I don't know Obama personally, so neither like or dislike him.

Those who are disappointed in him because he has not strongly advocated a liberal agenda have only themselves to blame. He represented himself to be a consensus builder, not married to an ideology. It was clear from the beginning of his campaign that he is a socioeconomicpolitical moderate.   His message of "hope" stemmed from his experience of effective change process at more local levels. Obama's background is community organization. Effective community organization depends on the principles of "getting to yes", and respecting the validity of divergent points of view. Consensus. He tried to do that in the first half of what I now hope is his first term in office. He sorely misapprehended the politics of power on the national level, and inherited a disaster for which he is not responsible, but for which he is now held accountable.

My 82 year old mother, a moderate Democrat, and who worked for Hilary Clinton in the primary elections, has repeatedly remarked on her perception that the uncompromising stance of Republicans in Congress who clearly proclaim their primary objective is not good governance but defeat of Obama in the next election, is rooted in racism. Not necessarily racism on the part of all or most Republican members of Congress, but certainly the willingness of all Republican members to exploit racism, conscious or otherwise, within their power base.

When I consider how apparent it was throughout his first campaign that Obama was a moderate, not a liberal Democrat, and read or listen to the disappointment with him and his positions that liberals express, I have to ponder that racism is involved also, i.e. an assumption that an African American Democratic candidate will strongly advocate liberal positions, ignoring the candidate's history and position statements to the contrary.



A