What has happened to President Obama? (posted by DT)

As I noted last post, it's getting kind of demoralizing over here in LiberalLand.

Now there are of course lots of reasons why, but one that isn't really being noted much is the style of the President.

This is the guy with the oratorical skills to inspire Americans? The one who made such a splash at the 2004 Democratic convention? He's completely unrecognizable now- he could be the Most Boring President in history. It's like he's had a lobotomy.

Now I find this sober style comforting, and it works to make Obama seem like he's going to govern based on careful reasoning, and that's all to the good. But it's not such a hot style when his policies are being hammered, mostly through lies and distortions, by the same unrepentant Right that's responsible for the Iraq War, the deficit, and the destruction of our economy. Basically we have one side throwing everything but the kitchen sink into the fight, while the leader of the Left responds with carefully worded tropes.

I think Obama believed his own hype about "changing the tone" in Washington. The more unreasonable the opposition gets, the more he thinks he can find a way to work with them if he just stays cool. Well, it's not working.

I know Obama will get hammered by the Right and their lapdogs in the media if he starts acting like an angry politician ("What about his promises of a new tone in Washington!?"), but he's getting hammered for it anyway- I keep reading disingenuous rants from the Right about how Obama hasn't followed through on his promise to work with Republicans, when their clear strategy has been to block everything they can.

At some point the stick has to come out; not because it will change the GOP- they've found that obstruction works just fine, thank you- but because it will energize Liberals and get them to the polls. The demoralization I'm feeling must be shared by others, and lots of us need to know that our leader is going to fight for what we believe in.