I rarely find myself as a moderate on any issue, at least in relation to the spectrum here. But when it comes to my opinion of President Obama, I think I might just be right in the mushy center of the Obama wars!
Who's with me?? Who else feels that they are right smack in the middle of the two sides of the Daily Kos Obama wars? Who else feels that we are watching to extremes tear each other apart while the truth does actually, for once, lie in the center.
I have been called both an Obamabot and a part of the irrelevant far left. When it comes to the president, I am decidedly moderate on the Daily Kos spectrum.
I think that President Obama is an outstanding man with a very lovely family. He is extremely accomplished, educated, erudite, and all of the other qualities that one could want in a best friend or family member. I think he has a tremendous amount of personal integrity. To me, the President exudes honesty, calm, competence, and at the same time fun and warmth.
I definitely don't think he is a Manchurian candidate of the right wing, or indistingiushible from Bush or McCain, or any of the other charges that I think are nonsense. He has appointed mostly extremely competent and accomplished people to the government departments, nominated highly qualified judges, and has pursued a cautious foreign policy, all in marked contrast to Republican administrations.
On the other hand, I just don't think he has the extreme amount of vision or charisma that it would take to be the transformative leader that America so desperately needs right now.
The President is working with what he has, to be sure - a political and media system that is entirely biased against him - but true great leaders go beyond that, and actually change the parameters of the debate. I have in mind what Reagan did - in the wrong direction, of course. Reagan had a Democratic congress the whole time, if I recall correctly, but by constantly hammering his message and his opponents he was able to significantly permanently shift the trajectory of the country (in the wrong direction of course).
In order to save our country and possibly even the long term sustainability of the Earth, we desperately needed that from someone on our side. But we didn't get it with President Obama. When up against people who are out to destroy everything good and sustainable about our country and the world, the gloves have to come off some more. Instead the President has turned to being the nice, mature, adult-in-the-room, by-the-book sort of person that he naturally is, rather than the hardcore fighter and winner that we need.
I guess what I am saying is that Obama would have been a great president for different times. But it just seems to me like he's not the optimal man for the job for these serious times. America's first world status, and possibly the whole world's long term habitability, are hanging in the balance as the forces of right wing darkness continue to emass power and push their destructive agenda. We need someone who can be a transformative leader against them, and for a sustainable and just nation and world.
So there it is. A great person, but not the transformative leader that we needed. Of course I will be wholeheartedly working for President Obama's reelection against whatever trogolodyte idiot the Republicans put up.