Check in if you've criticized President Obama on DU but worked to get him elected

[East Coast Pirate]

I drove to Ohio to canvas for him in 2008. I voted for him in 2008 and 2012.

[Puzzledtraveller]

1. I helped register people to vote if that counts.

I still continue to do that.

[Katashi_itto]

2. Same here campaign for him in 2008, voted both times for him.

The 2nd time only because of what the alternative was.

His selections for cabinet woke me up to what he actually is.

Truly disapointed.

[cali]

3. I did. Made phone calls, went to NH

voted for him both times.

[PowerToThePeople]

4. Canvased last fall. Voted for both times.

[reformist2]

5. I refrained from criticizing him during all 2012 to help his chances.

If the year after the election isn't the time to speak the unvarnished truth, when is???

[Laelth]

6. Here. n/t

-Laelth

[Ichingcarpenter]

7. Here. n/t

[damnedifIknow]

8. Proudly voted for him twice and defended him many times

Not so proud anymore.

[madrchsod]

9. yup ...

although i disagree with a lot of what he has done i still would do it again

[TransitJohn]

10. Here. eom

n/t

[bigwillq]

11. In 2008 I did.

In 2012 I voted third party. Obama won my state (CT) by 17 points. I thought it would be safe to vote third party since I knew Obama would win CT with or without my vote.

[Cleita]

12. Didn't exactly work for him, but I did convince people to vote for him because

the alternative would have been awful. I also voted for him both times, however, I have always been lukewarm towards his decision to pander to the fascist Republicans.

[marions ghost]

13. Both

What I'm doing now is--to deal with the inner conflict I have now about Obama...

Supporting Prez O on some issues.
Not supporting Prez O on other issues. And I will speak out on those that are in opposition to his position.

It's not smart to pledge blind allegiance to anybody. I am disappointed, but we must move on.

[Nay]

14. I voted for him twice, donated $, but couldn't do much more due to the Hatch Act.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

15. Check ...

Drove people to the polling station. Voted for him twice, and am now disgusted.

I came out of hiatus to vote for him.

[East Coast Pirate]

16. Some here were precinct captains.

Being able to criticize our leaders is one of the best things about America.

[warrprayer]

17. yep

worked the phones and voted for him twice.

[backscatter712]

18. Check! n/t

[Ms. Toad]

19. Did voter protection for early voting in 2012

and was in the war room helping ensure that anything that looked like voter suppression on election day was immediately addressed.

Can't stand his policies on the war on terrorism (from NSA to Gitmo to targeted assassinations). Hated his interactions with the LGBT community through most of his first term.

Loved that he was able to get insurance reform through (even though I would have preferred single payer).

[Xyzse]

20. Done the Canvassing thing in 2012

I still don't like him, but the alternative is ruthlessly inhuman on average and idiotically out of touch most times.

[JaneyVee]

21. Defended, criticized, voted for him twice. Would vote for him a 3rd time if possible.

[Starry Messenger]

22. Phone banking in 2012.

I admit I was more focused on local issues though and threw myself more into Prop 30 & 32 work.

[woo me with science]

23. Checking in.

Last edited Fri Jul 26, 2013, 07:05 PM - Edit history (1)

It seems a lifetime ago.

[jimlup]

24. Yep!

I canvased in '08 and voted and voted and endorsed him in '12. I know the score. I think we should be proud that we've held our voices open. This is very important. We must always push our elected officials in the directions that we need. It is how real democracy can still function even on the brink of a corporatist plutocracy that is our current situation.

[yardwork]

25. Here.

I vote in every election, always for Democrats. I donated to Obama in 2008 and phone banked for him in 2012.

It's my obligation as a citizen to pay attention to what my elected representatives are doing and give them feedback. That's how politics works.

[Cali_Democrat]

26. Here

[tblue]

27. Oh gosh yes. nt

[JDPriestly]

28. Worked in two states to get him elected, one in 2008 and a different one in 2012..

[Kolesar]

29. I write to his office. I don't tear him up on the DU

I leave that to the visiting Libertarians and poseurs.
I gave his campaigns $800.

[East Coast Pirate]

41. So everyone who replied to this OP is lying?

[Egalitarian Thug]

30. Two checking in. n/t

[Smarmie Doofus]

31. I worked (hard) to get him elected but did nothing to get him reelected.

And, had the following been available a few mos. earlier, I'd have saved myself the trouble in 2008:

http://www.gregpalast.com/update-obama-slam-duncans-education/

Truly... I didn't conceive of the possibility that someone so smart, and so seemingly emotionally well rounded... could be as clueless and stunted as he so clearly is as it concerns education. ( I'm talking about Obama, BTW, not Duncan.... who seemed always to be exactly what he is.)

But live and learn; it is what it is.

