An open letter to someone I'd like to meet.

Dear President Obama,

You are someone I would like to meet. The main reason for this is that I have a theory about you I'd like to measure. I think you're both more and less complicated than almost anyone would have me believe, including yourself. You and the political organization behind you (by which I don't mean the democratic party), I mean your group of people, I think would like me and most of America to think that you are a misplaced idealist in a world of cynics, and that rather than agendas, you have principles.

And while I do believe those things about you, I don't believe them without a grain (or a shaker full) of salt. By which I mean this... I think you would like to do your work in the spirit of compromise and non-partisanship. I think hard-core partisanship has to some degree forced your hand, and you have responded like they tell us a "strong President" should, by working however you need to, to legislate and govern effectively. I have to admit though, to disappointment.

It's like this... I think there are four kinds of people in America, and I'm not gonna bother to put labels on them like party affiliations or meaningless monikers like liberal or conservative.

There are people who voted for you that wish you were more like Ghandi than a Chief Executive. That is, they wish you'd responded to partisan stonewalling from the Republicans, by refusing to dignify their game, rather than by jamming your agenda through on one side, by watering down your original plan. They'd say our country doesn't need the health care bill you passed, it needs the bill you actually wanted (that by all measures, could never have passed). This group of people didn't want you to stand up and declare a victory. They wanted single-payer health care and real cost control. They wanted the way of business for health insurers to change. They would rather see every legislative effort you make fall short, than see you wiggle, maneuver, and back room a less-effective bill, then claim a substantial victory.

There are people who voted for you who wish you'd grow a pair. Republicans not participating in the health care bill? Get in their face. Wall Street and Bankers lobbying hard against reform? Bring 'em on. Oil companies not taking responsibility? Make them pay. In fact, that's the exact image, I'd say that your press secretary would like them to have of your administration. So why are there still a lot of people who think you're playing softball against the Yankees? The fact is, while you've tried to be tough, where toughness is required, you're not scaring anybody. Well, you're scaring plenty of people who are just afraid of black people, but not the people you need to scare. If big money and big lobbies aren't afraid of you, that's a problem. It means you lack political muscle. These people want to see more shameless politics.

There are people who did not vote for you who think you're actively destroying everything that America is about. They're plenty scared of you. Maybe they're a bit racist, maybe they're not at all. Maybe they are just afraid you're rabid left-wing agenda is gonna take away their guns and tax them into oblivion. You think I'm dismissing these people, I am not. In fact, I kinda love these people, especially the ones from Alabama. And while you might think they should be more concerned about their failing schools, than the gun show loophole (and you'd be right), the fact is they have a right to be concerned about those things. Their way of life and their traditions are important to them. They need, and in fact would have more trust for, a leader who will work with them on the issues they see as important and then work on a way to help their states and communities improve their educational infrastructure and empower their youth.

There are people who did not vote for you that think you're weak. In fact, they think they smell blood, and they will pounce on your jugular the minute you expose it. Weakness is intolerable to them in a leader and they will happily elect a thousand men like the guy you replaced. They don't even care if he seems a bit stupid, as long as he wouldn't lose in a fist fight. They don't especially care if he's particularly effective or if he's ultimately being manipulated for someone else's purposes, as long as he doesn't appear weak. Some of these people are what you'd call the ruling class in this country, people who have purposefully sought and obtained all kinds of power. They especially, want to exploit the weakness they think they perceive in you.

I'm not gonna tell you what camp I put myself in, because ultimately it doesn't matter. The killer here is that all of us are right. People see a timidity that is really there. People see an aggressiveness that is really there. We all want you to be a level headed cooperator and we all want you to be a ruthless son of a biotch. You can't win, but you can lead. We all want you to lead us, even those that didn't vote for you. Do you believe that? I hope you do. You're not Stalin or Hitler (only Glenn Beck thinks you could somehow be both) and you're not Ghandi or MLK. Nobody thinks you are. I don't think if pressed, any of us would say we wanted you to be any of those people. We want you to be the President of the United States. Even those who hate you would prefer if you did a decent job till they get a chance to vote you out. The bottom line is if you lead us we will respect you. We will never all be happy, but we will follow. Don't be afraid to lead, don't be afraid to consort with the enemy. And don't be too proud to do either.

And call our damn Congress out for what they are and make them lead us too!



Sincerely and A-Politically,

Jared

P.S. Smile more. You have a good smile.