat.

but I reserve the right to be disheartened.

[villager]

4. Well, I guess then that "disheartenment" is the only consequence

...you're allowing yourself to levy, then...

[leveymg]

5. No advice, just a rec.

You're not alone in that dilemma. I don't want to alienate (more) DUers, but what are we supposed to do? I can only sing the refrain, "Don't worry, be happy" so many times before I begin to gag.

I knew that Obama was somewhere to the Right of myself, but I was prepared to accept that as the cost of getting an electable Democratic President to go along with all the electable Democratic Senators and Congressmen who I had also helped elect.

But, what broke my hope for any real change is Obama's failure to make the PO part of Reconcilation Bill or to lead the effort toward a meaningful expansion of Medicare. The last year just seems like a repeat of Clinton's too-conservative-to-succeed HCR effort.

Rahm Emanuel was one of the point men for the '93 disaster as well, but he's just part of the problem. Mishandling of HCR has again broken the confidence of a lot of Progressives, and looks like it will lead to yet another Republican takeover of Congress and the WH.

[Kitsune]

6. Please, discuss it here. If someone wants to take offense at you being disappointed

with your elected representatives, they can bitch and moan and unrec you and call you disloyal all they want, and those of us who aren't still thoroughly in denial can ignore them.

It really is a very small group of people that thinks that any criticism of Obama, no matter how small, automatically makes you a teabagging right-wing fascist. Don't let them intimidate you into withholding your objections to the status quo.

[femrap]

7. You feel

disheartened? Most feel betrayed!

The Dems are owned by TPTB as well....sure there are a few decent ones...Kucinich, Sherrod Brown, but the system is CORRUPT. K Street and its Corporate Lobbyists needs to be squashed.

I am more issue oriented than I am party oriented. The Dems will break your heart every time. Get past it and realize they are not going to help you. You have to help you. You are your own hero...Obama had a fabulous 'Marketing Campaign.' That's all it was....as soon as he was elected, in came the same old $$$$ boyz of Summers and Geithner. Biz as usual.

I expected it because I had seen it with Clinton.

I'm glad you have opened your eyes and looked at the Truth. And sometimes the Truth hurts.

[indepat]

8. The failure to reverse most of the most heinous of junior's policies

and actions and to prosecute the most culpable of those responsible for the most egregious crimes is the greatest disappointment of this observer of all administrations since the late '30s. BHO was given the rare opportunity to set this nation on a new rational course, possibly saving our nation from its own follies, but has rather seemingly ratified most of junior's most reprehensible and damaging iniquities, all the while our country is going to hell in a hand-basket at the break-neck speed of an out-of-control freight-train. :cry:

[LakeSamish706]

9. I,m with you as well. n/t

[eleny]

10. "It's our time"

I thought that included me but now I don't think so.

[glitch]

11. I look to the true forward thinkers when I get discouraged with this admin and congress

They are out there, choose your favorite topic and seek them out. Mine are alternative energies, sustainability and organic food so I look there first. Sometimes local, some global. Bill McKibben, Vandana Shiva, Frances Moore Lappe, Paul Hawken, Amory Lovins, Arundhati Roy are just a few that I can rely on to cheer me up a bit. Sometimes I get cheered up by Michael Parenti, he tells it like it is which should be depressing but somehow he makes it refreshing. Same with Naomi Klein. Just hearing truth without having to cut through bullshit takes a load off.

If you can find a good radio station, that'll help, if necessary stream it. I listen to KPFA.org.

Shifting your focus to local community issues may help (maybe not, depending on your community).

Oh, and you might want to blow up your tv. :hi:

edit: and work on growing a third party while still voting strategically in state and federal elections.

[Marr]

12. Why are you averse to "offending someone"?

You can't go around worrying about what people think of you. Especially not on an internet message board, for crying out loud.