It's Not Him, It's You

Last night, Barack Obama spoke at a $30,000 per plate DNC fundraising event .

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[J]ust as Robert Gibbs before him explained (albeit more harshly), if you're one of those people dissatisfied with large parts of the Obama presidency, that's only because you have something wrong with the way you think (you need drug testing/you "congenitally see the glass as half empty"), and because you are saddled with extremely unrealistic, child-like expectations (you're angry that the Pentagon hasn't closed yet/bitter that Obama "hasn't yet brought about world peace: 'I thought that was going to happen quicker' (Laughter.)"). In other words, you're just a petulant, unreasonable, unrealistic, fringe child who doesn't appreciate the greatness and generosity he's given you.

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What's most striking about Obama's comments is that there is no acceptance whatsoever of responsibility (I've failed in some critical areas; we could have/should have done better). There's not even any base-motivating vow to fight to fix these particular failures (we'll keep fighting for a public option/to curb executive power abuses/to reduce lobbyist and corporate control of our political process).

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It's true that there are good things Obama has done: as but one example, both Elizabeth Warren and Simon Johnson believe that Warren's appointment today will empower her to help police Wall Street's abusive consumer practices in meaningful ways. But there have been many, many awful things -- not things which he has failed yet to do (i.e., "quickly enough"), but multiple policies he's affirmatively adopted, including many which directly violate his campaign pledges and ones which Democrats spent years during the Bush presidency vehemently condemning. Sitting at a $30,000 per plate fundraising dinner and mocking liberal critics as irrational ingrates while wealthy Party donors laugh probably does wonders for bruised presidential egos, but it doesn't seem to be a particularly effective way to motivate those who are so unmotivated.

  Glenn Greenwald

In this post, Glenn enumerates a long list of right-wing gifts that Obama has bestowed upon the country, so check it out.

I wonder what Obama will be saying in 2012. Undoubtedly something different, as he has proven himself to be quite flexible with his stated intentions. He surely can't believe that the right wing he's playing to will vote for him -- if he still plans to run for reelection that is. Maybe not. After all, he's burned the bridge to his "base".

....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.