Doing the White House Waffle

This diagram portrays the strategic direction
of theWhite House on key issues of importance
 to Democrats

More and more, I am disappointed with President Obama.

He started out like a house on fire. He was going to give us affordable health care with a public option. He was going to provide a solution to the immigration problem that didn’t involve breaking up families. He was going to restore prosperity with economic stability. He was….g-g-g-g-gagggg!

Yes, we have affordable healthcare. But at the point where the Democrats still had clout in Congress and the Senate, and the President was in a position to twist arms, he instead pulled his own leg. He convinced himself that if only he gave in to Republicans here and there, not to mention there and here…well, things would work out more smoothly. Hah!

That they worked out at all is a miracle. But we have no public option. This country would have been best off with Medicare for All. Instead we have what we have. Yes, it’s a darn sight better than we used to have. If somebody cuts off all five of my fingers and the doctor sews three back on, I’m better off than I was. But not good enough.

Immigration? The Obama presidency has deported more undocumented immigrants than any other president in history – Republican or Democrat As to a solution…well, don’t hold your breath.

The financial crisis? The President was right to save the banks. He was wrong not to save each of them into fifty different corporations, each chartered to do business in only one state. Now the banks are slowly resuming their old tricks again.

Afghanistan? We were going to be out by 2014. Now we’ll be more or less out, except where we aren’t out. But in 2015 we’ll  be even more more-or-less out. Except that we still won't be out.

Wasn't is Bear Bryant who said nice guys  finish last? But that doesn't apply to guys who can’t figure out whether to be nice, or not nice. They finish going around in circles.

Aren’t the Republicans and the Tea Party to blame? They sure as hell are. But so is the sheriff, on Pennsylvania Avenue, who instead of busting all those crazy outlaws, ambled out in the street and said, “Boys, in lieu of distrupting your lives by tossing you all in the pokey, suppose I sing a chorus of Kum-ba- ya and call it a day?”

In the end, what could have been a great administration is likely to go down as just so-so. That would be worthy of a great big “So what?” from anyone who isn’t Barack Obama except for one thing. 

We are now a nation of might-have-beens.