Barack Hussein Obama II , OUR 44th President United States of America and his familyObama Will Triumph — So Will America
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 right wing 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.
Barack Obama takes the oath of office of the president of the United States January 20, 2009Meanwhile back in the reality-based community – in just 12 short months -- President Obama:
#Continued the draw down the misbegotten war in Iraq
(But that wasn’t good enough for his critics)
#Thoughtfully and decisively picked the best of several bad choices regarding the war in Afghanistan
(But that wasn’t good enough for his critics)
#Gave a major precedent-setting speech supporting gay rights
(But that wasn’t good enough for his critics)
#Restored America’s image around the globe
(But that wasn’t good enough for his critics)
#Banned torture of American prisoners
(But that wasn’t good enough for his critics)
#Stopped the free fall of the American economy
(But that wasn’t good enough for his critics)
#Put the USA squarely back in the bilateral international community
(But that wasn’t good enough for his critics)
#Put the USA squarely into the middle of the international effort to halt global warming
(But that wasn’t good enough for his critics)
#Stood up for educational reform
(But that wasn’t good enough for his critics)
#Won a Nobel peace prize(But that wasn’t good enough for his critics)
#Moved the trial of terrorists back into the American judicial system of checks and balances
(But that wasn’t good enough for his critics)
#Did what had to be done to start the slow, torturous and almost impossible process of health care reform that 7 presidents had failed to even begin
(But that wasn’t good enough for his critics)
#Responded to hatred from the right and left with measured good humor and patience
(But that wasn’t good enough for his critics)
#Stopped the free fall of job losses
(But that wasn’t good enough for his critics)
#Showed immense personal courage in the face of an armed and dangerous far right opposition that included the sort of disgusting people that show up at public meetings carrying loaded weapons and carrying Timothy McVeigh-inspired signs about the “blood of tyrants” needing to “water the tree of liberty”…
(But that wasn’t good enough for his critics)
#Showed that he could not only make the tough military choices but explain and defend them brilliantly
(But that wasn’t good enough for his critics)
Other than those "disappointing" accomplishments -- IN ONE YEAR -- President Obama “failed”! Other than that he didn’t “live up to expectations”!
Who actually has failed...
...are the Americans that can’t see the beginning of a miracle of national rebirth right under their jaded noses. Who failed are the smart ass ideologues of the left and right who began rooting for this President to fail so that they could be proved right in their dire and morbid predictions. Who failed are the movers and shakers behind our obscenely dumb news cycles that have turned “news” into just more stupid entertainment for an entertainment-besotted infantile country.
Here’s the good news: President Obama is succeeding without the help of his lefty “supporters” or hate-filled Republican detractors!
The Future Looks Good
After Obama has served two full terms, (and he will), after his wisdom in moving deliberately and cautiously with great subtlety on all fronts -- with a canny and calculating eye to the possible succeeds, (it will), after the economy is booming and new industries are burgeoning, (they will be), after the doomsayers are all proved not just wrong but silly: let the record show that not all Americans were panicked into thinking the sky was falling.
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 proved right.
Merry Christmas (or Happy Holidays, depending on your point of view) to everyone!
PS. if you agree that Obama is shaping up to be a great president please pass this on and hang in there! Read it all, by Frank Schaeffer, click HERE
Frank Schaeffer is a writer and author of “Patience With God – Faith For People Who Don’t Like Religion (Or Atheism).”
Frank may be contacted at Frankschaeffer.com
·Thanks to Frank Schaeffer, at the sidebar
·Thanks to Wikipedia
·Thanks to Flickr Photosharing
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13 comments:
Nice post. Will pass it on. I suppose anyone has to be an improvement on Bush.
So pleased to read this when other US blogs seem to do nothing but criticise. Politics is the art of the possible and although we would like everything to be righted tomorrow, it just ain't going to happen. Of course we must keep pushing our leaders to do better but turning against them just because they have not achieved everything we would like only feeds into the hands of the Right.
