February 2, 2012--Ladies of Forest Trace: What Obama Needs to Do
“I’m worried about the ladies,” my mother said over lunch the other day.
“Is Bertha in the hospital again? I know that Fay . . .”
“No, they’re fine. By that I mean fine for people our age.” My mother is approaching 104 and showing no signs of slowing down. Except when it comes to eating the Peking duck we were sharing at the Silver Pond in Lauderdale Lakes.
“So why are you worried? As long as they’re OK that’s . . .”
“I’m worried about what they are saying about the president. Obama.”
“They’re saying . . . ?”
“That they may not vote for him.”
“They’re going to vote for Mitt Romney or Newt Gingrich?”
“That’s what they’re saying. They haven’t made up their minds yet, but this is what they’re thinking about.”
“Why is this? They’re life-long Democrats, aren’t they?”
“Since before they could vote. I mean from before the time when women were allowed to vote.”
“But now?”
“Hold on a moment, I want a little more of the bok choy.” I helped her refill her plate. “They don’t serve food like this at Forest Trace.”
“Of course they don’t. That’s why we like to go out for Chinese food once in awhile. Just like we did back in Brooklyn.” This made her smile and I could see lifted her spirits. Her concerns about the ladies and the presidential election were clearly upsetting her.
“Why are they thinking about not voting for Obama?”
“Because of all his promises. Not because of them,” she quickly corrected herself, “but because he made so many and now he isn’t keeping them. Not all his promises, but too many. At least that’s what the girl are saying.”
“It is true that he promised more change than he has been able to deliver. But they have been following politics long enough to know that this is typical. That no president is able to fulfill all the promises he makes during the campaign.”
“Or she.”
“Touché. I get your point—what he or she promises. Hillary also would have not been able to keep all her promises. Who knows if she would have been able to get Congress to pass any health care legislation. My guess is that Republicans would have been waiting in ambush to stop even a new version of what they derisively called Hillary Care. But at least we now have Obama’s version. It’s not perfect but millions are now going to get coverage.”
“You’re making my point for me.”
“Which is?”
“Which is that Obama has accomplished a lot. I keep trying to tell that to the girls, but they keep saying he isn’t fulfilling his promises. I tell them about bringing the troops home from Iraq, about the stimulus bill, about how he helped us avoid a depression, about killing bin Laden and other terrorists, about don’t-ask-don’t-ask.”
“Don’t tell.”
“That too. There’s a long list. I forget half the things. Now I forget everything. Including what kind of soup we just had.”
“Shredded chicken and corn soup.”
“You see. You can remember what you just ate, but I can’t tell you if today is Tuesday or Wednesday . . .”
Every time we speak these days she is eager to tell me all the things she forgot since the last time we spoke. I keep telling her that remembering what she forgot is a form of remembering. So, wanting to distract her from this now familiar litany, I asked, “Tell me what you think . . .”
“I think I’m losing my memory.”
“I mean, about Obama. How do you think he’s doing?”
“Maybe better than one could expect, considering that from day one
didn’t the Republicans say that their highest priority was to make sure he is a one-term president?”
“Yes they did. They were very open about that.”
“I understand that. They are after all the opposition party and want to take control back as soon as possible, but this doesn’t mean opposing even things that Republicans had previously supported. They have done everything possible to undermine him. I say to the ladies, ‘Isn’t it impressive that he has accomplished so much when his opponents are out to defeat him at every turn?”
“And they say?”
“That he’s not delivering on his promises.”
“I hear you and I hear others, including many Democrats, saying the same thing. But let me ask you a question--if you were Obama, what would you do?”
“I would have another helping of those noodles. I forgot what they’re called.”
“Soy sauce noodles.”
“They’re my favorite.”
“I’m glad you’re enjoying them. But, again, what would you have Obama do?”
“It’s very simple.” She was having trouble using her chopsticks and I suggested using a fork. “I know exactly what he needs to do.”
“I’m listening.”
“He needs to explain to us how the system works.”
“The system?”
“Yes, the system. How, though the president can do many things around the world—like what he is doing with those drains.”
“Drains?”
