Thanks so much for your kind comments, dick! I try to pay as much attention as I can to the whys and wherefores of how things get done (or not) in this country of ours. The fact that I actually AM, as you say, "so liberally thoughtful," is why I can't stand the former president.

Once he threw his hat in the ring, I began researching and writing as much as I could about the senator from IL on my personal blog (which I've left more or less idle since joining Medium). What I found out about his senatorial bid, left a bad taste in my mouth. Here's a link to just one of those posts with embedded information worth reading when you've got some free time to understand some of my anger:

https://lets-be-clear.blogspot.com/2008/07/main-entry-satire-1-literary-work.html

Then, when he was selected, I was even more angry because he was a perfectly cast, risk-averse, deus ex machina who always stuck to the dog-whistling, photo-op script he'd been given by the white establishment Demoncrats (I became an Independent when they waltzed him in, absolutely convinced that they, like the Rethuglicans were merely two sides of the same crooked coin):

https://lets-be-clear.blogspot.com/2008/11/crowning-obama-america-diminishes-my.html

And after he left, benefitting mightily from his two-term charade, he confirmed he never intended to look out for issues close to my Black American heart:

https://www.alternet.org/2021/08/obama-foundation-center

At the end of the day dick, ALL I want is for the folks elected to represent "we the people" do their jobs for ALL OF US and not be such lying opportunists (which requires, of course, WE become more politically & socially astute) . Naive, I know, but that's just who I am.

Appreciate the comment and I'm so glad I found your writing on Medium as well!!