The Man Is Done

Here are some of the reader comments about Obama written in response to a series of opinion pieces in the NYT about the recent deal on the Bush tax cuts.  They are unbelievably brutal:

The only base Obama is interested in are his rich friends. We were duped and elected a Republican.

As he nears 50 years of age, Pres. Obama is not going to grow a backbone.

I will never support this man again—for anything. I haven't for any candidate other than a Democrat since 1972—that includes holding my nose while I voted for Clinton in 1992 and '96—but if Barack Obama heads the Democratic ticket in 2012, I stay home.

Obama seems to be rolling over and playing possum. I agree with this contributor. Why no struggle to turn the Bush tax breaks for the wealthy around? I don't get it and it really angers me.

I fear progressives are no longer looking to Obama to lead anywhere, they now have the measure of the man, and it is, tragically but perhaps inevitable, far short of their hopes and, more importantly, of the nation's desperate need.

Obama is a weak man.Full of baloney.Has no conviction nor backbone.I hope he is challenged for the nomination by someone with moral fiber.

This isn't just a matter of "principle," or class warfare. The practical result of extending the tax cuts for the rich will be to grow the deficit to unsustainable levels, after which there will be a perfect excuse to cut Medicare and social security. This is a direct assault on the middle and lower classes by the Republicans, and if Obama plays along it really won't matter whether he's a "closet Republican," or just a coward. The results are the same either way.

Obama has definitely yielded before a fight and I'm not talking about a dumb fight aka, Ralph Kramdon style aka,...MSNBC's dumb characterization BUT I'm talking about a SMART fight,...aka Debbie Wasserman Schulz,...Obama has been AWOL, MIA on all this,...He should have come out swinging on this before the mid term elections,...Obama is a timid guy, not a strategic thinker, not a pragmatic compromiser,...He's a loser,...Trotting off to Afghanistan last week for a Bush style photo op,...He did NOT even try to make the progressive case and TAKE the presidential bully pulpit to the streets, to the people, to the ones who are getting the shaft now for the next two years and who will continue to get it again in 2012,...Does Obama really think if he can't pull a rabbit out of the hat now that he can pull one out in 2012,...Does he really think he can win the WAR in 2012, because that's what this is,...This is class war,...starting now and ending for the Republican's agenda of gutting medicare/medicaid and social security,...Americans KNOW that things are wrong, they are searching for leadership and they want an adult in the room that will shame, that will push, that will use every tactic in the book, that will twist the arms of any and all blue dog dems, etc.,...and will not cave and grovel like he did after the mid term elections....

The man is done.