Leo, while I believe that Obama is a vast improvement over Bush, I'm not ready to say he's a great president. And when I don't agree with his policies, I will continue to speak out. One thing about Democrats is that we don't walk in lockstep like the Republicans, and we never will.
I don't agree that 30,000 more troops in Afghanistan was the best choice.
And maybe Obama wanted to save changing the "don't ask, don't tell" military policy until after a health care bill is passed. We'll see. We need to hold his feet to the fire on that one.
Dear Mimi,
I wish I were capable of even discerning the best approach on almost any topic...I´ve spent a longtime trying to know what is best for myself and others and I pray for ¨Gods will¨ every day and the Serenity Prayer which includes praying for ¨having the wisdom to know the difference¨ (change that I can do and can´t do)...I fight for what I think is moral and right and still, well, I often fall short when all the facts are known and I´ve proven over and over (to myself and those around me) that sometimes my way isn´t best.
Sometimes I´m simply obsessed with an issue that will be answered in Gods time and not when I DEMAND answers NOW...oh how I would love to know how to ¨change¨ things in a better way (and I wish the rest of the World did too)...the thinking and doing should come to me more easily than it does but the fact is that I don´t often know the full range/depth of the details of most challenges. I also know that although some folks are more intelligent than I am, say the ABC and Obama and the Pope, I certainly don´t always think they are wiser...in the case of the LGBT situation in everyday life and at Church, it´s a life and death ISSUE. I can´t believe that without even the background of a war going on the ABC and the Pope whould prefer to see LGBT clergy and laity sent to the ¨fronts¨ to be abused, outcasted and die rather than deal with the real solution of facing a terribly inconvenient truth at Church. Millions of people like me exist and have not fallen through the cracks of our own lives.
Being demonized to me is plain stupid, cowardly and dangerous. LGBT lives are at risk by the tens of thousand in a non-combat organization called Church where we still haven´t grown past don´t ask don´t tell. Lives are in danger...ours.
I TRUST Obama to do the right thing regarding ¨don´t ask don´t tell¨ when the timing is best for US and for him to do so.
I don´t TRUST the ABC or the Bishop of Rome with the happiness and well-being of people like me (both in and outside of Church). Period!
Love to you and Grandpere,
Leonardo
Leo, Afghanistan is a matter of life and death. I know that a number of the 30,000 (I pray not many) will be killed in a war that I believe we can never win.
As I said before, Obama is head and shoulders above Bush, but, in truth, I find it difficult to trust any politician. But then, I'm an old cynic.
¨I TRUST Obama to do the right thing regarding ¨don´t ask don´t tell¨ when the timing is best for US and for him to do so.¨
TRUST is the issue.
I don´t TRUST the ABC or the Bishop of Rome with the safety, happiness and/or well-being of people like me (both in and outside of Church). Period! As far as I can see and a few others like them are accossories to murder and gross damnation of Christians/others worldwide.
More will be revealed (lifetimes of LGBT are counting on it and if WE knew how to do it better/faster, well, if would have been a done deal)...Obama repeatedly makes his good intentions clear...nobody has done that before in office...I have TRUST...Obama is on the side of Democrats and the Republicans are simply extending the agony...it´s a blockade.
No, Leonardo, go love yourself, your dogs and your friends. This is your most brilliant post ever.
H/t Frank Schaeffer.
What the hell does he mean by the "easily distracted le" hey! Look at that!
Okay, I'll be the odd one out in the comments - I want to read Frank Schaeffer's book. What a title - I'm heading over to Amazon to read more about it.
Still a big fan over here!
Not yet a great president, but maybe some day?
But, there is Peace to be achived not only in Afghanistan, and I do think being a bit bolder would make things easier and, in the end, better!
Finally I think we are more focused on Afghanistan and that this Prisident, Obama, will pay attention to ALL the realities and not simply keep the war engine running for the sake of generating fear and hate (and $$$). I Trust Obama, and no, not a great President...yet (I count my blessings everyday we don´t have that alternative Republican duet (McCain/Palin) anywhere near Executive management of the U.S.A.).
Yes that duet would have been truly horrible!
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