This blend of pragmatism and realism reminds me in the American context of Eisenhower more than any other recent president. Obama has the unerring instincts of a conciliator and a moderate Tory. But he has the rhetorical skills of a Kennedy or a Churchill. That’s a potent combination.
It may be, of course, that the relief at the end of the Bush era is colouring our hopes. It may also be that events conspire to derail the man, or that the habits of the past two decades in Washington will return with a vengeance and do to Obama what was done to Clinton, another centrist Democrat who came to office on a tide of goodwill. But I don’t think that, given the immense crises we all face, it is unreasonable to hope for more.
There is something about Obama’s willingness to give others credit, to approach so many issues with such dispassionate pragmatism, and to shift by symbols and speeches the mood and tenor of an entire country that gives one a modest form of optimism. Even now, as the outlook seems so dark, and as the inheritance seems so insuperable, three words linger in the mind.
Yes, he can.
People are relying too much on this untested, unproven, inexperienced politician to accomplish everything he’s promised (and things people think he’s promised) in the first 100 days.
More likely, he’ll turn into another Jimmy Carter (who was also and untested, unproven, & inexperienced politician) and be overwhelmed by events and circumstances as the country is led further into high interest rates, high unemployment and higher national debt.
I don’t have high hopes.
Jim Elliott
Florida
Optimism is a good tonic in time like these. Let’s give the guy a chance. Remember, it’s not necessarily the man behind the desk in the Oval Office who does the work…..he can only lead……rather, it’s the people of his Cabinet who put his words and ideas into practice.
I feel ever so much better, having been set straight on so many things by Mr. Sullivan. I was so mistaken about so many things. I’m ever so grateful. Please sir, where’s the British Empire these days?
Andrew Sullivan is increasingly erratic and unstable. He also seems to have a schoolboy crush on Obama. His campaign to prove that Trig was not Sarah Palin’s child revealed deep flaws in his judgement and was petty and unpleasant. I will no longer read his work.
I agree with austin #4.
Yep, I agree with Austin, too. Andrew Sullivan has become a tool. I didn’t agree with him previously but I did have some respect for him. He showed his true colors in defaming anyone who wasn’t Obama during the election. And he didn’t care at all if what he wrote contained even some semblance of truth.
# 1, Actually Carter was much more experianced than President Elect Obama. Carter was a naval officer and had been the Governor of Georgia. President Elect Obama has zero experiance.
Dave,
Thank you for that correction. I knew that, but the point is made even stronger now: Obama is a very inexperienced President, and the people with whom he has surrounded himself are not going to help him very much, as they are all very ambitious people themselves.
May God lead him to make good decisions in spite of these handicaps.
I hope Andrew is correct. I fear he may be using wishful thinking at this late date … he may have come into an epiphany, himself, of OMG, what have we done! So his coming up with moderate pragmatism as wished for policies may be the best that he can convince himself of what his blind support has helped present the world, now that it is here. I have to ask, are we all going to sleep better tonight?
For a President of “change”, Obama has surrounded himself with a team of Clinton retreads. That is a change of sorts but not the kind we need. However, Clinton at least had better control of the budget than his successor. Obama is going to need a miracle to solve the problems he has inherited.