tgrigsby's Journal: Any Democrat Except Obama in 2012?

I voted for Barack Obama. I was excited about voting for him. It felt historic, and based on his campaign rhetoric, it felt right. It felt like I was helping to heal the country after 8 years of the ass-hat, monkey-faced-frat-boy Bush. I didn't actually think he'd roll over the GOP the way they rolled over the Democrats during Bush's reign of horror, but I fully expected that it was understand throughout the Democratic Party hierarchy that voters wanted Guantanamo closed, the Iraq War ended, our troops drawn down, Afghanistan resolved, our freedoms restored, the economic free-fall halted and turned around, the Bush tax cuts revoked, etc. I really, honestly thought that, given that Obama seemed to hit the ground running, that he was going to really get a lot accomplished.

Boy, was I wrong.

No, I'm not saying Obama and the Dems didn't accomplish anything at all -- their accomplishments make an impressive list. But when it counts, when the GOP attempts to block them, they just sort of roll over. It's disgusting. The Senate should have used reconciliation to pass single-payer healthcare. They should be using reconciliation to pass tax cuts for the middle class and poor the same way the GOP used reconciliation to pass tax cuts for the rich. They should be changing the rules to eliminate the filibuster. They should have given the GOP the same beaten-wife treatment they received.

This latest acquiescence is making me absolutely crazy. At this point, I would vote for anyone that challenged Obama for the Democratic nomination in 2012. He has failed as a leader. He has failed to show true strength at a truly historical juncture, and I'm not convinced that he couldn't have done a lot better than he did.

I kind of like Hillary for 2012. Just sayin'.