Real Talk About Being Proud of the President

Going through my email inbox this week has been a lesson in humility and patience. First off, I apologize to those I still haven't gotten around to replying to, both friends and people I have never met. This mad rush between Thanksgiving and Christmas always seems to be a less than relaxing time as all of us discover we have less and less time to mark to-do's off our list.  On top of that, which I rarely mention on my blog, is I have one year old twin boys at home; I work a full time job and we are in the process of selling our home with hopes of moving to a bigger one very soon.  It's just a crazy time in general but in life as well.

Most of my emails this week have centered around the question of would I still vote for Obama today.  After a perplexed, almost gasping, shaking of my head I most astutely and proudly answer YES.

These are not emails from Republicans or crazed readers that never use spell check. I've had actual left of center and liberal friends ask me this question while telling me they don't think they would.  That's fine.  Your vote is your vote and this blog is not at all the place to sway voters.  But c'mon let's be realistic.

I'm amazed by the perceptions today of the presidency.  I think this would be happening no matter which Democrat held the office because of the nature of today's media.  But let's get right down to it.  Obama is still a popular president.  His approvals are higher than Reagan's and Clinton's at their respective time in office. Lest we forget too, that our last president left office with a 26% approval rating. Republicans would have killed for Bush to have had a 48% approval like the most recent poll shows the current president having.

There's no doubt in my mind if Bush would have had even a horrible 35% approval all we would hear is how great of a job he did.  But our president today has an approval 22 points higher than his predecessors so it's not like we are anywhere near the Republican level of disapproval like this country went through for almost 6 years.

With that said, I'm thrilled to death Obama is our president.  I personally know the guy.  I can tell my twin boys "hey your dad knew the President of the United States." I'm proud of it.  I support the job he is doing.  That doesn't mean I agree with everything he does because I don't.  But I cherish the fact that I can disagree with the president and my party and still be considered an American.  It's one of the very reasons I vote Democratic like it's going out of style.  I think this country is lucky to have Obama as president and I think he's doing a very difficult job as well as he can. I don't regret my vote one bit and will, without a doubt, vote for him in 2012.

It's not all doom and gloom and the perception that liberals and moderate Dems are fleeing ship is both wrong and retarded.  Obama passed real health care reform.  He passed a huge stimulus bill that saved the country from a Depression.  He lived up to his promise on Iraq.  He's doing all he can with Afghanistan, yet another left over Bush mess.  He signed credit card reform, student loan reform, Cash for Clunkers, START, and so many more accomplishments that should have anyone glad that he's president.

So yes I don't always agree with him.  I don't always walk the party line.  I don't always wait and see how the administration is going to react before I do.  But I'd take him any day over any other Democrat or Republican this country has to offer. I'd vote for him twice in 2012 if I could.  I'm proud he's our president and I'm more proud that we have, as a nation, returned to the days where we can criticize the president and not be called anti-American.  You're my boy blue.  And I'm not going anywhere.