Americans were ready for the wars to end....

[kentuck]

....when Barack Obama was sworn into office. They had grown weary of the assault on their freedoms and their sensibilities with the Administration of George W Bush.

Unfortunately, Barack Obama used a lot of political capital when he decided to continue the Bush policies and to continue the Patriot Act. The voters had little patience left for these unpopular wars and privacy invasions within the so-called "war on terror", when the President took office.

In hindsight, it appears the President misread the will of the American people. It will be a huge challenge for him to overcome these unpopular policies of George W Bush.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

1. I am not really sure how candidate Obama could misread

what the American people wanted when the left was screaming for an end to the wars back before he was even a Senator.

[kentuck]

2. True...

But I think a lot of the criticism today about NSA etc go back to these same unpopular policies of GWB..

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

9. True as well.

[geek tragedy]

3. the wars and NSA are two separate issues.

And, in actuality, Afghanistan and Iraq were themselves two distinct issues.

[kentuck]

4. True but...

I think the unpopularity of the wars and the Bush policies only amplified the NSA spying. It was a self-inflicted wound, in my opinion.

[geek tragedy]

5. Iraq war has been over for quite some time now.

The NSA story, well, there's a clear need to address it in terms of policy, but I think it's political importance is being exaggerated.

Three big stories outside of DU are:

1) Obamacare implementation;
2) immigration reform;
3) looming budget showdowns

[Rebellious Republican]

6. Well said kentuck! K&R

[kentuck]

8. Thanks RR!

I think a lot of supporters simply grew weary of supporting this crap. They ran out of gas.

[BillyRibs]

7. Miss read My Ass!

He knows which side his bread is buttered on!

[tk2kewl]

10. TPTB got one of their men the job.

The rest of it was for show.