It’s now week number five of 45s presidency (Yes, some of us are counting, but mostly because of the recently reported odds in Vegas), and some of my friends on the right still lament that we liberals just won’t give the dude a shot. “Come on Dems, it’s only been a few weeks. Let’s give him a chance and see what he can do before we judge,” or something similar to that affect has been the call I’ve heard.

But, it’s not our job as citizens to sit back, pop some popcorn and watch the events unfold. We are to be engaged, pay attention to actions and to words, and then make our positions known on either side of the proverbial isle. That’s why there have been so many protests as of late, and thank the Buddha or god or whatever for the political awakening. It’s time people get off their computers and smart phones and really make their voices heard.

And if I remember correctly, folks on the right weren’t too keen to give Obama a shot when he first took office.

The Associated Press reported on November 15th, 2008, that there was an increase in “Cross burnings. Schoolchildren chanting ‘Assassinate Obama.’ Black figures hung from nooses. Racial epithets scrawled on homes and cars…From California to Maine, police have documented a range of alleged crimes, from vandalism and vague threats to at least one physical attack. Insults and taunts have been delivered by adults, college students and second-graders.”

But that was eight years ago, so I understand if that was too long ago for you to remember. We Americans tend to have historical amnesia.

Then, in 2010, just a few years into Obama’s presidency, Mitch McConnell said in an interview in the National Journal that, “The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president.”

That doesn’t sound like giving him a chance and working together, does it?

The GOP fought him tooth and nail for the rest of his time in office about everything from health care reform, improvements in immigration policy, and getting a Supreme Court Judge confirmed. A Judge who in fact, is well liked by both liberals and conservatives. But, because the nomination came from the President’s desk, the GOP stalled and made up crazy non-existent rules about the process not being kosher for a President who was about to leave office.

He had more than a year left.

So much for that whole “give him a chance” ideal that my conservative friends are so desperately fond of.

Now don’t get me wrong, I was critical of Obama as well from time to time over the last few years. It’s OK to be critical of your president even though you are members of the same party.

I’m talking to you my Republican friends who voted for 45. It’s OK to be critical of what he has said, says and does. You won’t lose your R-Card. I promise.

But it’s a two-way street right?

Ironically, 45 is PISSED and will recurrently mention via Twitter or otherwise, how long it has taken to get his nominees confirmed despite some of them being quite unfit for the job (i.e.. DeVos knows nothing about public education and Carsen knows nothing about Housing and Urban Development. Unfortunately they both did get the nod and confirmation, so congratulations, I guess?).

The same thing that fellow Democrats were complaining about, are now the complaints of the Republican President. It’s the political circle of life it seems. Except you won’t hear anyone singing Hakuna Matata.

So here we are, watching what the new President is doing, saying and how he’s acting. In a sense, I guess that I am giving him a chance, but not without criticism when I believe that he is doing something wrong (And he has done a lot of things that are not just wrong, but possibly illegal. But, that’s for another story though).

I’ll be honest, I’m baffled by my friends who voted for 45, but I’m not giving up on you. I’ll still give you a chance.

Interestingly enough, McConnell also said something worth noting in the same interview from 2010, “I don’t want the president to fail; I want him to change.”

And if anything we’ve seen thus far is what’s to come for us in the next four years; yes, I want him to change. I hope you will too.