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For those who are already disappointed in Obama:
First of all, it's hard for me to understand the disappointment being felt by some people who voted for Obama; people who apparently thought that he was a liberal Democrat. Those people must have projected their own hopes and desires on him, because he never said he was a liberal. His stands on many issues demonstrated that he was a more moderate Democrat. Being "moderate" and having the ability to effect change are not mutually exclusive.
Secondly, I don't understand why he's being ripped for choosing former Clinton staffers. Among the pool of Democrats with experience in a Democratic administration, isn't it reasonable to assume that many of those people would have been associated with former president Clinton? What is Obama supposed to do, seek out only Democrats who worked for the Carter administration? (Besides, people seem to have forgotten how many good things happened during the Clinton administration.)
Obama repeatedly told us that he disliked the extreme partisanship that we have experienced for a long while now. He told us that he was going to bring people together. He does that very well. Although I'd like to (figuratively) wring Joe Lieberman's neck, it's smart politics to refrain from alienating him.
Between now and the inauguration, read Obama's book, "The Audacity of Hope," and you will learn about his politics and the way he thinks. If you'd already read it, you'd have been prepared for the kinds of choices he would likely make. Like most of us, he can't be placed in a tidy little category. He leans toward the left on some issues and is far more conservative on others.
I'm still celebrating his historic victory and feeling hopeful about this country for the first time in a very long time. I would ask you to please take a deep breath and give the man a chance.
