I don't like to rant about politics, because it invites too much drama. But here's the thing: I'm completely sick of hearing people whine about the how the president hasn't lived up to how they saw him during the campaign. Those people totally missed the point.
Remember for a moment that Barack Obama campaigned with the slogan Yes We Can, not Yes I Can Singlehandedly Fix All Your Problems. His strength, his brilliance, lies in community organizing. He didn't get his start by showing up on the South Side of Chicago and handing out a bunch of solutions. No, he found people who were ready for a brighter future, and helped them unite with like-minded folks; he got them fired up, and together they made change.
That's the same thing Obama did during the election. I quote from one of his campaign speeches: "Change will not come if we wait for some other person. We are the ones we've been waiting for."
It worked. People across America united for change. Voter turnout was huge. The most cynical Gen-Xers among us suddenly began to believe in something, to get renewed faith in this country's potential. On election night, an impromptu celebration shut down an intersection here in Seattle. When it ended, everyone got together and cleaned up after themselves.
Then they all went back home and sat around, waiting for magical things to happen.
No, the president hasn't been perfect so far, but why should we expect him to be? He's not a superhero. He's up in the white house politickin', which involves a lot of compromising your values and making closed-door deals. He's not able to get out among us and organize everybody, because he's busy trying to make a little headway on the big stuff. So where's everyone that believed in the change two years ago?
It's hard to admit -- I struggle with this every day -- but it's the truth: If you're not actively working to make change, then you're not allowed to bitch about the way things are.
So get your own self out there and work for a better world, or shut the hell up. That's what Obama's election should have taught you.
Although he definitely would say it much more eloquently.
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