Beats the hell out of me-but then I saw what Obama was (a shallow center-Right corporatist pol of the sort who would make Bill Clinton look like FDR) all the way back in 2004, when after listening to his speech at the Democratic convention I turned to my Significant Other and said,”Better hope that guy never gets the Democratic nomination.” So, no, I don’t get why any liberal didn’t see what he was: Was it the revenge of identity politics? Sexism? CDS? Shock after 8 years of W? Whatever it was, it was really no excuse-the truth was always right out in the open.

If Obama is not progressive enough for you, please let us know which progressive do you think could someday be elected President?

I voted for Hillary in the primaries. She was the most qualified candidate we had running. I went and saw John Edwards and very clearly saw through his little populist schtick. I have not always agreed with Hillary on some issues, but we needed an FDR and not a JFK at this moment. We are not coming off the relative peace and prosperity of the 1950′s. Hell, even Eisenhower a Republican kept the wealthist 1% in this country taxed at 90% and we still had millionaires. We are in the crapper. I am not a fan of any Republican, let alone McCain, but when I heard about Edwards being used as a spoiler in Iowa, when there was already talk of a possible “mistress gate” my blood boiled. When I listened to Democrats use the mantra “count every vote” after the debacles of 2000 and 2004 and then agree at the Rules and Bylaws Committee decided to not count the votes in Michigan and Florida because those were “the rules” all parties agreed to, my blood boiled.

Had the Democratic primary used the same “winner takes all” system used by the Republican’s, Hillary would have been the nominee. She would have easily trounced McCain. Would I have agreed with her on all issues. No. On most, Yes. I had to hear right-wing talking points, created by the Republicans parroted back by Democrats I had come to admire and respect. I have been a Democrat since I was eligible to vote in the 1988 election. I, unlike Caroline Kennedy-Schlossberg, have never not voted in a state-wide or national election. I have voted a straight Democratic ticket during those years. I was not one of those naive idiots in 2000 who voted for Nadar; seeing no difference between Bush and Gore. However, I did not cast a vote for the top ticket this past election and I have re-registered as an Independent.

So what clue did I have that so many of you clearly either didn’t or chose to ignore? Was it the fact that he had never accomplished anything? He was a community organizer with a paper thin resume. He had yet to have finished one (1)full term in the Senate. His “handlers” and major money backing came from the very industries and sources that true liberals have been railing against since Reagan was in office. Was it his vote to give retro-active immunity to the telecomms? Was it that fact that he has never stuck his neck out for anything or anyone. I do not call making one (1) anti-war speech on the U. of Chicago campus that went un-noticed and un-recorded until needed for a political prop a real “Profiles in Courage” moment. Was it his statement that he would, as President, re-visit and re-negotiate NAFTA only to tell Canada, through back-door channels, that his statement was merely to garner political points with his “base”? Was it that fact that he never attended a gay pride parade, went on a Southern gospel tour with Rev. Donnie McClurkin who claims that “Jesus” cured him of his gayness? Could it be that with the flourish of his pen, by executive order, he could over-turn DOMA and DADT but has not. This a man with 300 electoral college votes, and what were 60 votes in the Senate and a majority in the House? Could it be that he said this summer that he would veto any health care bill that did not contain a public option and then had old Rahm go up to the hill and tell Harry to give ole Joe Lieberman what he wanted?

Where in the hell were all of you? Sucking on the Hopium pipe!

PS, as others have noted, you voted for Obama to help ensure there wld be no VP Palin. Rs: vote for us or die; Ds: we’re not them! But tossing Dean aside to hire Kaine, and also Rahm-y, Timmy and Larry? That’s not change I can believe in.

When Obama tossed women and gays overboard in favor of courting the fundies, that should’ve been a clue that any and all Democratic values could be ditched in a heartbeat. But the hip librul dudes I know didn’t pay attention because it wasn’t their feet in the stirrups or their civil rights. They wanted us pesky girls and homos to siddown and shuddup so they could win an election for a change–and look cool on the cheap.

Maybe you all will listen to your wives and girlfriends next time.

And no, I’m not enjoying this. I thought he would be mediocre with moments of bad, even at my lowest expectations I never thought he would be so horrifically, unendingly bad, so war-loving and destructive of the Democratic Party and the country. I wanted the country to do well, I thought he and his fellow Dems would at least try to make things better for all of us. But they didn’t. They don’t give a damn about any of us–so why should we give them our votes??

Like lambert says, don’t fall for the incompetence meme. Obama and his fellow DINOs are pursuing exactly the strategies they want. They have gotten everything that they and their puppet-masters wanted.

You say Republicans would have been worse? How, exactly? Democrats might have actually opposed some of the lousy policies Obama is pushing for, if a Republican president had proposed them. Now, get ready to say BUH-BYE to Social Security, Medicare, and whatever other pathetic shreds of a social safety net (and functioning government) we have left.