Steve Kornacki (Salon): It would be wrong to say that 2010 was a resounding success for Barack Obama … but while 2010 provided plenty of reasons for his allies to doubt him, the bigger story of the year was how much Obama was able to accomplish…
…..Nothing better illustrated this than the last two months of the year, after Democrats suffered massive election losses …. the last Democratic president to withstand such a midterm drubbing, Bill Clinton, had no idea how to respond …. but Obama barely skipped a beat. He acknowledged that the election had been a “shellacking,” then enjoyed some of the most productive weeks of his presidency to date.
…..Tax compromise …. it’s not surprising that the initial outrage of elite liberal opinion-shapers didn’t trickle down to rank-and-file liberals. As the details of Obama’s tax compromise spread, in fact, polls showed wide support for it – even among Democrats, and even among self-identified liberal Democrats. Most liberals, it seems, didn’t think that the president had sold them out at all.
There was even more reason for liberals to reach that conclusion as December wore on. By agreeing to terms with the GOP on taxes, Obama ratcheted up the pressure on the Senate’s few moderate Republicans to break with their colleagues on several big ticket items…..
….Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell … here, too, Obama’s long game came in to play: Liberals and gay rights advocates had railed throughout his presidency that he was willing only to pay lip service to the cause of DADT repeal. Actually, though, he was being wisely patient, winning over helpful support from military leaders by refusing to rely on an executive order or the courts and commissioning an exhaustive Pentagon study on the effects of repeal. That report’s release, cleverly timed for the start of the lame duck session, utterly eviscerated every reasonable-seeming concern that opponents of DADT repeal had been touting….
…. the last two months should give those who would cry “betrayal!” pause. Obama demonstrated in 2010 that he is still committed to doing much of what he set out to do – and that he’s still capable of accomplishing a lot of it.
Full article here
The Obama Diary 
I HAVE NEVER DOUBTED THIS PRESIDENT…HE IS COMMITTED TO DELIVERING FOR “THE PEOPLE”
Really, Mr. Kornacki? You mean one of you “elite liberal opinion-shapers” is finally catching on to reality? To what the rest of us already new? How good for you.
I would have to say, 2009 and 2010 was very good for President Obama and the USA. The talking heads on TV and cable always put a negative spin on everything that come out of the Whitehouse. Trying to make some news. People who don’t watch cable news or keep up with politics only see evening news, and whatever they report. And think that is true. No wonder public confidence is down.
So far in 2010, so many on the left were naysayers, or like krugman, I call him the grim reaper whenever he show his face. Nothing but negative all the time. Some people really believe that is happening. So they have a feeling that whatever the President is doing is not right for us. Well it’s time for us practical people to come out of the woodwork and speak up for our President. I am glad some are doing it.
No, 2010 wasn’t bad for our president at all, especially judging from the “shellacking” the republicans got in the lame duck session and the reaction that came from their supporters/pundits/talking heads. They still don’t know what hit them. Their defeat was clear in the posturing of DeMented, Kyl, and Graham. As long as I live, I’ll never forget Graham’s words, “Harry Reid ate our lunch.” Yep, the quiet, un-assuming, hardworking, Senator Reid whom so many of the PL and frustrati have called “weak” time after time. I’ve always admired Senator Reid because, unlike some, I’ve watched him closely and notice the way that he delivers the goods without a lot of grandstanding or fanfare. It is those like Senator Reid, Ms. Pelosi, PBO, and those like ourselves who actually get down in the trenches and bring home the bacon, not those who stand screaming on the sidelines.
I am one of President Obama’s allies, and I have never doubted him, not for one moment.
The first paragraph of this article is what drives me crazy about the media…the formulaic framing, asserting the negative first, attempting to minimize the positive. I shouldn’t let it bug me so much…..but believing that words are potent, and the influence of the MSM is both insidious and widespread, I find their practices exploitative, and not worthy of the public’s esteem.
That struck me too Sue, Steve Kornacki has generally been very balanced in his recent articles, but he’s probably got so much abuse – mainly from the Professional Left – he now feels the need to frame his thoughts in a more negative way. But in the substance of the article there’s nothing but praise – he needs to show more courage, and not bow to the achieve-nothing ideologues.
The substance did contain praise, but the overall framing was negative. It’s disappointing especially coming from Steve because I have heard him speak the truth about President Obama’s achievements before without this negative framing. We need to call the MSM out on this and not let up.
And if I might add, I hope that we President Obama supporters would not feel the need to qualify our support of our outstanding president. I am seeing too many comments on pro-President Obama blogs where the commenter feels the need to begin a positive statement with the qualifier “I don’t agree with everything President Obama does…” or “Sure President Obama has made mistakes…” This drives me crazy because it almost gives the impression that we are not as proud to support President Obama as we should be.
I am proud to support him. And I am not ashamed to say he has done an outstanding job. And I will not be ashamed to work for his re-election.
And I am so appreciative of this blog. Thanks for the great, timely information on President Obama.
I agree whole heartedly that I can support this President without first insisting that I don’t necessarily agree with all his positions. I marvel at the self awareness that our President possesses, and the self-mastery that he demonstrates, but to attribute messianic properties to him is grossly unfair, and establishes a framework for guaranteed failure. He is our President, not our King, I am proud of his leadership, I admire his strength of character and his intelligence. I think he is honest, straightforward, and more patient than I could ever hope to be.
I not only respect him, I trust him and whole heartedly support him, without reservation.
I agree with you completely. My sig line was “I support President Obama without qualifiers” and I stand by that always. And I’m ready to work and take whatever actions are needed to again get him elected in 2012. I’m proud of him and what he has done and will do with our help because the slogan was Yes, WE can. I believed in it then and I still believe in it now. That “hopey changey thing” is working out just fine for me, thank you very much….
Is that “Tan-Man” in the pink tie in the photo?- Trying to block something with his hands? Aaaawh put your hand down! Aaaarghhh
**** chuckle ****
If posters have the need to say “I don’t agree with everything President Obama does…” or “Sure President Obama has made mistakes…”, I believe that those mistakes need to be itemized. Either list them or don’t make those remarks. The President is doing a remarkable job of rebuilding this country with very little help from those who destroyed it. The years of disregard for the American people has been heartbreaking and criminal. Finally we have a leader who is dedicated to the people of this country and the principles of its government.
I totally agree with you, sduncan. It always irks me when I hear people say “I know he hasn’t been perfect”, or “I don’t agree with everything…”. The President is a human being – of course he’s not going to be perfect or do everything that everyone can agree with. But, generally, he’s doing the best job he can do, and that is a mighty fine job; much more “perfect” than pretty much anyone else would be doing given the pile of nonsense he’s had to deal with. Like Marty Nesbitt said, “he’s just smarter”. I wouldn’t expect my family or friends to be perfect or completely aligned with what I believe or expect, so why do we have to add a negative disclaimer to every form of praise we give to the President? He’s doing a remarkable job. Period.
Well stated sduncan and theo, I agree and it bothered me too that people have to qualify their support of President Obama.