Kevin Drum does some soul searching:
If it had been my call, I wouldn't have gone into Libya. But the reason I voted for Obama in 2008 is because I trust his judgment. And not in any merely abstract way, either: I mean that if he and I were in a room and disagreed about some issue on which I had any doubt at all, I'd literally trust his judgment over my own. I think he's smarter than me, better informed, better able to understand the consequences of his actions, and more farsighted. I voted for him because I trust him, and I still do.
For now, anyway. But I wouldn't have intervened in Libya and he did. I sure hope his judgment really does turn out to have been better than mine.
This sums up my position exactly as well. I have criticized what I regard as a foolish decision because I support this president and passionately want him to succeed. I'm an Obamacon, unlike Kevin, and so my criticisms - like my crushing disappointment with his refusal to take a public lead on entitlement spending - may be somewhat different than others. But whenever he meep meeps me, I don't feel humiliation. Just relief. I remain of the view that we are damn lucky to have him at this fraught moment in history, and that his decisions often look better in the rear-view mirror.
Supporting someone doesn't mean being a toady. It means constantly trying to criticize where you think it's merited. And from time to time, such as on DADT, criticism can lead to change and success.