What brought out the passionate outpouring of support for Obama's candidacy is the hope that electing this American president was the elevation of, to put it simply, one of the good guys, a man committed to civil rights, human rights, due process, equal protection, peace, openness, equality, and the firm belief that, to borrow from Justice Robert Jackson, the United States can afford to be just.
To those Americans committed to democratic values - whom the Republicans mocked as defeatocrats and so on - President Obama has not yet demonstrated an abiding commitment to the values voters, those with whom democratic values and human rights remain an abiding concern.
John Aravosis in Salon sums up the sentiment that not just impatience but a sense of betrayal is gripping the civil rights community.
Everyone loves a parade, but we don't like being betrayed. And while gay and lesbian Americans were initially willing to cut our new president some slack, the president's now-clear reticence to follow through on even one of his many campaign promises to the gay community has put the Democratic Party on the precipice of an ugly and very public divorce with this once-solid constituency.
It's only been five months since assuming office, but President Obama needs to understand that seeing bigots, chickenhawks and outright fascists carry the day is intolerable.
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