We got what we wanted.

We got what we wanted.

I think Barack Obama was elected because the American electorate was captivated by his willingness to engage his opponents in dialog and debate. What a breath of fresh air! What a change from the usual divisiveness and demagoguery so common in national politics. His election itself seemed to herald a new approach to governance, or at least a return to a more balanced, thoughtful and open-minded presidency. Surely, the members of the Nobel Peace Prize committee agreed.

So, now he is president and he is doing his thing, engaging in discussion, seeking common ground and compromise – and we are pissed. The changes many of us had sought have been slow to come, the bold promises we cheered on have been watered down and many of us are voicing impatience and frustration with the pace and direction of change.

Indeed, it is doubly challenging to seek out common ground when your opponents refuse to move; consensus can be elusive when the other side holds tight to its beliefs and crafting a shared vision can be near-impossible when your opponent keeps his eyes closed tight.

The answer, I think, for those of us now voicing impatience and frustration, is not to abandon Obama or lose faith in the promise of his administration. The answer is for us to share our vision, to keep giving voice to our hopes and dreams and beliefs. Let us hold firm to our principles, for that will make it easier for Obama to craft the valid and lasting compromises that move our country forward and realize the promise we all felt during the last election.

We got what we wanted. But he can't compromise when only one side is debating. Time to raise our voice.

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Comments

[DairyStateDad]

You've captured something that I've been feeling much less articulately for some time. Thank you. I've posted a link on my blog.