Rick Monteverde wrote:
Jed, BO has stated many liberal, progressive, and socialist policies that will be promoted by his administration. His track record, most speech content, and his associations indicate he is extremely liberal.
Not by my standards, but I get your point.
But he's been a demagogue through the campaign, pandering with perfect eloquence to whatever audience is listening.
On that you are wrong. Far to the contrary, more than any politician I can recall, he says things that upset his audience and run contrary to their interests. Think of the Philadelphia speech on race relations. He openly tells us this crisis is partly our fault: "Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age."
He calls for sacrifice and hard work. When was the last time you heard a politician call for sacrifice? I'll tell you when: 1961, JFK's inagural: "ask not what your country can do for you . . ." After 9/11 Bush told the nation to go shopping.
As my daughter put it, Bush was the frat boy who somehow stumbled into office, Obama is a school principal -- the no-nonsense daddy figure -- who tells you to "grow up" shape up or ship out. He actually told the American public we need to grow up! Talk about audacity! Telling a bunch of overgrown children to stop acting like spoiled ninnies . . .
He is also willing to give credit where it is due. During the debates he said that the surge in Iraq worked, contrary to his own predictions, and President Bush deserves the credit for standing fast.
Few successful politicians pander so infrequently, or speak their minds more clearly. You may not agree with him, but you cannot accuse him of hiding his agenda or views. Some unsuccessful fringe candidates are more direct, but they have no hope of winning.
- Jed
