One Simple Message of Hope

It's been a while since I've posted anything. I apologize. I've been a bit busy. I started going back to college, which includes studying, reading, and proving to myself I'm smarter than I think. Still, I haven't strayed from my liberal roots one bit. This blog is a message to those who are doubting the president.

To The Republicans

I get it. I really do. You watched as your last president was crucified in the press, public opinion, and around the world. You found no solace. You had to live with what was being said because everybody agreed he was the worst two-term president in history.
It festered. You had to put up with it for eight years. Eight, long, grueling years. Now there's a Democratic president and the Dems control Congress. You've taken shots for eight years and you are unleashing your frustration. I can see through it very clearly. You're petrified that these semi-godless thinkers are ruining your country.
I've asked many Republicans why they hate Obama. They usually respond with the usual Fox News verbiage: "He's a tax and spend liberal." Let's analyze this for a second.
Fact: He did sign into law a stimulus bill to help save jobs. This is spending of taxpayer dollars. Other than that, what else you got?
This is what cracks me up about Republicans. They LOVE to point a finger and yell "tax and spend" as if they have NEVER in the history of mankind EVER taxed and spent anything! It makes me laugh out loud. Republicans controlled the Congress and the White House for six out of the eight years Bush was in office. What was the result? Anyone? Anyone? Taxes went up (especially for the middle and lower classes) and they spent over $10 TRILLION dollars. Oh yeah, but Repubs overlook that little indiscretion. The only taxes that went down were for the top one percent of Americans. These were the actual results of the Bush Tax Cuts which were trumpeted all over Fox News as being the Ronald Reagan move of the new century. What did it do? The same exact thing Reagan's economy did. It sent us spiraling downward into a recession. In fact, the last three Republican presidents have left office with a recession on their hands. The last Dem left with a SURPLUS! Yet, all Dems do is tax and spend? Sigh. It gets old. And it's not factual.

To The Progressives

I get it. I really do. You're frustrated. You spent money, time, energy, and a TON of talking to help get Obama elected. You thought you finally had a true Progressive thinker in office. In turn, you feel he has let you down. He is committing to a war in Afghanistan, the public option did not make it through Congress, and you want him to end the assault on gay marriage bans.
My friends, I feel the same way about all of these issues. I am frustrated the public option died a quick death. I think it is the only way to protect Americans from the greedy slime that is the health care industry.
I have mixed feelings about the war in Afghanistan. I felt very strongly it was where we should've been all along instead of wasting our time in Iraq. Now that we have committed fully to the region, I wonder if it is too late to find the bastard Bin Laden and bring him out of his rat hole. Sorry, friends, but I still believe in justice and that asshole needs to be found. It's why I will never be a true Progressive. I do see a purpose for war or war-like actions.
As for the rest of the complaints, all I will say is the man has been in office for one year. He still has time. Relax.

To The Conservatives

I get it. I really do. You're scared shitless of a black guy in office. Do you ever notice conservatives call every Democrat in office the "number one liberal in America?" Can they all really be number one? They called Obama this when he entered office even though NOBODY had ever heard of the guy. Can you be anonymous AND the number one liberal? Is that even possible?
I will congratulate the conservatives on killing the public option. I realize your goal was to kill the health care reform bill, but I still think you can take credit for whittling down a bill that was very strong in the beginning. You were organized, focused, and ran the best smear campaign I've seen since Dukakis ran for president in the 80s. So what if death panels aren't true? What's a little lie between constituents when it comes to killing health care reform?
You filled town meeting after town meeting in an effort to smear the "Communist Obama" and his "Socialist agenda." I even asked a few of you why Socialism was bad. I have to admit your answers killed me. Most of you said because it will kill democracy. Really? Socialism is an economic system, you morons. It has nothing to do with voting. This is why more money on education is needed.
I also want to thank you for all the entertaining bumper stickers and shirts you guys wear. It feeds into your paranoia perfectly. I asked one guy why he hated Obama. His answer: "He's taking away my guns and my money." I then asked which law he signed that took away his guns. His answer: "I don't know. I just know he's going to." PERFECT! Let's hate a guy for something you think he might possibly do at some point in time. That makes total sense! I bet this same guy has an autographed copy of Sarah Palin's book.
For the record, the only bill Obama has signed into law involving guns was one expanding the rights of federal and state agencies to use guns in public parks. That's right, the evil, gun-taking, Negro EXPANDED the use of guns! Sigh. Get a life, conservatives. You still have so much to learn.

Final Thoughts

To my fellow Democrats, Independents, and Progressives, I say you are missing the point if you think Obama is doing a bad job. Again I will say I am not in love with the man as much as I thought I would be, but I can't deny he has done some really fantastic things while in office. First, the health care reform bill did pass Congress. This is NOT a small feat. So it didn't have a public option. Big deal. It doesn't go into effect until 2013. There is still time to reform the reform bill.
Look at it this way. This bill overhauls one-sixth of our national economy. Do you seriously think this was easy? Besides, it still covers over 30 million more Americans who have been refused coverage or can't afford coverage. It also tells the health care industry they can't refuse anybody based on pre-existing conditions. ALL OF THESE ARE GREAT THINGS!!!
I also want to take a minute to tell my fellow Dems and Progressive friends you should look in the mirror a bit when you talk about the public option dying. How many rallies on health care reform did you attend? How many groups did you organize to attend rallies in favor of the public option at town hall meetings? If your answer is zero, then you are just as guilty for it failing. I attended three. I spoke up. I stated my position. I can tell you, without a doubt. I was in the minority at every one of them. The conservatives won the argument because they showed up. Can you say the same?
Here is the message of hope I was referring to in the blog title. Obama is one person. One human being. He stood in front of you and demanded a call for action. What did you do? Me? I acted. I made calls, I attended rallies, I went to town hall meetings. In short, I heard the call. He can't do it by himself. He was asking for your help even after he was elected. This, my friends, is the greatest message I have heard from a president since I've been alive. Why? He knows he can't do it without you. He's all but admitting it. It's incredibly humble!!
I remember watching history unfold on my TV screen as Obama won the presidency. I remember him saying over and over again, "Yes We Can." Have we already, as a country, forgotten the "we" part of his slogan? One person can't do it for you. You have to want it as bad as you say you do! Get off your asses and act or stop complaining. Those are your options as I see them.