“Those airplanes that fly by themselves and . . . “
“You mean drones. Yes, in foreign policy and in the fight against the terrorists he can do many things on his own as commander in chief.”
“Again, you’re making my point for me. But when it comes to taxes and doing things to help people with mortgages he can’t do very much on his own. He needs Congress to pass bills.”
“I think everyone understands that. It’s basic Civics 101.”
“I don’t know about the 101 business, but I know most people do not understand how this works. Including, I have to say, some of the ladies here. Even the ones who read the Miami Herald.” I nodded.
She was looking around to see what else there was to eat. “Did you say you ordered a steamed fish?”
“Yes, mom, with scallions and ginger.”
“They make it wonderful here. But like I was saying, if Obama wants people like the girls to vote for him—and remember this is Florida, a big, what-they-call, swing state—he should begin to educate us about how he couldn’t deliver on all his promises because he doesn’t have the power to do so. He needs Congress to go along with him. At the moment, on TV they are blaming him for this. As if he could do this on his own. Which he can’t. But too many people don’t understand this. They think when they call him the commander in chief it means he has more authority than he has. That all he has to do is command people to do what he wants. But this of course is not true.”
“Good point, mom. Since at least Teddy and Franklin Roosevelt presidents have been trying to accumulate more power. One of my college professors, Richard Neustadt, wrote a book about this, about the effort by presidents to increase their power.”
“You read all those books so you know these things, but not everyone has time to do that and so Obama has to talk to us about how he needs Congress to help him deliver on his promises. It’s not smart to allow his opponents to assign all the blame to him. As if it’s all his fault.”
“Maybe you should write to him or his campaign manager. They might think this is a good idea.”
“I’m not much of a writer any more so maybe you could write something for me. I mean for me maybe to copy and send to them.”
“That’s a deal,” I said. “Are now you ready for your fortune cookie?”
“That sounds like an excellent idea. You need to break it open for me and read it to me. My eyes aren’t what they used to be. Like my memory.” She smiled slyly.
“Yours says—May you live a hundred years!” That’s appropriate.”
“If that fortune comes true I would have already been dead for almost four years.” Now she was laughing.
“Is Bertha in the hospital again? I know that Fay . . .”
“No, they’re fine. By that I mean fine for people our age.” My mother is approaching 104 and showing no signs of slowing down. Except when it comes to eating the Peking duck we were sharing at the Silver Pond in Lauderdale Lakes.
“So why are you worried? As long as they’re OK that’s . . .”
“I’m worried about what they are saying about the president. Obama.”
“They’re saying . . . ?”
“That they may not vote for him.”
“They’re going to vote for Mitt Romney or Newt Gingrich?”
“That’s what they’re saying. They haven’t made up their minds yet, but this is what they’re thinking about.”
“Why is this? They’re life-long Democrats, aren’t they?”
“Since before they could vote. I mean from before the time when women were allowed to vote.”
“But now?”
“Hold on a moment, I want a little more of the bok choy.” I helped her refill her plate. “They don’t serve food like this at Forest Trace.”
“Of course they don’t. That’s why we like to go out for Chinese food once in awhile. Just like we did back in Brooklyn.” This made her smile and I could see lifted her spirits. Her concerns about the ladies and the presidential election were clearly upsetting her.
“Why are they thinking about not voting for Obama?”
“Because of all his promises. Not because of them,” she quickly corrected herself, “but because he made so many and now he isn’t keeping them. Not all his promises, but too many. At least that’s what the girl are saying.”
“It is true that he promised more change than he has been able to deliver. But they have been following politics long enough to know that this is typical. That no president is able to fulfill all the promises he makes during the campaign.”
“Or she.”
“Touché. I get your point—what he or she promises. Hillary also would have not been able to keep all her promises. Who knows if she would have been able to get Congress to pass any health care legislation. My guess is that Republicans would have been waiting in ambush to stop even a new version of what they derisively called Hillary Care. But at least we now have Obama’s version. It’s not perfect but millions are now going to get coverage.”
“You’re making my point for me.”
“Which is?”
