Reply #77: I think a lot of his supporters here...

[ljm2002]

...are worried about all the attacks on him from various quarters, including from "the left" and from those of us who question his lack of visible leadership in this crisis.

I don't blame them. It is true, he was attacked from the get-go. It is true, there is a "black executive syndrome" where he has to be twice as good as the white guy in order to get half the credit. It is true, there are many politicians and many in the media who want to see him fail and see this as yet another opportunity to attack him. And, sadly, it is true that valid criticisms may contribute to harming him due to all of those factors.

However, he is the President. He wanted the job and he got it. He cannot be immune from criticism. He has shown he can think on his feet, and he has also shown he is good at politics. I wish he were the leftist that the rabid right keeps harping about, but that ain't gonna happen. What I want right now is for him to take charge visibly in this disaster, and see it through to its conclusion. Right now, I am praying that the top kill works and buys us time until they can get the relief well drilled.

What I want in the long run is some fundamental policy shifts away from offshore drilling and away from our oil addiction. We'll continue to use oil, of course, but if ever there was a clear reason to push all of the green alternatives that are out there, this is it. Let's see a Manhattan Project for energy.