The 2008 election was the first time that I was actually old enough to care about politics. I was fed up with the Bush administration and it’s blatant violations of American civil rights in the name of national security.

I saw that things had simply not gone well in America during the last few years of his term. Don’t get me wrong — unlike most of the pundits on Fox News, I do not believe that political, economic, or social problems can be attributed to the decisions of a single president. But I was ready for something new. I was ready for change.

Thus, my parents and I became very vocal supporters of Barack Obama. I was not old enough to vote yet; but unlike many in my generation, I refuse to simply be apathetic towards what is going on in my country.

Supporting the most liberal United States senator in his bid for the American presidency proved to be rather challenging at my ultra-conservative Christian high school. For months, I had to deal with fellow students who constantly wanted to debate Barack Obama’s citizenship status, religious beliefs, and stances on gay marriage and abortion.

Nonetheless, I proudly stood by Barack, wearing my “Yes We Can” T-shirt and even attending his rally at the Toyota Center. I now look back at the 2008 election as one of the most formative events in my life. It motivated me to do a lot of reading and research and develop my own political beliefs, independent from those of my peers, school and parents.

Fast forward to 2010: I am still a liberal Democrat and a news junkie. Politically, it has been fascinating to watch what has taken place in the United States this year. The Tea Party movement gained some momentum, and the Republicans were rather victorious in the mid-term elections. However, opposition from the other side is natural — liberals vehemently criticized George W. Bush in his first term as much as conservatives are criticizing President Obama now.

But Barack Obama had to reckon with another powerful force in 2010: opposition from the left.

Roger D. Hodge recently published a book entitled The Mendacity of Hope: Barack Obama and the Betrayal of American Liberalism. In an interview with Harper’s, the magazine that he formerly served as editor of, he stated: “True to their Clintonian principles, President Obama and his advisors have spurned the Democratic Party’s liberal base and have sought to govern by appropriating the policies of the Republican right.”

I purchased the book and have skimmed it briefly. I agree with many of Hodge’s assertions — health care reform was not as comprehensive as it should have been, and Obama has made a lot of compromises with those on the right. But he had to compromise in order to get things done, and he has ultimately been a legislative powerhouse.

Here’s the reality: Despite having to work with the party of no, President Obama has passed more progressive legislation than any president since Lyndon B. Johnson.

He’s had to steer our country away from the brink of an economic disaster and manage two wars — one of which he has technically ended. While not as comprehensive as it should have been, the health care reform bill was a monumental achievement, and will help millions of Americans. The financial reform bill will protect millions of those same Americans from Wall Street banks and their con-artistry. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 presented the single largest investment in research, infrastructure, and education that our country has seen in a long time.

Even with a Republican-dominated House of Representatives, President Obama and his administration oversaw the repeal of the military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy — a historic victory for American liberalism.

I’m pretty pissed that President Obama has yet to roll back the Bush tax cuts. I don’t understand why our recent economic troubles have suddenly caused him to believe in the power of trickle-down economics. We shouldn’t be giving tax cuts to the greedy elites who caused the recession in the first place.

Regardless, I still stand behind our president 100 percent. Given the circumstances, he has done a lot. And let’s be honest: what president actually has done everything that they promised to do in their campaign?

Editor's note: This is the 14th in a series of articles CultureMap will be running this last week of 2010 on The Year in Culture. The stories in this series will focus on a key point or two, something that struck our reporting team about the year rather than rote Top 10 lists or bests of.

Other The Year In Culture stories:

Organic, sustainable, local: The words that now dominate food

Demolishing the doldrums: Office towers somehow keep rising in Houston

Less blockbuster, more indie surprises: A call for fewer Texas-sized art exhibits in 2011

Forget The Social Network, it's all about keeping mom off Twitter

On the store front: H-E-B's final plan for Montrose market has a neighborly attitude

Houston chefs turn into celebrity spouses and I find a new partner

It's the year of the "gaybie:" Elton John is the latest proud parent

One thing I learned in 2010: Not even the BP oil spill could rub out Louisiana's soul

Ka-ching! The return of million dollar fundraisers made for a bountiful year

Rick Perry, socialite spaniels & Speedos: Things that touched me in 2010. Literally.

From Black Swan & Dancing with the Stars to Houston Ballet & other troupes, it was The Year Of Dance

Yes, I hate New Year's Eve and you should too

Burgers take over Houston: All hail the unstoppable food force