“Which is that Obama has accomplished a lot. I keep trying to tell that to the girls, but they keep saying he isn’t fulfilling his promises. I tell them about bringing the troops home from Iraq, about the stimulus bill, about how he helped us avoid a depression, about killing bin Laden and other terrorists, about don’t-ask-don’t-ask.”
“Don’t tell.”
“That too. There’s a long list. I forget half the things. Now I forget everything. Including what kind of soup we just had.”
“Shredded chicken and corn soup.”
“You see. You can remember what you just ate, but I can’t tell you if today is Tuesday or Wednesday . . .”
Every time we speak these days she is eager to tell me all the things she forgot since the last time we spoke. I keep telling her that remembering what she forgot is a form of remembering. So, wanting to distract her from this now familiar litany, I asked, “Tell me what you think . . .”
“I think I’m losing my memory.”
“I mean, about Obama. How do you think he’s doing?”
“Maybe better than one could expect, considering that from day one
didn’t the Republicans say that their highest priority was to make sure he is a one-term president?”
“Yes they did. They were very open about that.”
“I understand that. They are after all the opposition party and want to take control back as soon as possible, but this doesn’t mean opposing even things that Republicans had previously supported. They have done everything possible to undermine him. I say to the ladies, ‘Isn’t it impressive that he has accomplished so much when his opponents are out to defeat him at every turn?”
“And they say?”
“That he’s not delivering on his promises.”
“I hear you and I hear others, including many Democrats, saying the same thing. But let me ask you a question--if you were Obama, what would you do?”
“I would have another helping of those noodles. I forgot what they’re called.”
“Soy sauce noodles.”
“They’re my favorite.”
“I’m glad you’re enjoying them. But, again, what would you have Obama do?”
“It’s very simple.” She was having trouble using her chopsticks and I suggested using a fork. “I know exactly what he needs to do.”
“I’m listening.”
“He needs to explain to us how the system works.”
“The system?”
“Yes, the system. How, though the president can do many things around the world—like what he is doing with those drains.”
“Drains?”
“Those airplanes that fly by themselves and . . . “
“You mean drones. Yes, in foreign policy and in the fight against the terrorists he can do many things on his own as commander in chief.”
“Again, you’re making my point for me. But when it comes to taxes and doing things to help people with mortgages he can’t do very much on his own. He needs Congress to pass bills.”
“I think everyone understands that. It’s basic Civics 101.”
“I don’t know about the 101 business, but I know most people do not understand how this works. Including, I have to say, some of the ladies here. Even the ones who read the Miami Herald.” I nodded.
She was looking around to see what else there was to eat. “Did you say you ordered a steamed fish?”
“Yes, mom, with scallions and ginger.”
“They make it wonderful here. But like I was saying, if Obama wants people like the girls to vote for him—and remember this is Florida, a big, what-they-call, swing state—he should begin to educate us about how he couldn’t deliver on all his promises because he doesn’t have the power to do so. He needs Congress to go along with him. At the moment, on TV they are blaming him for this. As if he could do this on his own. Which he can’t. But too many people don’t understand this. They think when they call him the commander in chief it means he has more authority than he has. That all he has to do is command people to do what he wants. But this of course is not true.”
“Good point, mom. Since at least Teddy and Franklin Roosevelt presidents have been trying to accumulate more power. One of my college professors, Richard Neustadt, wrote a book about this, about the effort by presidents to increase their power.”
“You read all those books so you know these things, but not everyone has time to do that and so Obama has to talk to us about how he needs Congress to help him deliver on his promises. It’s not smart to allow his opponents to assign all the blame to him. As if it’s all his fault.”
“Maybe you should write to him or his campaign manager. They might think this is a good idea.”
“I’m not much of a writer any more so maybe you could write something for me. I mean for me maybe to copy and send to them.”
“That’s a deal,” I said. “Are now you ready for your fortune cookie?”
“That sounds like an excellent idea. You need to break it open for me and read it to me. My eyes aren’t what they used to be. Like my memory.” She smiled slyly.
“Yours says—May you live a hundred years!” That’s appropriate.”
“If that fortune comes true I would have already been dead for almost four years.” Now she was laughing.
posted by Steven Zwerling at
5:04 AM
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