Some People Take Politics Way Too Seriously

Here’s how one Daily Kos diarist described his reaction to the Obama tax deal and the odd emotional reaction he had to unsubscribing from the email list for Organizing For America:

And then I clicked the link to unsubscribe from the Organizing for America email list. I didn’t do it lightly. I have thought of doing it before, but never actually did it. Maybe it was my memory of the weekends I spent walking neighborhoods, knocking on doors, passing out literature and attempting to persuade people to vote for this man in the crucial swing state of Virginia. I was always hoping that at some point, President Obama would surprise me by restoring the hope I had invested in him in his campaign. There is such a deliberate finality about taking the action of unsubscribing from the mailing list of an organization that one used to support strongly and in which one made a significant investment. Finally I did it.

I felt a sick feeling in my stomach and found tears welling up in my eyes. I don’t cry easily. I certainly didn’t expect that the simple act of unsubscribing from a political mailing list would have such an effect on me, but somehow it did.

I think my tears came because of a realization that suddenly hit me full force like a punch in the gut: that Barack Obama will go down in history as a tragic figure, a classic, archetypal example of a man who had so much potential to be a great, transformational leader at a time when the society in which he lived desperately needed such a leader and actually elected him to lead our country in a new direction. And who took the rare opportunity given to him and threw it away, becoming just another typical politician making backroom deals for less than half a loaf — mere crumbs, in fact, and crumbs spiked with poison — becoming an accessory to the continued decline of American civilization, shattering the hopes of millions. When he could have been so much more.

Seriously, dude, get a life.

FILED UNDER: US Politics, , , ,
Doug Mataconis
About Doug Mataconis
Doug Mataconis held a B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University and J.D. from George Mason University School of Law. He joined the staff of OTB in May 2010 and contributed a staggering 16,483 posts before his retirement in January 2020. He passed far too young in July 2021.

Comments

  1. I could have written that, down to unsubscribing from Organizing for America. Well, not the “tears” park. My own reaction was to note I was so angry I could spit.

  2. I guess the part I didn’t get was the crying. Weird

  3. Katrina Klerck says:

    I guess when you’re a lawyer earning six figures you don’t have much to cry about. Weird

  4. The inmate at the Kos Kiddie Day Care Center is one of those Kool Aid drinking morons who bought the package of Obama as the Messiah, the Chocolate Jesus, rather than the truth … of The Christos really being a Chicago street thug disguised as a politician who spent his entire life surrounded by radicals and Marxists and people who hate America.

    These were the people who chanted “O-Ba-Ma! O-Ba-Ma! O-Ba-Ma!” Worshipping an individual as an American Idol-like cult figure. Reminiscent of 1930s Germany. Never happened before in American history. Hope to God it never happens again. As much as I loved Reagan, I never viewed him as a god-like figure incapable of wrong.

    Turns out instead of the Second Coming of Christ, Obama is the Second Coming of Jimmy Carter.

  5. John P says:

    If you make the statement that you “don’t cry easily”, you do.

    @The Underground – your analogies aren’t very analogous.

  6. matt says:

    a swing and A MISS… lol@TUC’s picture

  7. Drew says:

    “Well, not the “tears” park. My own reaction was to note I was so angry I could spit.”

    Seriously, dude, get a life.

    The Kos guy’s comments remind me of the basic theme in George Stephanopolous’ book on Clinton: “…a classic, archetypal example of a man who had so much potential to be a great, transformational leader at a time when the society in which he lived desperately needed such a leader and actually elected him to lead our country in a new direction. And who took the rare opportunity given to him and threw it away, becoming just another typical politician.”

    People, your faith in government is child-like. So called “free markets” have their warts and problems. But expanding the role and power of government, so that the rich, powerful and connected can use that government for their own ends is bizarre. “Get back to libertarian basics where the role of government is primarily to protect the citizens from foreign enemies, and from fellow citizens stepping on the rights of others.

    If you keep this child-like faith in government – but if only for the “right guy” – you will find yourself in a perpetual state of anger and disillusionment, and in need of a hanky, or a guy to clean up the spittle from the street.

  8. John Burgess says:

    I think it’s time for a ‘Leave Obama Alone!’ clip on YouTube.

  9. Brett says:

    Seriously, dude, get a life.

    Or better yet, get an education on how the US government works, and the limits of a President’s power to influence domestic policy. I hate this “cult of the Presidency” crap.

    At least he’s only one guy. Most of the liberals I’ve spoken to are more pragmatic, or at least resigned to the fact that the Democrats will have to ignore and minimize a lot of what we’d like to see them do.

  10. JKB says:

    I guess that’s the difference. Some of us were eager, rushing into maturity even before our bodies had started to change. Others, older, even as their bodies now matured and starting decline, have their innocence ripped from them. Their heros falter. So they cry.

    On the upside, there’s always Scientology.

  11. An Interested Party says:

    This is no worse than the hero worship by some conservatives of Bush that we saw in the aftermath of 9/11…their hopes and dreams were dashed too…at this point, it really is a foolish person who puts too much faith in any politician, CEO, religious leader, etc…

  12. Terrye says:

    An Interested Party,

    Oh please. I thought Bush did a good job after 9/11, a lot of people did, but I don’t know of anyone who treated the man like a deity.

  13. An Interested Party says:

    Oh please yourself…crying because a politician is disappointing isn’t exactly deity worship…it isn’t like this president is, say, Ronald Reagan…but the point stands that this president certainly isn’t the first politician to deeply disappoint some of those who believed in him, nor will he be the last…