Sasha Abramsky, Salon - "Obama's toughest task: Make us believe again"

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Sunday, Nov 14, 2010 11:01 ET
War Room
Obama's toughest task: Make us believe again
By Sasha Abramsky

http://www.salon.com/news/politics/barack_obama/index.html?story=/politics/war_room/2010/11/14/obama_good_government_abramsky



In 2008, candidate Barack Obama fashioned an appeal to independent voters and young adults based in large part not on specific policy pledges but on his promise to end the culture of hyper-partisan hyper-bickering that was poisoning the country's political well.

Implicit in that promise was the assumption that through rational, consensus-building rhetoric and pragmatic policy solutions to America's serious, and growing, social and economic problems he could reforge broken bonds of trust between the citizenry and its governing institutions. When I set out to write my book, "Inside Obama's Brain," shortly after the last presidential election, the many interviews I conducted about how Obama thinks, how he approaches problems, how he views the political process, led me to conclude that this was the single most important part of Obama's agenda and his credo.

In office, Obama's failure to reestablish those bonds of trust, without which no major social policy reforms can command long-term, stable majority support, is the greatest calamity of his presidency. Legislatively, in his first two years, he actually has accomplished a tremendous amount -- far more than any Democratic president since Lyndon Johnson. Yet, having failed to change the public's deep distaste for government, and, increasingly, for the very idea of federal governance, he risks seeing his achievements undone over the next two years.

Most people in America want a fairer healthcare system, yet they now distrust government too much to cede it the power to truly reform the system. They want fuller employment, yet don't want government to spend money to stimulate job growth significantly. They want better schools, roads, parks, coastal protections and so on, but they've been so conditioned to oppose any and all taxes that they no longer are willing to cede government, at either a local, state or federal level, the fiscal resources to adequately pay its way. They fear the power of great transnational corporations, banks in particular, yet they loathe government so much that great chunks of the electorate no longer tolerate regulatory systems that can hold big business at least partially accountable for the messes -- economic, social and environmental -- that it routinely creates.

[dkf]

1. Excellent piece...I agree this is the key to a successful Presidency.

[Xipe Totec]

2. Believe

franka potente- believe (run lola run - movie) soundtrack

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vs5dSqVmRbQ

[Amerigo Vespucci]

5. I'm going to have to watch that movie one of these days...

...I was a big fan of her work on "The Shield." They had a nice mini-documentary on her on one of the DVDs. I did a little Googling on her other work and I am assuming "Run Lola Run" is her "greatest hit."

:toast:

[DonCoquixote]

3. where the articles fails

"In 2008, candidate Barack Obama fashioned an appeal to independent voters and young adults based in large part not on specific policy pledges but on his promise to end the culture of hyper-partisan hyper-bickering that was poisoning the country's political well."

First off, what this is saying is that he would run to the center and appeal to as many different types as possible, which is exactly what ruined his presidency. You cannot end hyper partisanship by rewarding the right wing that funnels the billions to the right and centrists candidates!

[BrklynLiberal]

4. Excellent article!!!

In office, Obama's failure to reestablish those bonds of trust, without which no major social policy reforms can command long-term, stable majority support, is the greatest calamity of his presidency.

[ladjf]

6. If Obama is on the ticket in 2012, I will vote for him. But, he has completely

lost my confidence, admiration and trust. I still have a feeling that the Democratic Party is somewhat preferable to the Republican Party.