Mr. Middle: A Maturity Test For Obama Supporters

[babylonsister]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/thomas-de-zengotita/mr-middle-a-maturity-test_b_146210.html


Thomas de Zengotita
Posted November 24, 2008 | 08:33 PM (EST)

Mr. Middle: A Maturity Test For Obama Supporters


Ok, so Larry Kudlow is celebrating the Obama spike in the stock market in his inimitable Boys Gone Wild When Something Goes Up way -- and, in general, established conservatives, wise men and women in main stream media and government, are pantomiming gratitude for evidence of Obama's intelligent moderation. David Brooks is practically gushing. Even Charles Krauthammer on tonight's Fox All Stars (can't find a link) shrugged off a depressed Brit Hume and a more jittery than usual Fred Barnes to say nice things about Obama's transition team and process.

Did any of them, or anyone else, ever think that Obama was going to be anything but a very smart centrist-pragmatist? Well, maybe a few people did. Maybe some know-nothing Palin supporters who could handle images of Obama as a closet Muslim and a faithful follower of Pastor Jeremiah Wright without experiencing brain jangling cognitive dissonance -- maybe some of them did. Maybe some innocent teenagers, newly introduced to the faux radicalism of on-line activism, did. Maybe some retrograde 60s has-beens thought that the mere color of his skin was a guarantee of something really leftist. But no one who read Obama's books or listened to what he actually said could be surprised by what he is doing.

He is aiming, as he always said he would, to bring red and blue together, to create a United States of America -- he really means all that stuff and he always did. However naïve and unattainable that goal may be -- that is his goal. He is Mr. Middle.

So now comes a maturity test for Obama's supporters on the left. There has always been this tension in progressive politics, going back to the American and French revolutions. Do you work within the system to get the best possible result circumstances will allow? Or do you push for the ideal from outside the system -- like, say, Noam Chomsky or Ralph Nader.

Obama made his choice long ago. He is in the system and he aims to be master of it. That is just a given. If you voted for him, you were in it too.

Obama needs to rein in the lanky, athletic power-stride to the podium thing he's been doing lately; it's a bit too much of a strut. Otherwise, he is spot-on track to succeed.

[ruggerson]

1. I use the DUbarometer

if people here are screaming and frothing, he's doing great.

[babylonsister]

4. Yep, you pass! nt

[Jennicut]

2. "Power Strut"? WTF? Obama has confidence, at least he walks properly

unlike that dumbass excuse for a prez, Mr. Lameduck Shrub. By the way, only rethugs ever though Obama was a "socialist". The rest of us knew he was a pragmatic Democratic who is slightly to the left of Bill Clinton.

[babylonsister]

6. I guess he had to criticize something. I'm with you, I like the confidence. nt

[FrenchieCat]

3. I like the strut....after 8 years of stumbling.

[ruggerson]

5. or walking around like a poker iron's up yer butt

remember when Shrub first took office? I've never seen stiffer, more self conscious body language. It was painful watching him walk across a lawn. It was like his body was screaming "I know I'm illegitimate and I'm trying to act like I'm not."

[Gman]

7. Does this mean the purists are now a part of the system

no matter how horrifying that thought might be to them?

[jaysunb]

8. Great post !

So now comes a maturity test for Obama's supporters on the left.

I witnessed the pain and agony here at DU after the 02 & 04 elections, as well as the optimism & bravdo of the 06 wins. I too, wonder what happens when, "the dog actually catches the car..? "

[BeFree]

11. Looks to me as if

.... the left is gonna stand outside and throw stones. Hope I am wrong. Hope is they jump in and grind elbows with the moderate/centerists.

I have, and while icky at times, it works. Mostly they see a socialist who isn't anything like what they were told a socialist was. And stuff gets done. Progress is made.

[mwei924]

9. Democrats haven't won in a while. Takes time to adjust.

We're too used to complaining that we forgot how to be happy.

[babylonsister]

10. I think that does apply to a lot of people. nt