Warmed over Bush foreign policy is another repellant area... but less of a shock.

[The Link]

32. I worked to get him elected by voting for him. He barely deserved that.

[Archaic]

33. Maximum (legal non corporate) contributor.

I work for an extremely conservative company. If they ever looked themselves up on OpenSecrets, I'd probably be fired as I was the sole donor for President Obama during the Presidential campaign at our company of 1500 people.

If I draw too much attention, I will be fired, so no stickers, no signs, no canvasing. So I put up some cash so the people who can do those things are able to.

I am hard on the President because he chooses to be wrong on massively bad things to be wrong on. Financial decisions, appointments of bankers. The idea that we'd ever approve Keystone is incredible. The Canadians can't keep their part of the pipeline from spilling, but we want a piece of that action?

[Hydra]

34. Too bad we actually have to do this

But I barnstormed against the Bush Admin, McCain and Romney in one of the reddest state in the union.

I've complained more than once that the Obama Admin gave me no ammo after the first election on what he would actually do that was positive. All I can do is show how the other side is worse.

I consider my efforts to have made things "less bad," but we needed the President to be the person he pretended to be in 2008, before the FISA vote.

[Rex]

35. Twice.

nt.

[JimDandy]

36. Count me. My vigilant protection of democracy

doesn't mean I must mindlessly protect someone I worked to elect and voted for, if they themselves stop protecting the foundations of our democracy.

I praise the president when his actions are in concert with liberal Democratic values, but when they work to undermine them or to tear down our constitutional rights, he gets criticized, as he should.

In addition, I've decided not to praise him anymore for speeches or statements that espouse those ideals...I'm only interested in actions. The reason for that is, I believe the president has relied too much on his oratory strength (writing and giving well-crafted and delivered speeches), so much so that unconsciously people (himself included?) equivocate the ideas in his speeches as the actual delivery of the actions they espouse. (I don't have his speech writing skills and I'm not explaining this well, so I'll come back later and edit it).

[Savannahmann]

37. Donated

Voted for him three times. One primary and two generals. Voted against Romney twice in 2012.

[ceonupe]

38. North Carolina

2008 and 2012

Knocked on over 1000 doors combined.
Ran IT for the field office both years as well. We were a little advanced with VoIP phones and softphones in our phone banks and wifi everywhere (secured and unsecured guest access)

And even given my disagreements with some things the admin is doing now I would still do it again.

[Pab Sungenis]

39. Volunteered in 2008

and voted for him in 2012.

[Jim Lane]

40. Like others: 2008 volunteer, 2012 voter

Perhaps I can claim half-credit for "worked to get him elected" in 2012 because I was doing door-to-door and phone-banking for Elizabeth Warren. Her GOTV presumably brought some Obama voters to the polls as well, so my work helped Obama beat Romney in Romney's home state -- or, rather, one of Romney's home states.

[WCGreen]

42. Same here....

Mrs. WCGreen was a ward leader here in Ohio.

[RobertEarl]

43. Checking in.

What time is check out? Free breakfast?

[Catherina]

44. Checking in

My journal here is full of downright embarrassing threads and posts about Candidate Obama.

People like to tell others that if you don't vote, you don't get to complain afterwards. Well damn it, I voted, I donated and I worked hard to help him so you can bet your sweet ass I'm holding on to my right to criticize him.

[East Coast Pirate]

47. " My journal here is full of downright embarrassing threads and posts about Candidate Obama."

The night he won I posted the lyrics to Bob Dylan's The The Times They Are-A Changin' to a local forum I post to. I was ecstatic. A Republican told me I needed to take a shower. Some of this has been like a punch in the gut for me.

[TBF]

45. Co-precinct captain in 2008 -

in 2012 I didn't actively campaign but did donate so we wouldn't end up w/Romney (which would have been even worse from day 1 - we've seen how republicans treat women by their state activity as of late).

[phylny]

46. Worked a phone bank here in Redneckistan, Virginia and I was an automatic monthly donor.

While I don't think I've been a vocal critic here, I'm none too pleased with him right now. Of course, I'm getting lots of phone calls and mail solicitations for money, and I'm telling them and writing the same thing: When Democrats stop acting like Republicans, I'll start donating again.

[louis c]

48. Here's my one criticism of the President on DU

I knocked on doors in New Hampshire and raised money in Massachusetts. Twice. I voted for him twice (I was for Hilary in the 2008 primary). My one time I was disappointed was in his first debate performance against Romney. I love this President and history will record that he helped pull this country out of crisis.

Here's the post:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021467010

[TheKentuckian]

49. Volunteered, donated, made the phone calls, vigorously advocated person to person, got non-voters to

register and get to the polls, and voted for him twice in 2008. Then I voted for him against Weird WilLIARd once again last November.