Reply #41: Maybe I did.

[tekisui]

I volunteered a good deal for the campaign. I approached looking at policies and personality. In the Primary I supported him because he was likable and I knew he could get votes. He was electable, and I wanted more than anything to keep repukes out of power. I went with who I thought was the winner. I had reservations about some policies issues, but nothing to keep me away having no viable alternative.

In the General election, I got very excited. I thought the change would be great. But, I remained cautious. I encouraged, pressured even, everyone I knew to vote for him and why. In private, with my wife, I related that I really didn't know how it would be, but I knew it was critical to keep mcPOW out. I listened to Thom Hartmann talk about him being a Rorschach Test. None of us knew exactly what we were getting. We projected because he spoke to everyone.

On election night, I partied. I yelled in the street, cried in public and got drunk as a skunk. That was what all the work was for.

His first month was impressive. He acted swiftly to undo a great deal of dubya's mess. I think he continued to try to be everything to everyone. Or at least, too much to too many. He has refused to be controversial. He has stayed out of the fight, above the fray. He has tried to remain likable.

In other words, he wasn't the same leader he was on the campaign trail. When he escalated the war in Afghanistan for the second time, and accelerated the use of drone attacks in Pakistan, he started losing me. When he wasn't forceful and didn't lead or take tough stands on Health care, he lost me some more. Allowing Kennedy's seat to fall to the repukes, when it was the ONLY election in the country pissed me off.

I still like President Obama. I will vote for him over any puke. I don't know, though, if I can bring myself to make the calls and knock on the doors. We'll see. Three years is an eternity in politics.