re: #265 freetoken

Hmmm… I don’t think it is naivet as much as pure Democratic party politics - the President’s party is too diverse (and at conflict with itself) for him to muster a filibuster-busting 60 votes in the Senate.

I’ve been lurking but I have to jump on for a second. I don’t think it is so much the Dem pols, but the Obama supporters.

Conservatives stuck behind Bush up until maybe the last few years of his presidency. Obama’s supporters, meanwhile, have blasted what he has done as “not liberal enough” or “not far enough” etc. Read Kos or HuffPo.

There is this, dare I say, a spoiled look at it. They should be generally happy with the fact that they have a leader who can be considered to be well within mainstream liberal thought on most issues.

So of course he feels like he has to “water down” legislation. The left seems like its going to bitch and moan no matter what. What “progressives” want is unpassable anyway. Might as well see if you can pick off some moderates.

Now I know many will argue the critique of Obama from the left is better than the unconditional support of Bush from the right. But fuck it people, he’s a better Democrat than most. He is only going to be weaker for your party if you get all up in arms because there was no government option or that he isn’t pulling out of Afgan immediately or didn’t strike down DADT or whatever bullshit pipedream is out there.

The support from his base is shaky. He knows it, his opponents know it. That weakens him. Stop expecting everything and the moon and his presidency will be smoother. Take the small victories and be satisfied with it.

(Rant off)