One of the questions I've had to respond to over and over again in regards to Obama is "why can't we both have a discussion about resopnsibility and talk about the government too?" Surely we can walk and chew gum at the same time? Read this article when you get the chance. Once public officials and institutions begin to adopt the language of personal responsibility–not so much a trope of conservatism these days as neoliberalism given its use by people with a wide variety of ideological predispositions–the natural consequence is that institutions and the individuals within them become literally "irresponsible." Adolph Reed wrote a very long critique of Obamaism that is worth reading as well. His main argument is that Obama is better than McCain in the short term, but worse in the long term.