How could I be disappointed?

As it becomes increasingly clear to me that the Obama Administration is ill-equipped to handle the current realities of the world, I have to ask myself - am I disappointed in him? My answer is very clear: no, because I never expected anything in the first place.

Now, I realize this is a bit harsh, but I must confess that I was never impressed with the man. Yes, he can deliver an impressive speech on occasion (although even here I think the bar has been progressively lowered over the past 30-40 years), but at no point during his campaign did I get the sense that he saw the larger picture. What I did see is a master tactician, someone with an innate ability to outwit and confound his opponents. Doubtless this ability comes in handy - witness the fun he's having with the hapless GOP - but it's all in vain if there's nothing behind it.

So let's remind ourselves, why did Obama run? To bring "Change." While I would hardly dispute the wisdom of repudiating the Bush years, "I'm not Bush" was hardly a positive vision for the country. The next president, inevitably, was not going to be Bush! Something more was and is needed, without which we're just bouncing from one pointless tactical victory to another with nothing accomplished of actual importance to the American people.

Please look at this chart for a breakdown of partisan identification. The Republicans have taken a nose dive, but support for Democrats has also weakened (admittedly not to the same degree). I put it to you that this is because Obama and the Democrats have not presented a viable governing philosophy. To be sure, they've put forward various measures and policy proposals, but this is hardly the same thing. Do they have a governing philosophy? In their own words, what would their America look like?

In my next post, I plan to outline my own philosophy of government.