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The GOP has been taking shots at Barack Obama since he emerged as the front-runner for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination. Now, six months into his first term, it has become obvious that the right wing intends to undermine every policy and castigate every administrative appointment that the president makes. This in and of itself isn’t altogether unique to President Obama of course, bipartisanship has and will always be a hurdle to jump when it comes to politics on every level — arguably, nowhere are the party lines drawn sharper than on Capitol Hill.
But, Obama’s situation is uniquely precarious and the GOP’s attacks have been unrelenting and unbalanced. There are a number of reasons for this; the most obvious factor that many will cite is the inescapable reality of Obama being the first African American president and having to wrangle with a Republican constituency that includes innumerable individuals who come from less-than-tolerant backgrounds — individuals that have threatened everything up to secession since he won the election. But there is also the slightly less obvious but ultimately more substantial factor: the Republican Party is in dire straits. The Democrats gaining control of Congress coupled with the 2008 election represented a seismic shift in the national political landscape. The Republican Party hasn’t found a vocal, charismatic and influential leader to become the face of the party; and as such, Obama has no real counterpart on the other side of the aisle.
While the fact that the elephants don’t seem to have a consistent voice may appear to be a plus, it has become obvious that this only means that there are a myriad of naysayers coming after this administration from all vantage points. Obama’s positions and policies on health care, the conflict in Iran, Iraq, and the economic crunch have all come under fire and this is just the beginning of his first term. But, no president is ever beloved by everyone, and Obama has shown that he is adept at not allowing bipartisan sniping to sway him from his path. What he could use more of, is vocal support from the other prominent members of his own party, so that this administration could begin to see some daylight in terms of pushing forward to bring America out of its current downward spiral. –todd williams
