Sherman Alexie
Sherman Alexie is an author, poet and screenwriter.
REASON 30: Because the liberal Messiah doesn't exist.
Obama has been a terrible President for Native Americans, for us Indians. Well, he hasn't been terrible. He's been disinterested. Even inert. In writing this little essay, I tried to think of one great thing Obama has done for Indians.And I couldn't think of one damn thing.
So I called up some of my Indian friends and family, a mix of Democrats and Republicans, and asked them, "Hey, what has Obama done for Indians?"
The answers ranged from "F**k-all nothing" to "Not much" to "There must be something, let me think about it."
More than a few Indians, Republicans and Democrats, said, "He hasn't done anything for Indians, so I'm not voting for him."
That made me wonder how many folks vote for a president primarily based on their own needs and wants. Or vote against a president based on one's other wants and needs.
And, yeah, I'm also one of the liberals who think Obama has often been a too-moderate wimp steamrolled by hateful Republicans. And, yeah, I dream of some third-party progressive messiah who can save us from Paul Ryan, Mitt Romney, the Ghost of Ayn Rand, and all of these current Democrats who are getting their asses handed to them by the Ghost of Ayn Rand.
But that liberal Messiah doesn't exist. Will never exist. Or rather, can only exist in the organic, free range brains of utopia-believing left-wingers.
Of course, I never actually believed that Obama was going to change the country. When he was elected, I didn't rush into the streets and sing "Don't Stop Believin'" with ten thousand other liberals. I'd already been fooled by Bill Clinton into singing "Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow."
Yeah, I'm cynical. Yeah, I'm bitter. Yeah, I'm disappointed and hurt by Obama.
But you know what? To love him, I only need to believe in 51% of what he does. And, hey, I'd guess I believe in 63% of what he does. So he hasn't done anything for Indians. You know what? I don't care nearly as much about that as I care about what he has not done to Indians. And has not done to poor people. And has not done to gays and lesbians. And has not done to the environment.
And, most important, I care about what he doesn't plan to do to the country. He's not going to end capital gains taxes or estate taxes. He's not going to gut public education. And, this is the big one, he's not going to put right-wing freaks on the Supreme Court.
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Seattle, Washington
REASON 02:
President Obama faced down the GOP and the health industry to finally reform American healthcare. read essay →
REASON 41:
I’m voting for Obama, the storyteller, the wordsmith. read essay →
REASON 61:
Big Bird’s response to Mitt Romney, as told to Teddy Wayne.read essay →