When I was 18 years old I registered as a Democrat. I have been one ever since and have believed in my party. I have worked on campaigns to help Democrats that I have believed in to get elected. And I have tried to educate others on the great things Democrats have done for America and the world.
I am a Democrat not because somebody told me to be one, or because my parents were Democrats (which they are not), or because I wanted to fit in, but because I share many values that the Democratic Party represents. Here we are, the Democrats have more power at this moment than they have in over 4o years. The Presidency (with a very strong president) and both houses of Congress with overwhelming majorities in both houses.
I've been so exited because this is the farthest we've come as a party since the Reagan revolution took us down almost 30 years ago. And now my question is, WHERE THE HELL HAS MY PARTY GONE?
The leadership in the Democratic Party has so disappointed me since Obama has taken office. Harry Reid is a wimp who cowers to many who disagree with him and although he may be the Senate Majority Leader, he is not much of a leader. Because really, when it comes to Reid, who is following? Nancy Pelosi is an impressive person with lots of potential but can't seem to steer Congress the way a good Speaker of the House can. The infighting among Democrats in the House and the Republicans refusal to work across the aisle despite their dwindling representation in the House tells me that Pelosi may just be the wrong person for the job. With the amount of power the Democrats have in representation right now they should be fairly comfortably pursuing a progressive agenda. But they're not! The leadership keeps making excuses and then eventually blaming the Republicans for eveything that goes wrong. I know that the opposition party will always try to take the party in power down. And I know that the Republicans are playing that game right now. But do the Democrats want to be victims or do they want to lead? Right now it looks like they would rather be victims and that disappoints me.
I believed in these people. I believe in this party. The party of Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Kennedy stood for progress and leadership. And they delievered. The party still claims to stand for those things, but i'm still waiting for the delivery.
When it comes to the Obama Adminstration I get equally as frustrated. I campaigned for Obama. I have met the man and I believe in his ability to lead and make change. But i'm still waiting for the Change We Can Believe In. The battle over healthcare and become a series of town hall shouting matches with no leader at the helm to guide us on this issue. The economy remains a mystery that Obama and his best advisers still can't find solutions to. Tim Giethner is a lap dog for Wall Street that has provided little change from Henry Paulson and the Bush Administration. And Obama like Bush seems to think escalating a land war within borders (Afghanistan) will create stability in the Middle East. Iremember the good old day of 2004 when us Democrats were arguing Bush's strategy by contending that the War on Terror is a different kind of war and can not be fought with the old tactics of the 20th century. I guess that idea has gone out the door.
To be fair I decided that I will give the Obama Adminstration and the Congress the first two years of the new preisdency to show what they can accomplish. Most great presidents learn hard lessons their first year in office and then come back to do great things. Let's hope this is the case. So I will support the president and our leadership to see what they are made of. However, right now things are not looking good and it's making me think very hard about where I stand. I pray that my country will prosper and that our leadership will provide us with the proper guidance we need to achieve that prosperity and become the country that so many of us want to be at this moment in history.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Reflection
Although the sun was out, it was 25 degrees in Washington D.C. on the morning of January 20, 2009. I walked through the streets of D.C. with my fellow Americans and descended upon the Washington Mall to bear witness to one of America's most historical events.
The vibe that day in D.C. was of a feeling I can not describe in words. You sort of had to be there. But it was amazing. It was unity at its best as we all celebrated being Americans and rallying behind our new leader. And it didn't take violence to bring us together. What a day.
Security was tight, people were dancing, and random cheers came from the crowd when certain politicians arrived and found their seat on the stage.
When President Bush arrived the crowd was surprisingly somewhat respectful which I had been hoping for. I don't support President Bush any more than any other liberal, but this day was about Obama and change, not about Bush. And I didn't want to see a big scene made over his arrival and departure. Let's save the attention for our new dynamic leader, President Obama. And we did.
As President Obama took the oath I watched in amazement not believing what I was seeing. I wept because I was so proud to see my country get to this place. It restored my confidence in America's ability to grow and mature. And it made me believe that once again we could lead by example and help the world become a better place. President Obama's inaugural address was a great speech ending with a quote by President Washington reaffirming our strength in these times of crisis.
I will never forget that day for as long as I live. I was with some close friends and was lucky to spend it with them. I saw a major event in my country's history that we all take pride in. Two months in to his Preisdency it's hard to judge the job he is doing but it appears that Obama is on the right track. He is making the right decisions and is truly trying to exercise that he represents all of the American people on a level we have not seen since the Kennedy presidency. That's almost 50 years.
