I have made no secret of my disappointment with President Obama. I voted for him in 2008, but realized I had made a mistake as soon as he decided to allow Dick Cheney to escape punishment for war crimes. I wrote at the time that this decision cost Obama his moral authority, and I continue to believe that today. Still, a case can be made for giving President Obama a second term. Not only that, but it is a case so compelling that it is tough to oppose.

While President Obama has indeed been a disappointment in many important ways, there are at least two solid reasons why we progressives might consider supporting him in 2012. I am not particularly impressed with one of these reasons, but I find the other to be tough to refute.

Obama is the Lesser of Two Evils

The first reason, and the one with which I am less impressed, is the classic "lesser of two evils" argument. Even though President Obama governs like a Republican, he is likely to be at least somewhat better than the Republican alternative. If the Republican nominee ends up being Willard "Mittens" Romney, as I believe it will, this argument becomes a bit weaker. Still, I think most progressives would be correct to prefer Obama to Romney.

My main objection to supporting Obama as the lesser evil is that it reduces the likelihood that we'll ever get a truly progressive candidate in office by making it clear that we will support any Democrat no matter how conservative they are. I certainly understand the impulse, but it seems short-sighted and virtually guarantees that the status quo will be maintained. The Democratic Party continues its march to the right, and we end up with thoroughly inadequate representation. Wouldn't it be nice to have a candidate we could enthusiastically support?

It is All About the Court

The second and far more compelling reason to support Obama's reelection boils down to the Supreme Court. Given the opportunity, Obama would almost certainly pick another moderate-to-conservative justice, but he's far less likely to pick an far-right extremist than would a Republican president.

Again and again, we have seen how important the composition of the Supreme Court is in terms of the direction the country takes. Consider Citizens United if you need an example. Appointing justices is one of the most vital things a president does. Putting this in the hands of a Republican president is a scary prospect. For some progressives, this alone is a sufficient reason to support Obama's re-election.

Subscribe to Red State Progressive