Thursday, December 9, 2010

The Pragmatist II

I received comments on my "Pragmatist" both pro and con, some of them on Facebook and not here on the blog. Here is a follow-up from AOL News this morning, showing both that the idea Pres. Obama is a pragmatist has some currency and that voters might cotton to his compromises with the GOP:

"Some political analysts are viewing President Obama's willingness to rankle Democratic leaders and anger liberals by striking a deal with Republicans on extending the Bush-era tax cuts as a bid to win back independents in advance of the 2012 elections. A new Gallup poll suggests that, politically, it may indeed have been a good way of moving towards that goal.

"Liz Sidoti, who covers national politics for the Associated Press, saw Obama's strategy this way: 'The compromise portended more likely to come as Obama courts the fickle center of the electorate and positions himself as the pragmatic president many independents want. . . . Enter Obama's dealmaking with Republicans and criticism of Democrats, moves intended to try to reclaim that swing-voting territory as he casts himself as a president who puts people above politics.'"
 
Seems we might be in an era of center-right dominance and Pres. Obama's political instincts have led him in a promising direction for survival into a second term. Such a situation might leave liberals and progressives even more isolated and without leadership.

1 comment:

  1. Thank you, Betsy. I hope you'll elect to follow this blog, especially in these politically charged times. Will Pelosi listen to her caucus, which has resoundingly opposed the Obama tax compromise, or will she bring his GOP-backed bill to the floor on Monday? Our economy rests on her decision.

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