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What do those who wish to give Obama a chance cling to? What intangible change do they dream will take place?
Is it a withdrawal from Iraq or Afghanistan?
Obama chose to not vote on that on December 18, 2007, when there was a bill on the Senate floor dealing with redeployment of troops and training of Iraqi Security Forces. He also chose to not vote on May 22, 2008, when funding for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan came up for a vote. And, on September 20, 2007, he chose to not vote on the bill expressing support for General Petraeus and the Armed Forces.
Is it the development of alternative energy?
Obama chose to not vote on that on April 10, 2008, when a bill to extend tax credits to develop alternative energy came to the floor. He also chose to not vote on the Energy Act of 2007, which was a bill for increasing alternative fuel production and the alternative fuel economy.
Is it to end torture?
Obama chose to not vote on that on July 19, 2007, when a provision on the movement of Guantanamo detainees came up for a vote.
Is it to improve education?
On July 31, 2008, Obama chose to not vote on the Higher Education Amendment Act, which was a bill to increase the availability and amount of Pell grants.
Each of these pressing issues (the wars, energy independence, education, torture and U.S. violations of civil liberties) were issues Obama chose to not take a stance on while he was out running for president. Obama chose to take positions of political safety instead of positions of integrity.
Martin Luther King Jr said, "A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus." Why is Obama reluctant to mold consensuses?
Left or right, who cares. Positions need to be taken on issues that will solve dire problems this country faces.
Obama cannot bring change to Washington without being a challenging and transformative personality.
Obama cannot give us the change we need if every decision he makes is going to be dictated by what conventional wisdom deems to be the middle (and by conventional wisdom I mean those just slightly left of the hosts of "Fox & Friends").
Obama cannot deliver if the people who elected him to office are reluctant to vigilantly offer constructive criticism, skepticism, and dismay as he tiptoes through the tulips---and by tulips, I mean, conservative Democrats and Republicans.
How can anyone demand people give Obama a chance and stand by as he creates gridlock in government by bending over backwards to look bipartisan?
