Criticizing one of the President's policy positons does not make one a "POTUS hater" ....

[myrna minx]

98. While I'm quite grateful for many of the strides we have made during President Obama's terms,

especially for Lilly Ledbetter and the huge strides for LGBT rights, and I'm grateful that we're not contending with a McCain or Romney administration (*shudders*), I'm equally appalled by an attitude here that if one is dismayed by NSA spying, drone strikes and "kill lists", the secretive TPP "fast track" trade agreement, the prospect of chained CPI/slashing SS benefits (extra horror - that it's in any way associated in the public mind as a Democratic proposal) the "race to the top" in education and the Keystone pipeline, fraking and "clean coal" - that that makes one a "hateful libertarian" to many here. These issues have been near and dear to me since I signed on to DU in 2002 and because I'm not "on board" with the White House messaging, this, to some, makes me: an ultra radical leftist - yet also a right wing tea party fire bagger racist Rand Paul/Putin loving "hater" who is also a purist because I hold these things dear to my heart.

I still have the letter I received from Senator Wellstone when I wrote to him begging him not to vote for NAFTA and here we are 20+ years on, ready to make it worse with what we've been able to piece together about the clandestine the TPP scheme. I also gave Senator Wellstone hell for his baffling vote on DOMA, so to say that we lefties only started our criticism of Dems once President Obama was elected (the implication being that lefty criticism is exclusive of President Obama and therefore inherently racist) is mind boggling. Had DU been around for President Clinton's third way NAFTA, DOMA, Telecommunications act of 1996 and the egregious "Welfare Reform", this place (if it would be anything like the DU when I first signed up in 2002) would be on fire. I'm sure we lefties would have been shouted down back then too. I'm sure all of these awful acts were "pragmatic" to many then.

I voted for President Obama twice, but how am I to *trust* an Administration who is *pushing* for things I'm wholly opposed to? In addition, I'm to believe that he's only "bluffing" on other things I'm wholly opposed to? Back in the olden days of DU, I was one of the great many who said during the Bush nightmare: "I'd be against this even if a Democrat was in power", but now we're just expected to get on board or be ostracized as a "racist ODS libertarian".

Also - I'm tired of the truthiness common wisdom myth here that it was the liberals/lefties that cost the 2010 election. It wasn't. It's the liberal/lefties that are the door knockers, GOTV registers, caucus goers/primary voters, phone bankers, drive the elderly and/or disabled to the polls folks that are taken for granted each election so I can say that it's rather sicking that we're accused of losing elections. The 2010 election was lost because the "moderates" and "pragmatics" didn't vote Democratic.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023763623

I'm also a staunch feminist who is appalled that women's issues are a subject of routine mockery here. When a recent "See You on Tuesday" too clever by half post survives a jury with flying colors, I think I may be at the wrong website.

I used to love it here. DU was my lifeline during the Bush years, and I'm grateful for the wonderful people I've met over the years and the relationships I've developed, but wow, I'm not the STFU type on lefty, LGBT, racial/call out racist, cultural, feminist, "free" trade, spying, environmental positions because it conflicts with either the White House or certain posters here.

I'll leave my rant with Eddy Izzard:

(Ps - I'm all for gun control too!)