With a Democratic legislature and executive which this country has not had together since LBJ (with an exception of the first 2 years of the Clinton presidency; 2 years is not enough time to establish a preogressive era) Obama has the opportunity to move mountains maybe like FDR did decades ago.
There are things that are a little unsettling to me right now. Geithner may turn out to have been a bad choice. Sending troops to Afghanistan may not turn out to be the best way to continue to fight terrorism. But the one thing that puts my worries to rest here is knowing that we have a president with humility and a learning curve. Like Lincoln, both Roosevelt's, and Kennedy those types have historically ended up becoming great leaders. I believe that Obama will learn from his mistakes and improve his performance as president.
But we must remember, it is only with our prayers, support, and participation that this preisdency will succeed. As President Obama has always said, "Yes We Can!" and not "Yes I Can!"
The vibe that day in D.C. was of a feeling I can not describe in words. You sort of had to be there. But it was amazing. It was unity at its best as we all celebrated being Americans and rallying behind our new leader. And it didn't take violence to bring us together. What a day.
Security was tight, people were dancing, and random cheers came from the crowd when certain politicians arrived and found their seat on the stage.
When President Bush arrived the crowd was surprisingly somewhat respectful which I had been hoping for. I don't support President Bush any more than any other liberal, but this day was about Obama and change, not about Bush. And I didn't want to see a big scene made over his arrival and departure. Let's save the attention for our new dynamic leader, President Obama. And we did.
As President Obama took the oath I watched in amazement not believing what I was seeing. I wept because I was so proud to see my country get to this place. It restored my confidence in America's ability to grow and mature. And it made me believe that once again we could lead by example and help the world become a better place. President Obama's inaugural address was a great speech ending with a quote by President Washington reaffirming our strength in these times of crisis.
I will never forget that day for as long as I live. I was with some close friends and was lucky to spend it with them. I saw a major event in my country's history that we all take pride in. Two months in to his Preisdency it's hard to judge the job he is doing but it appears that Obama is on the right track. He is making the right decisions and is truly trying to exercise that he represents all of the American people on a level we have not seen since the Kennedy presidency. That's almost 50 years.
With a Democratic legislature and executive which this country has not had together since LBJ (with an exception of the first 2 years of the Clinton presidency; 2 years is not enough time to establish a preogressive era) Obama has the opportunity to move mountains maybe like FDR did decades ago.
There are things that are a little unsettling to me right now. Geithner may turn out to have been a bad choice. Sending troops to Afghanistan may not turn out to be the best way to continue to fight terrorism. But the one thing that puts my worries to rest here is knowing that we have a president with humility and a learning curve. Like Lincoln, both Roosevelt's, and Kennedy those types have historically ended up becoming great leaders. I believe that Obama will learn from his mistakes and improve his performance as president.
But we must remember, it is only with our prayers, support, and participation that this preisdency will succeed. As President Obama has always said, "Yes We Can!" and not "Yes I Can!"
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
When I Met the President of the United States
It was the second night of the Democratic National Convention in 2004 and I was serving as a Delegate for John Kerry. The keynote speakers that night were Ted Kennedy and this new guy from Chicago named Barack Obama. Of course I was very exited to see Kennedy speak being that his brothers are the whole reason I got in to this stuff and he is a great Senator.
When Obama finished speaking that night he became a national figure in politics. As I sat there and witnessed this my fellow Delegates and I looked at each other in awe and said "Who is this guy?!" We knew this guy was going places.
The following evening after the convention when John Edwards had accepted the nomination for VP I was standing with my best friend outside the Fleet Center in Boston (where the convention was held) and out came Barack Obama walking in our direction. I told my friend to wait a minute because I had to go meet this guy and shake his hand. As I approached Obama he extended his hand to shake and said "Hi, it's nice to meet you." I was trying to think of something intelligent to say when what ended coming out was "Nice to meet you Mr. Obama. I think you are going to be the future of the Democratic Party." At the time, I didn't know I was right. Looks like I was.
He then gave me the secret handshake, raised his other fist, looked me in the eye, and said "Right on, man!" Then he walked off.
As I write this I am preparing to leave my hotel room to go watch Barack Obama be inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States.
I am so lucky and I realize it. I about to go witness a major historical event for my country.
I have always been proud to be an American but today I am more proud than I have ever been.
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