High Expectations

I typically (actually never) talk about politics on here, but I am getting annoyed at all the insults and whining that is neither productive nor insightful on the internet. You probably won't like what I have to say, and that's okay. Freedom of speech lets us both say what we want. Feel free to comment, but be warned that if your comments are insulting in nature, I will delete them (cuz insults annoy me and this is MY space. Should you want to insult me, do so on your own space)- feel free to disagree with me, but do so respectfully.

The internet has been flooded with a lot of talk about President Obama. I guess I should preface this by saying that I am not American, I am Canadian, so I am seeing the situation from the outside looking in.

A year ago, when Obama was campaigning for presidency, he made a lot of promises about change: Ending the war in Iraq, promoting greater diplomacy with other nations, universal health care, lessening the dependance on oil, and economic stimulus. There was a lot of talk about a time of change, and people bought it- he won the presidential election.

There were high expectations when Obama won the election- almost like Obama was a savior or a revolutionary. Many Americans expected the president to turn the economy around, to end the war in Iraq, and provide some kind of better life for them. Expectations were so high that no human being could have actually met those types of expectations.

And even though I didn't think he would be able to meet those promises, he has been steadily working away at them. He has been fufilling his campaign promises- something that is more rare than it should be amungst politicians.

But the expectations the public had burdened him with were so high that the naysayers soon came out. I have many Republican friends from the States, and I am increasingly annoyed by the amount of Anti-Obama stuff comes up on their Facebook statuses and posts. Too much change. Democrats say he isn't doing enough- the economy hasn't yet fully recovered.

Well guess what people? You should have seen it coming. For those who say there is too much change- Obama has not done anything that he didn't promise the American people while campaigning. To those who say he isn't doing enough- you are majorly oversimplifying the complex factors working here and need to give it time. Obama is a man, not a miracle worker.

And for all you complainers that didn't vote- do you think you honestly have the moral right to complain without voting? I know you have a legal right to complain, so I'll put up with your views, the same as you'll put up with mine (yay for freedom of speech), but maybe this experience will teach you to go to the polls.

I am a firm believer in voting- in recent years there have been many many many elections where I live (not exagerating at all) at a federal, provincal, and municipal level. And I have voted. Even though I am tired of elections, I vote to have my voice heard. If I don't vote, I've silenced myself on the day when my voice actually means something- so why would I waste time talking politics where the impact is slight- when I haven't used my voice when the impact is large?

And lets all have realistic expectations of Obama.