My old friend Marla Trilling read my post about why I think President Obama hasn't been the disappointment everyone on the left says he is... and she says the reason is we view him as "The Country's 'Disappointing Boyfriend.'"
But I'll let Marla explain her position:
I’ve been trying to find a way to vent my frustration about the country’s lack of support for our President.
It just seems he’s not getting a fair chance to make the changes he talked about during his campaign. The only way I can wrap my mind around this rather distressing situation is to use an analogy: he’s the country’s “disappointing boyfriend.”
Yup, we are in one mass relationship with Obama, whether we like it or not.
Bush is that cute well-to-do boyfriend who comes from a good family, but let's face it, he has some serious issues. He listens to his friends too much and didn't give us the support we so desperately needed. So, basically we ditch him at a Billy Joel/Elton John reunion concert, and who's there to pick us up? Obama, in his new hybrid.
We're happy. He notices our stained nails and yellow teeth and tells us we should quit smoking because it's better for us. We end up having a long conversation on the way home and he makes us feel okay with the fact that our family is a bit dysfunctional, and even though his family also faced some difficult times, they fought through it and he became a better person because of it. He's our knight...in a shining new hybrid. We are in love with him. He's given us hope. Yup, he’s a keeper!
Fast forward two years later - we're still dating, with no ring on the finger. We're still on the nicotine patch and he's driving that hybrid because he can't afford a new car. Bush is looking good again. You see his friend's at Applebee's and ask them how Aunt Palin and Uncle McCain are doing. It feels safe to go back to something that was comfortable.
Maybe, just maybe, we need to give Obama a break. It’s not his fault we started smoking when we were seven years old and that when our families get together they fight like the Hatfields and the McCoys. He may not be able to buy a new car yet, but maybe that's because he's helping us get out of the horrible credit card debt we wracked up because our ex encouraged us to borrow so we could live beyond our means. Phew. It's certainly a lot to overcome.
Obama and us—we’ve been through a lot. And just because times are hard now doesn't mean we should give up on a relationship that started with so much promise. We've all made mistakes in the past, and unlike an article that can sum up one person’s sentiment in 500 words or less, the country's ability to rectify the wrong will take much more than that.
OK, Marla... I buy it. Even if I, personally, would never date George W. Bush.
