Seriously, thanks for posting that article.
I actually went back and read it!
I didn't enjoy reading it either, but the truth isn't always pretty, and it isn't always what we want to hear. If it makes you feel any better, I don't think that politics, left or right, has anything to do with the loss of enthusiasm in space. As the man says,
"...a lot of the public enthusiasm for space colonization subsided. Some people stuck with it, and became bitter. Many simply gave up."