I'm Sorry... But I Gotta Ask... People Here Keep Saying We Have To Have The President's Back...

[BlueCheese]

164. It would be insulting...

... if I made that assumption. But I didn't make such a sweeping generalization. Where did I assume that anyone who supports President Obama is engaging in a cult of personality?

It's perfectly reasonable to support the man, if by support you mean that you think he generally tries to do the right thing and shares your beliefs and priorities. But idealizing him, or any person, beyond that is dangerous territory, I think. I'm afraid some people have decided they will support virtually any policy that President Obama enacts or will bend over backwards to justify any apparent compromise he might make. That's where I get frustrated.

To me, if we think a policy is bad, we shouldn't accept it because of who supports it. There are times when the fact that Obama supports something might make us reconsider, since he's an intelligent person. After all, I let Paul Krugman greatly influence my opinions on economics issues. But certain things we shouldn't compromise. Instead, we now accept increased government surveillance that we criticized under Bush. When Obama backtracked on the Bush tax cuts in 2010 and 2012, we argue that what he got was the best he could do, or even called it a victory. When he was slow on gay rights we say he's still better than all the others, even though times have changed, and counsel people to wait until after the election. Those who argue that he and the Democrats could be doing more are derided as concern trolls or wishing for the impossible.