THE FIELD NEGRO
GUEST COLUMNIST

"O" should have been singing that classic Bobby Womack song, "If You Think You’re Lonely Now," instead of "Let’s Stay Together" the other night at the Apollo. I am hearing a lot of liberals and progressives express disappointment with O lately. Many of them actually say that they regretted giving him their vote.

I love Bruce Dixon over at Black Agenda; he is a true "Field Negro" in my book. Bruce has been relentless in his attacks of O because he believes that he has been a huge disappointment as president.

A political moderate

I honestly don’t know what folks like Bruce expected from Obama. I have said all along that there would be nothing spectacular in terms of progressive changes with an Obama presidency. I have said all along that he is a Democratic politician who is a product of the Chicago political machine, and that he is first and foremost a political moderate when it comes to governing.

His election was historic only for its imagery and the possibilities it represents; not because it was going to bring any fundamental changes in the American political landscape for poor people and people of color.

What Barack Obama has delivered is exactly what I expected. Nothing more, nothing less. In terms of foreign policy, he has kept the country relatively safe and he has improved our standing in the world with our allies. Domestically we have come back from the brink of an economic disaster, and growth has been slow but steady. 

His Justice Department has been going after civil rights violators more aggressively than the previous administration, and his single appointment to the Supreme Court so far will act as a voice of reason on a body that is precariously close to being hijacked by a group of right wingnut extremists. Just imagine how the court would look if John McCain and Sarah Palin were elected.

Wait till GOP wins

But let me go back to what Bobby Womack was writing about to that woman of his: If you think that Obama is bad, wait until either Mitt or Newt gets into office. I suspect that a lot of you progressives will be crying for the good old days of O again.

But O won’t be around. He – like Bobby told his woman – will be "long gone." And sadly, it could be a long time before you find another leader that will treat you right.

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