"He is not Tinkerbell. He does not need us to clap."

[Are_grits_groceries]

Also? There is no more imperative to "support the president" with total absence of debate now than there was during the Bush administration. He is not Tinkerbell. He does not need us to clap. If someone says something critical of Obama it is not going to weaken his essence or something.

He's a smart, powerful, pretty self-assured dude with a few hundred folks around him employed to carry out his every whim. He can take it if someone with a web site says, about Afghanistan or anything else, "This is a douche move."

You're required to "support the president" by agreeing with him when you agree with him. That's it. Al Qaeda is not watching us to see if we are weakening in our magic unity powers. Chuck Todd will be upset, sure, because Mommy and Daddy fighting freaks him out, but: We're a pretty tough bunch of folks, 101st Keyboarding Brigade notwithstanding, and we can stomach a little disagreement.

You or I being at odds with the president does not mean the apocalypse is upon us. He will survive and so will we.

http://www.first-draft.com/

A good perspective IMHO.

[FLyellowdog]

1. I'm clapping anyway. nt

[Are_grits_groceries]

5. I think the wording should be

"He doesn't need us all to clap." Either position about expanding the war can be valid IMHO. That some don't clap about this issue won't ruin him.

However, I do think one thing needs to be considered. I will oppose or support him on each position as I see fit when I have considered my stance. That said, I still think that everyone needs to still respect the office in considering their criticism.

The RW is doing their best to delegitimize him as President by calling him everything imaginable and accusing him of surreal policies. In my criticism, I need to be very explicit about not appearing to agree that he doesn't deserve the office he was elected to.

It is along the same line as 'I support the troops, but I don't support the war.' Whenever anybody has said they didn't support the war, a lot of RW haters declared that this was unpatriotic and undermined those fighting. I still wanted the soldiers to know that I supported them personally irregardless of my feelings about the war.

I still want President Obama AND other people who are deliberately undermining him such as Beck to know that he is my President. My disagreement should not be misconstrued as a kind of vote to consider him a poseur.

[laughingliberal]

2. k & r n/t

[stray cat]

3. I sure hope so - if dems let a Sarah Palin win in 2012 it will destroy many of us economically

[maxsolomon]

4. odds of a Palin win are infinitessimal

please worry about more realistic things like tsunamis in nebraska.

[Go2Peace]

8. Which dems? If it is lost it will be the leadership that makes the choices that end us there

To think otherwise is to not understand democracy. nobody here nor movement here will make or break the presidency, the President can, congress could buy not getting their act together, the media can by misrepresenting.

[tblue]

6. And he's not the Baby Jesus.

Obama is the first to say he doesn't wanna be surrounded by Yes men.

[BunkerHill24]

7. 2012 is far, far away and a lifetime for politics, however...

The Obama administration need not to take too many endeavors whilst losing sight of the electorate...the many who had the hopes and aspirations, he sought, for change.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

9. It is the responsibility of the citizenry to hold public accountable for their words and deeds.

It's called democracy.

[BunkerHill24]

10. Indeed, however, that might be an election issue in 2012

that Mr. Obama must do a hard at convincing!