I predict when the GOP nominee is announced the enthusiasm will return for Obama....

[Logical]

I donated $2500 to him in 2008 and also made 100s of phone calls, but doubt I will donate any money or work for him in 2012. Disappointed in many things.

But there is no doubt I will vote for him. And no doubt he is better than any GOP candidate and there is no way a 3rd party can win a national election in this country.

I have a feeling when the GOP start attacking Obama, we will all jump 100% back on board.

As democrats and liberals and progressives we have no other choice in 2012.

[tblue]

1. He's lucky there are people like you.

Really. I remember in '08 people at the local campaign office making phone bank calls on the sidewalk in the rain because all the rooms were full. I wonder how many will be there next time.

[Logical]

2. I will admit that I am not as excited as I was in 2008......

I was expecting more. I will donate money again, but only to senators who are progressive.

[Sherman A1]

26. I completely agree with you

and will not be donating to either the Obama or McCaskill Campaign. There may be races down ticket that get my votes or support, but not these.

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Bravo Zulu]

4. The alternatives are unacceptable!

[Logical]

10. So true! n-t

[Exilednight]

24. If that's his slogan, then he might as well go along with "I'm not as bad as the other guy" and

see how far either one gets him.

[ReturnoftheDjedi]

33. whatever his slogan is, it's going to get him another 4 years. enjoy!

[zigzag69]

34. Exactly.

He is a great campaigner. That will kick in again in earnest.

All this hand wringing is for naught.

[ProgressIn2008]

32. I think this is exactly is, the best strategy right there. nt

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Logical]

8. I do not think a 3rd party can make it in this country. We are stuck with the two. n-t

[bluestateguy]

6. The so-called enthusiasm gap is largely myth created by lazy journalists

They have yet to provide any actual evidence that it exists.

And no, polls don't count.

[Logical]

9. Well, I am not as enthused as I was in 2008. My freinds are not either.....

2008 was a once in a lifetime experience.

[Cirque du So-What]

11. You may want to edit your sigline

2102 is not an election year.

[vroomvroom]

7. Democratic Party (and Obama) are considered Radical Right-Wings in Canada

Our Conservative party is as extreme as it gets but in your country that is what is considered your Democratic Party. Obama would be considered so right-wing he'd be seriously brought up for criminal charges. We can't even fathom what your version of a Republican would be...too impossible to imagine such a creature would or could exist...the people in this country would have stamped it out long ago.

Different worlds...and only km's away from the border.

[Bluenorthwest]

17. There are many Canadians on DU. They tend to be very much

Pro-Obama. Some of them might wish to chime in.
I have spent lots of time in Canada. My first political experience in Canada gave me a very bad impression. This was several years ago, and a GLBT bookstore in Vancouver was being hounded by some aspect of your Customs Department. They would order books which the Customs agents would confiscate as 'forbidden' or 'obscene' or whatever. All of the books in question were of course freely available to Americans. Not so in Canada. Eventually, a 'traditional' bookseller in Vancouver got involved and started making duplicate orders for her store when the GLBT store ordered. Her orders went through, the Canadian Government confiscated the literature headed for the GLBT bookstore. Again, books that in the US were not subject to any form of control at all, in Canada, they had such censorship and authority to block books to those they felt like blocking them to.
Hard to see that a country doing that sort of thing as being all that liberal. Books, ideas, stopped by officials on a selective basis. Right wing policy, fully employed, with impunity.
Are they still playing Customs nanny? That was some heavy duty shit. I'll always think of Canada as the place where they stop the books to check of thought crimes.
Good health care. Love that. But such a policy does not a liberal nation make.

[golfguru]

12. You may have broken the law

by donating $2500 in 2008.

http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/thepoliticalsystem/a/contriblaws.htm

[Logical]

20. $100 from wife!

[golfguru]

22. Whew! OK!!

[Logical]

23. But good catch! Thanks!

[jillan]

13. I'm with you. I volunteered, made phone calls. I've already turned down an opportunity for

volunteer work this summer. We'll see how I feel 1 year from now.

[AtomicKitten]

35. Remember the name change thingy after the 2008 election?

Me too. I also remember declarations of "I don't think I can vote for him." It's difficult to believe those same people pretending that they worked for him what with a vote for him being such a stretch and all.

[jillan]

42. Are you implying that I didn't work for him? Are you implying that I changed my name

because of the 2008 election?

Are you calling me or other DUers a liar?

wow. You must really be having a bad day.

