Reply #23: Chose Obama but

[droidamus2]

What my actual vote is 'I will not be voting for the Republican candidate'. If a viable truly progressive candidate (yes I know how can we really know they are a 'true' progressive?) presents themselves I would be hard pressed to vote for Obama unless he shows some backbone and at least works with the left. The one thing I don't get about Obama is he ran on a platform of change. Change from what? I would think change from what the Republicans had been doing to this country for 8 years. If that's the kind of change we voted for then wouldn't it have made more sense for Obama, if you see him as a centrist, to work with the left rather than try to compromise with the people that had already screwed us for 8 years. To answer my own question, I think Obama thought the 'change' we wanted was to a 'kinder gentler Washington' meaning less partisan bickering and more cooperation in dealing with this countries problems. Though I think most of us would like to see that come about I also think most of us realize with the current state of the Republican party it is not going to happen any time soon. I for one voted for Obama because I thought he would pull back dramatically from the right-wing direction the country had taken. Instead he wants to make baby steps and not rock the boat too much and even worse actually placate the right in almost everything he does. I think one thing Obama could do, and yes it would be somewhat for show, is to pick 2 or 3 strong progressive positions, ending DADT even if by some kind of Presidential action, and fight for them to the bitter end win, lose or draw I think he would at least get us liberals and progressive to reconsider our objections to his other compromises. Unfortunately I don't see it happening but again I will never vote for another Republican in my lifetime.