Better than Bush

*sigh*

So you'd be shocked to know this, but there are actually some Republican people out here in the Bay Area that are in my age range. I mean I know Cali has Republican people--look at our Governator, and our Prop 8! It's just so easy to assume they're all old people from Fresno.But as it turns out, there are young Republicans in California and some of them are even my friends.

I might be digging a hole for myself with this opening, cuz some of my Republican friends might be reading this. So this is where I underscore that this post isn't about young Republicans in the Bay Area. Just prompted by a few discussions I've had with them, here and there.

What this post is about is my ongoing relationship with our new President. (Lengthy aside: Not like, a relationship two people have, obviously, but more like when people say "I have a relationship with Christ." Wait no, not really. Cuz when people have a relationship with Christ, I'm pretty sure they have (imaginary?) direct interactions with Christ, whereas all I have are thoughts and opinions about Obama. Anyway...)

I'm pretty skeptical about Obama, and simultaneously hopeful, as outlined in the Hope post from January 21st, the day after the Inauguration. Well he's had about three weeks to show his character, and it's only fair that I respond.

What frustrates me about my Republican friends is when I say, "at the very least we can be sure he'll do better than Bush," and they respond with "nnyeeeeeeehhhhh, I dunno about that." Yes, that's the seed that prompted this whale of a post.

COME ON! WHAT DON'T YOU KNOW? Bush is like Harding and Hoover combined. How can it be worse than Bush?

You know what comforts me about Obama? It's so basic, so simple. It's how articulate he is. How often I find myself thinking, "yes, yup" whenever he makes simple sentences. It's something I find myself reveling in. I feel like that's something people in other countries must take for granted.

I grew up being confused how a bumbling idiot could make to the White House. I went through all of high school and all of college shouting to the world that dissent is patriotism, or (in my not-so-patriotic moments) that it is, at the very least, rational thinking, intelligence. Agreeing with the President is a weird feeling for me. I almost feel like I must be missing something, like I'm being unpatriotic by not feeling critical.

Does that even make sense?