One Year Later The Obama (In) Difference

First Posted 11/4/09
The one word that comes to mind in thinking about a year after Obama’s Presidency is indifference. This seems a vast contrast to the idea of hope and change that he initially proposed. This is not to say our President does not aspire to hope or change, only, that his hopes for change and the changes he wants have very little to do with the desires of hope and change of the American people. Despite being aware of this in his first year in office, President Obama remains stubbornly indifferent to the voices of those he serves. He remains petulant in defending his hopes and changes against the dissenting voices of American people. Whether it health-care reform, the Olympics in Chicago, the war in Afghanistan, or the stimulus package, this President has shown America that it is his will and not that of the American people that will be done.

Health care reform would be the most obvious example here. Despite the fact that according to a USA Today/Gallup Poll 67% of Americans are satisfied with their health care plans and insurance, Obama wants to completely re-format and change every aspect of health care under the guise of bettering health care for all. Despite the fact that according to most Americans polled more than a third believe the economy is our top priority and next Afghanistan with health care reform falling a distant fourth, the President has put health care reform at the very top of his to do list ignoring the huge deficits and peril such a plan will bring to our economy. Because it is his hope, he has ignored all of the rallies and feedback from the town halls (he suggested) on health care where most Americans spoke out against this costly and untimely government takeover of 1/6 of the economy. He has ignored it because it is a change he craves for this country even though an overwhelming majority of us express disdain for this type of change.

Obama has appeared and has been criticized as “dithering” on the war in Afghanistan namely because it is difficult to tell where he stands on reinforcing troop levels and the strategy for winning the war. Does not meeting only twice with General McCrystal on the strategy and progress of the war in Afghanistan reveal a sort of indifference? And, why would a President offering hope and change not supply troops with hope for winning the war and not make changes for the better to support the commanding general? Just last March the President agreed with bolstering troop levels and committed to winning the war and reforming Afghanistan and now most recently have Karzai the thumbs up for winning a fraudulent election. If the President wants to show more than indifference here, he should do more than show up at Dover to meet the caskets of the 18 fallen soldiers in October. He should commit to working with General McCrystal as often as necessary and support the mission wholeheartedly by protecting the lives of the soldiers already there. They need more troops, more protection, more support from this President.

Finally, the bid for the Olympics had very little to do with hope and change that Americans had been waiting on from this President. Very little support for the Olympics was expressed during his campaign and as far as most could tell, with the economy the way it is, all this hoopla about health care reform, the stimulus, etc, having the Olympics in Chicago was not on most Americans radar. Not at all. But, then Chicago did appear on the radar screen. Sixteen year old Derrion Albert was leaving Fenger High School on Chicago’s South Side when he was beaten to death by students while several classmates stood ringside and watched failing to help or even be mortified. Most were cheering and jumping about thrilled with their front row seats. Michelle Obama is from the South Side of Chicago. President Obama says he cares deeply for the South Side of Chicago where he began his legacy as a community activist. Why then did the President show such grave indifference by flying off to Denmark that very same week to bid on the Olympics and ironically so for Chicago? Shouldn’t a President advocating hope and change been able to recognize the fierce need of his very own community for his presence and his commitment to their hopes and the changes they needed to make? Instead a few weeks later the White House dispensed Eric Holder and Arne Duncan to meet with fellow Chicago cohorts at the Four Seasons. How far away is Fenger High School from the Four Seasons? How much more indifference could have been shown to those students, the teachers, and the parents of this community than this?

Americans admire the symbol of hope and change our President was able to portray. Americans respect the path to his Presidency. More and more obvious is that the admiration and respect is one-sided. A love affair should always have two sides not just one. How much longer do the American people have to wait for the President to fall in love with us?