We might have had greatness

While I sometimes think she's being too harsh on Obama, I'm a long time fan and always consider what she has to say because she's one of the smartest political analysts on the internets. Today, Avedon responds to Melissa Harris-Perry on the latest iteration of "they hate him because they're racists" in an unusually lengthy post. Read it in full, but Avedon nails the roots of the enthusiam gap right here:

I do not believe that it was "not the time" to elect a black liberal as president. I think it would have been a terrific time to elect a black liberal as president, in fact. Yes, the right-wing would have said all the same crazy things they're saying now, but at least, if Obama had actually been one, elected with his overwhelming mandate, I believe he could have been a great president - one who actually did the work that needed doing instead of continuing to reverse us back to the 13th century. A black liberal, standing up to people who were and are hurting the nation, could have welcomed their hatred and been proud of being called the enemy of people of such caliber. A proud black liberal president could have saved the country and perhaps even earned the respect of some people who thought a black president would not help them.

This is exactly what I hoped would happen when Obama was elected. However, I didn't expect it, so perhaps that explains why I'm less disappointed in small successes than most of the liberals I know and respect. Yet it is heartbreaking to reflect on what could have been, if only Obama had been the kind of leader I had hoped for, instead of the one I was pretty sure were going to get and voted for anyway, because, worse alternatives.