"Obama has governed as a conservative. So, the question for progressives is, “What do we do now?”

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17. this article demonstrates a profound lack of understanding of power and politics in america.

we can quibble about strategy and details, but for the most part, obama is trying to be as effective a force of the left as he can be. how far left he would go if left to his druthers is a matter of sophomoric debate because it is irrelevant. a conservative would be pushing us ever further rightward, like shrub did and any republican would. obama is trying to pull us leftward. he's not meeting with immense success not because of his intent, nor because of his strategy, but because the POWER in washington is not entirely, not remotely, in obama's hands.

give obama a far more democratic, far more progressive CONGRESS, and obama would move left along with it, no doubt keeping just a bit left of the new center of congressional political gravity.

i don't undertstand how people continually confuse the american president for a king or dictator. a president's power is STRONGLY supported or limited by the make-up of congress.

fdr had unprecedented majorities in both houses, obama has opposition control of one house and has had fragmented and limited majorities otherwise. continuing to direct critique, suggestions, etc., at the white house is a WASTE OF TIME.

CONGRESS is what matters.

a more democratic and progressive congress, a congress more fearful of going up against environmentalists, women, workers, etc. is what obama needs in order to be what we on the left hope he would be.