Apathy Sets In | Politics as Usual

He hasn’t waved his wand and fixed the economy! He hasn’t gotten us out of Iraq and Afghanistan! He hasn’t fixed the health care system! Jeez, Barack Obama is such an asshole!

Only in our overly-medicated, A.D.D.-plagued society of wishy-washy idealists could you be so hysterical (double meaning there) and impetuous. If I hadn’t seen the above pic shared by nearly all of my Google Reader contacts, I probably wouldn’t be so peeved about it since I catch a good whiff of anti-Obama rhetoric just about every day. But I get pissed off by this shit.

The problem lies on both ends of the spectrum. On the right, you’ve got Reagan-worshippers who mourn their long-gone flag-bearer of conservatism. They resent the fact that Barack Obama is the left’s own Ronnie Wilson. They call him a Messiah to mock his followers – sometimes they’re right – while hypocritically dumping undeserved praise on Reagan as if he’ll rise up from the dead and take them to the promised land. Then on the left, you’ve got folks who aren’t really hip to the game of politics and the machine of Washington, D.C.; these people got caught up in the hype of the ’08 election and expected the world to change in January of ‘09. Well, it did change! Obama is popular all across the globe and Americans don’t have to throw a red maple leaf button on their traveling bags anymore. But it didn’t change that much. How drastic did you expect it to be? In just ten months? Really? I could never understand the basis for this blind flock of sheep’s otherworldly vision of the future. And that goes for the left and the right.

Here’s the scenario: Right-wingers are going batshit, hollering “gimme back my country” at town halls and left-wingers are down and out because they expect more from Obama. Shit. Meanwhile, Barack’s carrying a steady pace through the middle, just like he said he would, just like rational voters (thaaaat’s me!) anticipated from the get go. If your hope is fading already, you didn’t have much to begin with. That or your head was wedged so firmly up your ass, entangled in the t-shirts, bumper stickers, that catchy O logo and the plethora of celebs who showered their support. And now, to show your dissatisfaction with the Prez, you’re gonna buy another t-shirt. How… fitting. Wake your ass up to your own ineptitude, please!

When it comes to politics, I’m an outspoken guy. I’ve brought a lot of conservative friends and acquaintances down at otherwise cheery events (i.e. house parties, etc.). Sorry ‘bout that (really). I wear my political heart on my shoulder. Fuck a hipster douchebag t-shirt. For what it’s worth, I’m also one of those sorry saps who’s waiting on Barack to turn the heat up and put the pressure on. But I recognize that he walks a fine line on some Philippe Petit type shit. You should too. And if you knew what this game will do to you (whattup, Big), it’s that it crushes your spirit. So keep hope alive.

Have you called a local representative about health care? Have you shown your dissatisfaction with them? You know, the politicians who openly ignore the majority of their constituents who are crying out for the public option, bowing instead to big business. No? Of course not. You’re too busy buying an overpriced t-shirt.

You could be one of those Alex Jones-listening conspiracy theorists (*cough* Bol *cough*) who have valid issues to raise against Obama and how he’s continuing the policies of his predecessor. Hey, I fux with you more than the apatheists because at least you’re digging for truth. But I still think it’s too early to seal the book on the President just yet. The angry left does a great disservice to people who actually need affordable health care and folks who want to see their loved ones abroad come back home when we’re as hostile to the president as the right-wing is.

That’s how the right-wing always gets us when a Democrat is in power. They attack. We back down. But when they come to power, they stick together and put up an iron curtain. We attack. They attack us back. They don’t eat their own like we do. We should change that. The only thing fading is your own participation. Change that too.