You never get a second chance to make up for that first blown opportunity

When we look back at the 2008 Presidential campaign, one of the most striking narratives of that campaign was that of candidate Obama branding for himself an image of a post-partisan and post-racial President.

After two consecutive two-term Presidencies that slogged to the finish line in their respective 2nd terms, one got the feeling that much of America wanted a president that quite simply wouldn’t be as divisive with either his policies or personal behavior.

For many who wound up voting for him, even those who did not necessarily agree with his politics, the seduction by way of Obama’s “temperament” and his campaigning as a “unifier” became the tonic for both Clinton and Bush fatigue.

So, how is all that working out? This summer, as thousands of Americans bewildered by the furious activity of Bailout Nation and the disquieting specter of will-it-or-won’t-it healthcare reform confronted their elected representatives at townhalls across the country, they were treated with scorn and contempt by the very people they had elected to represent them. And beyond that, when the charges of “un-American” and allusions to Nazis and the KKK did not quiet the “angry mob”, the card of last resort was broken out.

So now we have the racism meme’ as the dominant defense of Obama’s policies and what has our unifying President done to rebuke those in his own party for these deplorable attacks and prove that he is America’s president and not merely a pol pushing his agenda at any cost?

He voted present.

In the very first opportunity he had to lead and lead in the specific manner which set himself apart from all the other candidates in both parties, he failed miserably.

Once they start down this road, how do they stop? If disagreeing with Obama Care makes you a racist today, will you stop being a racist two years from now when you disagree with, say, taxing the living daylights out of the oil industry? If the premise is that opponents are racists, then the only way for opponents to stop being racists is ... is ... is what?

Thanks partly to attempting to defend the indefensible in healthcare reform and the President’s inexcusable failure to rise above the fray and lead, the President’s allies have painted themselves into a corner.

KT has more here.