Now, here I am, a little over a year away from the next election and I find myself trying to figure out where I stand politically. Am I happy with where our country is now versus 3 years ago when he took office? Do I think things will get better with or without him? Is anyone running on the Republican side worth giving them the chance?
As I think about the uphill battle we have faced these past three years all I can see is that the United States is drowning. We have 14 million unemployed people in the US right now. We aren’t manufacturing anything here anymore… we have sent all of those jobs overseas. We aren’t teaching our kids how to be great anymore, we are just teaching them to pass standardized tests. We spend more than any other country on healthcare yet in infant mortality rates we are in 41st place. Not a very strong showing at all. In 1990 we were 28th. The real income for ninety percent of us in the US is slipping and income inequality is widening exponentially. We aren’t making progress like other countries are doing. We seem to be regressing… or drowning.
I remember back to when George W. Bush was in office. What drove me crazy about him was how he pushed though his agenda, no matter what people though. Remember being persuaded into the Iraq war? I knew back then it was a mistake, and I cannot have been the only one questioning it, but we were going to Iraq come hell or high Blackwater... Right? Even Senators who were really against it still voted to go there just so we as a country could be united and stand behind our president. He was our leader and we were one united nation, at least for that small moment due to the tragedy of 9/11.
So, now I am watching President Obama negotiate his political agenda away, and give in to Republicans so easily that I almost miss the days when Bush just said what he wanted to do and just went ahead and didn't care who agreed or what the consequences were. But, like I said I read Obama’s books... I knew what he was about before he was elected.
Obama was a big fan of Abraham Lincoln, known as a great negotiator. Obama longed for the good old days when politicians would have a drink together after long day of arguing in Congress and over dinner these adversaries would hammer out a compromise and go to work the next day and get the job done. But, here we are and Obama from day 1, even when he had the majorities and could have pushed through any agenda he damn well pleased, he compromised. Republicans didn't want a public option for the healthcare system so early on he took it off the table. He promised to let the tax break for the rich expire until he compromised that away too. This goes on and on. And, laughably enough this week Obama wanted to speak on a Wednesday night about his new jobs programs but Speaker Boehner said no, and so Obama will now speak on Thursday.
Republicans and Tea Party members have no reason to negotiate. They have no motivation right now to make our country rebound out of this hopeless depression and bounce back to the great nation we once were. Why? Because so long as we are swimming in debt and as long as unemployment rates are out of control they can all point the finger at Obama and say it’s his fault and we need to get him out of office. These were the people willing to shut down the whole government just to keep Obama from raising taxes. Anything Obama is for, they are against. Even on simple issues of getting our kids to eat healthier foods like vegetables Tea Party heroes like Sarah Palin say go ahead… eat the cookies! How are these elected officials looking out for our country when they are acting like a bunch of bickering children?
So, are we better off than we were three years ago? We are but not by a whole hell of a lot. Will we be better off without him for a second term? I don’t think anyone in the oval office will make anything happen in this political climate of just say no to anything the other side wants. Is anyone on the Republican side worth giving them a chance? Probably not, just refer back to my last answer.
Our country is drowning along with Obama’s presidency and Obama is trying to swim, but swimming is hard when you gave up your life vest and your adversaries have tied your hands behind your back.