Barack Obama: Part 2

A thoughtful, thorough analysis of Barack Obama's disappointing presidency appeared in yesterday's New York Times. Written by Drew Westin, psychology professor at Emory University, it's 4 pages long and well worth reading--though the final paragraph captures the essence of Professor Westin's lament:

"But the arc of history does not bend toward justice through capitulation cast as compromise. It does not bend when 400 people control more of the wealth than 150 million of their fellow Americans. It does not bend when the average middle-class family has seen its income stagnate over the last 30 years while the richest 1 percent has seen its income rise astronomically. It does not bend when we cut the fixed incomes of our parents and grandparents so hedge fund managers can keep their 15 percent tax rates. It does not bend when only one side in negotiations between workers and their bosses is allowed representation. And it does not bend when, as political scientists have shown, it is not public opinion but the opinions of the wealthy that predict the votes of the Senate. The arc of history can bend only so far before it breaks."

Read "What Happened to Obama" and weep.