This Obama quote should be carved in stone somewhere

[Tarheel_Dem]

65. We agree about the rightward shift of the country. However, while we were bickering.....

amongst ourselves ("herding cats&quot , the right quietly went about establishing one of the most powerful propaganda machines in American history. They pretty much own the airwaves, and next to Citizens United, the Telecommunications Deregulations Act was one of the biggest setbacks for progressives known to man. I might add that we also lost Glass-Stegall under the same administration.

That being said, President Obama routinely receives scorn for something that FDR did within his first hundred days, "a bailout" for the largest failing banking institutions. Can you imagine the ridicule he'd receive today? And like Obama, FDR had harsh critics on his left flank, but today he's held out as a liberal icon, as someone to be emulated. It's funny, but that happened to Al Gore as well. For Michael Moore et al, he wasn't "liberal" enough, but today he's seen by many as a progressive champion. Ahhh, the good ol' days. Remember Gore=Bush? I might add that FDR also had huge majorities in both chambers, and none of this 60 vote threshold bull. Obama had "liberal lions" like Ben Nelson & Max Baucus. Even so, like FDR, I think history will be much kinder to Pres. Obama.

We can pick apart what he hasn't accomplished, but his critics either fail to even acknowledge, or they attempt to minimize what he has accomplished. How do you have a reasonable debate with someone like that?

I have a feeling that a lot of the pent up frustration for some on the left, is the fatalistic realization that there may never be a Pres. Kucinich, or a Bernie Sanders. I understand that frustration, but that's not the president's fault, blame the rank & file. And no amount of badgering from his left will change the fact that this party did not & will not nominate a Kooch, no matter how many hissyfits the activists throw.

As you and I know, neither party can win without appealing to Independents. Independents don't appear to care much for ideological intransigence, and the president knows this as well. I know that doesn't solve your problem, but Independents seem to loathe one party rule, so they throw these fighting, diametrically opposed factions together, and expect them to work it out? Hope springs eternal, I guess.