A reader sends the above chart and writes:
"Universal" healthcare. What an accomplishment. The uninsured rate has gone up, and the rate of those insured by their employers has gone down. This is the measure by which you want liberals to judge the president? No wonder we're outraged. If Obama had actually fought for single-payer universal health care (rather than a huge sellout to private insurance companies, which is exactly what it is), liberals like myself would have much reason to cheer. His failures wouldn't seem nearly so stark. The left has plenty of reason to be upset with Obama, and his cowardice on health care is certainly among them.
Obama rode a tidal wave of progressive enthusiasm to the presidency, and he's done very little for progressive causes. That you, a conservative, are supportive of a milquetoast, right-of-center Democrat who is all-too-willing to sell out his progressive base in the name of achieving goals that are hardly progressive is no surprise.
Look, cheer for Obama all you want – I won't begrudge you that, since he's doing things with which you agree. But to call disenchanted progressive voters "whiners" under the auspices that Obama is fighting for progressive causes is pretty disingenuous. We were led to believe, during the election, that he was much more progressive than he has been as president. It's my right to be disappointed when I gave up 40 hours a week without pay to knock on doors and make phone calls for a guy who promised real, lasting change and since being elected has bent over backward to appease those who defend the status quo and stand in direct opposition to the progressive agenda.
This reader genuinely thinks that universal healthcare was even designed to happen overnight? Seriously? So so lame. Another writes:
I understand your frustration, but I'm torn. On the one hand, Obama has been incredibly effective and competent to an extent Bush could only dream about. On the other hand, I have never been prouder of the left than now. We DON'T worship our leaders; we DON'T shut up and let our president do whatever he wants; we DON'T put politics before country or principle. That's what Republicans did under Bush … and I refuse to apologize for not being like a Republican.
Obama has real problems, from a left perspective. He has not stood up to the corporations as much as he should. He has not had a sterling record on human rights. Many things that he has done that have pissed off the left are things he didn't have to do.
I will probably vote for Obama again; how can I NOT vote for the guy who killed Bin Laden? But I'm not going to act like a conservative and refuse to criticize him because he's "my president." It may be frustrating, but this is what a sober ruling party looks like.
Another:
Democrats are angry at President Obama because they feel betrayed by his extension of civil liberty infringements, powered by things like the Patriot Act. We are angered by his refusal to go after the war criminals from Bush regime. We are fearful that the Obama administration, in perpetuating these abuses, is weakening the fabric of our democracy. We are angry that the Obama administration failed to pursue the bad actors who damaged our economy with financial actions and instruments that bordered on the criminal.
What is so "baffling" about that? You have written about all these issues yourself! You have expressed concerns about where Obama is going with some of these policies. Yet you are baffled?
The Dish 