Too Soon?

What was it that Tom Paine said about the Continental Army's winter of discontent?
Oh, yeah. "These are the times that try men's souls," quoth Tom. If he'd said it today, he probably would have been talking about our President and the Democratic Party.
To paraphrase again, the outlook isn't brilliant for either the President nor his party, nor the Mudville Nine on its halleluia day, nor the Texas Rangers this evening, to squeeze the metaphor into a shape barely recognizable. Tomorrow the electorate is widely predicted to turn "yes, we can," into "no, you didn't," and give President Obama and the Democrats the gong, to recall an expression from my youth that seems more charitable than the one about voting them off the island.
Just two short years ago, Barack Obama was swept into office by voters sickened by the still uncalculated costs of the Bush maladministration. Winning remarkable Democratic majorities in both houses of Congress seemed to bring the politics of hope and change within grasp. At the halfway point of his term, the President has racked up two huge victories; a healthcare bill and one that regulates the financial industry. Neither bill is perfect, but, as with Social Security and Medicare, they represent crucial beginnings that can be developed and improved upon. Meanwhile, millions of Americans will secure health care benefits, most for the first time, and the stupefying greed of the financial industry will now have to contend with less than carte blanche license. Cap and trade legislation to address carbon dioxide pollutants fell before the combined power of the fossil fuel industry, the auto industry and the U.S. public's mania for private personal transportation.
But the Obama Administration and Congressional Democrats took up three of the most vital domestic issues and won two of them against the unaltered opposition of Congressional Republicans and the weight of the Republicans' corporate masters in the finance, insurance, medical, and energy industries. The Republicans were abetted to great effect by Fox Cable News under the wily direction of Roger Ailes of Watergate Coverup fame, and by assorted harrangers on AM talk radio.
Almost until today, President Obama seemed transfixed by an obsession to achieve bi-partisanship. That's been his real shortcoming. He conceded far too much to obdurate Republicans in his domestic policy efforts, and caved in to the military-industrial complex regarding Afghanistan, Pakistan and Israel. Even more damaging, he failed to undertake a public works policy as a step toward restoring infastructures nationwide, which would at the same time begin to reduce unemployment.
Obama has for the most part squandered his greatest political talent, his ability to communicate with the people. Where FDR welcomed Rebublican opposition to his New Deal initiatives because he was confident of his ablility to slice and dice them in the public forum, Obama has been unfortunately mute against his foes for perhaps too long. We'll soon find out.
American voters resoundingly rejected Republicans in 2008. Republicans in 2010 promise nothing more than the same old same old. Cut taxes, get rid of Social Security, and fight wars in defense of the oil industry.
In 2008, Obama promised hope. Two years later, he's made major strides despite fierce and unyielding opposition. By speaking out, by going to the public, he can do more.
2010 is too soon to cast him adrift.