I was a strong supporter of President Obama through the primaries and general election. 2008 was the first time since George McGovern's 1972 campaign that I worked as a volunteer in a presidential election. And as any glance at my comments will show you, I've stuck up for him time and time again on this site. But he's losing me now. For the first time in two years, I'd say "No" if Gallup asked me if I approve of the way this president is handling his job.
First off, I'm not nearly as left-wing as many if not most on this site. I guess I'd describe myself as a moderately liberal Democrat. I am not a socialist – government ownership of the means of production has been a disaster everywhere it has been tried. I believe that capitalism is the best means of both developing innovative technologies and improving the economic well-being of an entire population that we have ever seen, PROVIDED that it is well-regulated and that the wealthy are taxed enough to provide a strong social safety net (and provided that there is an industrial policy in place to protect a country's manufacturing base – a separate issue I hope to address in another diary sometime).
My argument with President Obama is not that he isn't a far-left progressive, it's that he seems to have given up being even a moderate. His immediate post-election cave on tax cuts for the wealthy is the prime example here. When you can't hold your ground and fight for a fair tax policy that even wealthy capitalists like Warren Buffett support (not to mention a majority of Americans), than what exactly DO you stand for? What in the world will you fight for? Or is reaching an agreement your only goal - to simply accommodate and reach agreements no matter how far right the Republicans will pull you?
I supported Obama wholeheartedly in the election despite my qualms about the vague calls for hope and change, about a so-called "movement" that didn't seem to have any enduring principles beyond electing a single person. I never thought he was on the left wing of the party. I figured he would be a somewhat pragmatic, center-left guy who would support the basic principles of fairness needed to make capitalism work for an entire society. Now I wonder what, if any, principles he has.
I believe that under this president we've made great progress in a number of areas. My family has personally benefited from both health care reform and the stimulus program. The GM bailout was courageous and correct. And I still hope against hope that he will regain his footing. Frankly, if we got a temporary tax cut extension for the wealthy but also got DADT repealed and unemployment insurance extended for a year, I'd begrudgingly go along. But I doubt that will happen now since the more you give away in advance, the less you end up getting.
What we have seen since the election seems to be a complete cave-in on both principles and policy. By doing so he undercuts core Democratic philosophies. And the more he caves, the more Republicans move the ball to the right, requiring even more caves, so that any trade-off we might possibly get moves off the table.
This week we even saw him undermine his own party for standing firm for his own position on tax cuts. Unbelievable. There will be no end to this unless and until at least some lines are drawn and accommodations stop.