I was first introduced to Barack Obama when he announced his candidacy for president. I wish I could tell you that it was love at first sight- but alas- my political affections lay with his opponent, Hilary Clinton. Through the campaign, and the turmoil of her struggle of gender versus race, I found myself becoming more and more attracted to the tall man who spoke with such eloquence. I knew very little about him, but was sworn to hate him for what he was putting my lady through. But still...
It started innocently enough. The stolen speech viewed when none of my Hilary friends were watching. The quickening of my heart when he spoke of healthcare reform. But true to my word, I stuck with my lady to the end. And when she pledged her loyalty to Mr. Obama, I was both saddened and at the same time overjoyed. At last, I could openly profess my love for the black man.
The campaign was such a lovely and innocent time of courting. He wooed me with promises of healthcare and ending our involvement with Iraq. I knew, this was the man that would hold my heart for the next 8 years. Every once in awhile he would he would surprise me with a gem- repeal DADT or strengthen environmental protection. I was truly smitten with this man and couldn't wait to give myself completely to him on election day.
I remember that second Tuesday so well. It started with nervous anticipation, but slowly built into a crescendo of excitement, culminating in an explosion of joy when John McCain conceded the race. I didn't think things could get much higher but then he appeared on stage and spoke. He spoke of hope and change and I marveled at the things his tongue could do. At the end of the night, I collapsed in a heaving mass of ecstasy eagerly anticipating the festivities of the coming weeks when my love would give himself completely to me.
On January 20, 2010 our union became complete, when the man that I so passionately loved, swore an oath of loyalty. Our vows became complete. For better or worse, we were promised to each other for at least the next 4 years.
The passion of the first year never waned. Day after Day, my love would deliver me to new heights as he stealthily applied stimulus in ways I never imagined possible. But still, he could only do so much. When he announced that we were pregnant with a healthcare bill, I was over the moon!!
But unfortunately, our love wasn't safe. Marauders from Fox News and conservative talk radio were stalking us and our unborn baby. They were relentless with their talk of death panels and medical nightmares. But in the end, our love persevered, and our baby was born. Unfortunately, the raping and pillaging of the bill had taken its toll and the poor thing was severely underweight and vulnerable. That's when the fighting started.
I would remind him that he promised me a single payer baby. And he would counter that it was better than no baby. By the later part of 2010 things were strained between us. We were still spending trillions in Iraq and unemployment was still close to 10%. Stimulus just wasn't having the same effect on me as it used to. Then he delivered unto me a healthy child-- the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell. It was a beautiful bill and I hoped that this baby would at least bring my love to his senses and he would now pull out of Afghanistan and Iraq.
But then the 2010 election happened. Something changed in him. He was no longer talking about hope and change, but rather, he began talking about cutting spending and when I asked him point blank about the Bush Tax cuts, he amazed me by hesitating. He had never hesitated with me before, but now he was. More and more frequently he was coming home with conservative stench all over him. But then he did it. He did it in public and he did it without a care for me. He slunk behind closed doors with Boehner and his band of pimps and emerged with the Bush Tax Cuts on his arm. I couldn't believe that he would throw everything we had away for tax cuts!! I began packing my bags. There was no hope for our love anymore. Not if he could betray me like that. Not with Bush. I could forgive him anything but that.
He begged me to stay by extending unemployment benefits. He reminded me that we had a sick healthcare bill together that needed us. In the end I decided to stay for the sake of the senate. They were the innocent ones who needed us to stay together if there was any hope of a reconciliation it would come from them. Today my president and I have a strained civility that is shows the scars hard times. Oh every once in awhile he woes me with talk of peace and I really think he was listening when I told him that I didn't want Libya to turn into another Iraq. In the end, I suppose time will tell whether or not our love will last four more years and he would once again have me mind, body and soul if he would just get rid of those tax cuts. But I'm not holding my breathe.
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