[mkultra]

44. Its like people boycotting a company they never buy from

Or they people who said they would "stop watching" after Jaun Williams was sacked.

[RBInMaine]

14. He is the most PROGRESSIVE leader since LBJ. Please dig out of that funk.

[Sherman A1]

27. Well, I believe we will disagree on that point

In my opinion 20 years ago he would have had an R behind his name. I truly believe that is how far to the Right this country has gone when we look at things.

[zigzag69]

28. A politician is what the majority of voters favor.

That's the definition of a politician - to represent the constituency. The country is now right of center so that's what Obama is, and that's what any smart politician in his shoes would be.

[Sherman A1]

29. I won't disagree, however

he has not fulfilled my Hope for Change, hence I will not vote to renew his contract.

BTW Welcome to DU:hi:

[zigzag69]

30. Thanks!

That's your choice - he is targeting a different type of voter now.

Thanks for your welcome!

[mkultra]

45. Yeah, because the 80's where SOOO liberal, what with raygun and all

[DCBob]

15. It will be impossible to match the enthusiasm in 2008... that was a special time..

but that does not mean there wont be any enthusiasm or that Obama wont win. In some ways Obama may be better off now than then. He was unproven as leader and many thought he was a Muslim radical/non-American and would destroy the country with extreme liberal policies. Many of those fears have gone away although some RW wackos still keep the paranoia alive. Depending on who the GOP candidate is and how the economy is doing, I suspect he wins by nearly the same margin or perhaps even more.

[Vinca]

16. The votes will be there, but the enthusiasm might be in hiding.

[LiberalFighter]

18. Please help. You don't have to help him directly. Help those in other elections.

Help those in the other 1 or 2 federal races. Help those in your state legislative races. Help your state-wide elected candidates.

Help elect others in your local elections that might go up the ladder if and only if they win the local election.

[Logical]

21. I plan on donating the money to senate and house progressives!

[MNBrewer]

36. I'll probably donate to state level Democrats.

My federal level Dems either don't need the $ or are of dubious character.

[LiberalFighter]

40. Don't forget your state legislators and local elected officials or candidates.

[high density]

19. "No Other Choice 2012"

Is anybody printing up some bumper stickers?

[Bucky]

39. Damned if we do, but damned worst if we don't

Nah, too long for a bumper sticker.

[zigzag69]

25. Obama will do fine in the next election

He just needs to get the independents on board who average right of center. That’s his target group, not the far left or far right. He has incumbency in his favor, and his working to gain positive ratings with the right-of-center voters. He will get plenty of corporate donations; he doesn’t need the measly donations from the same quantity of individuals that he got in the first election.

Don’t worry, he’ll do fine. His specialty after all is campaigning.

[w4rma]

31. I feel like Obama conned me. I don't like that much. (nt)

[Armstead]

37. There will be enthusiasm -- unfortunately though a lot will be...

Negative enthusiasm about trying to avoid the fate of a GOP President.

Not a lot of positive hope and change enthusiasm though.

[Bucky]

38. We shoulda nominated Biden

for president I mean. He knows how to push back. I wish the president would let him off his leash more often.

[jillan]

43. + a million zillion gazillion!

[treestar]

41. It's probably impossible for you to be happy

Ever. Seriously. If you and the other posters saying this kind of thing are serious, your expectations of politics are so damn unreasonable. Why do you have to be enthused, and then get everything you want? No political system will give you that.

And yes the Republicans do exist, and they are evil - how could we expect a country which has the number of Republicans in it that it does to turn into socialist paradise or whatever you expected in two years with one Congress which included a not-so-filibuster proof Senate?

I read this board sometimes to be appalled at the number of unreasonable, spoiled people who expect so much of others! And expect the political process to serve them, individually, and their emotional needs, rather than be a part of it! To give up so quickly is a sign of great weakness. If only the Republicans would be that way!

[Logical]

46. So you insult me......

And think I am just a whining?

So I was enthused and excited in 2008 and I am not now based on what I expected and didn't get. So instead of donating $2400 I just plan on voting for him which is ALL I EVER did in the previous 7 presidential elections. How does that make me a bad dem again??

There were obvious things I expected. At least one war %100 ended, stopping some of the patriot act. At least an attempt at single payer, not hiring the Bush financial team and maybe charging some of the people who destroyed this economy. And at least getting pissed about extending the tax cuts for the rich. Just to name a few.

So by me telling people YOU HAVE TO VOTE FOR OBAMA is a bad thing? Wow, thanks for your bias.