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One year later assessing Obama: Testing the promise of pragmatism
Washington Post ^ | January 17, 2010 | Dan Balz

Posted on 01/17/2010 6:50:55 PM PST by neverdem

A month before he was inaugurated, Barack Obama pinpointed one of the biggest challenges he would face as president. Could he restore confidence in government, even as he was proposing the biggest federal intervention in the domestic economy in a generation?

--snip--

After the New Deal and the Great Society, Reagan made government the enemy and, through tax cuts and generally unsuccessful attempts to cut spending, sought to scale down the size and power of Washington. What Obama proposed -- for the economy, health care and energy -- amounted to an attempt to reverse much of what Reagan had done. As Reagan transformed his political era, Obama hoped to transform his.

Obama didn't explicitly campaign on this theme. He often presented himself with the rhetoric of a centrist, though his policy priorities were those of an urban liberal Democrat, in contrast to those of, say, Clinton, a centrist from a Southern and heavily rural state. But Obama seemed keenly aware, as he outlined before his inauguration, that the public remained skeptical of Washington's power and that he would have to overcome that skepticism to carry out his objectives.

--snip--

"The agenda for the first year was the Democratic Party wish list -- issues where Republicans and Democrats disagreed the most," McCarty said. "Some criticized him for not compromising more with Republicans. But the biggest mistake was not finding an issue that was analogous to Clinton's decision to work with Republicans on something like welfare reform."

Galston said he thinks Obama as a candidate misjudged the depths of partisan polarization. "I don't think he would have gone as far out on a limb as he did if he had really known how deep the polarization is," he said...

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Front Page News; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2009review; balz; bho44; bhoanniversary; obama; reagan
I have to wonder if the headline writer read the story.
1 posted on 01/17/2010 6:50:55 PM PST by neverdem
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To: neverdem
Har, har, har! (For the headline, not you FRiend)

...If this is Obama's way of demonstrating a pragmatic approach to governing, I'd sure hate to the extreme and partisan approach.

As long as this man is in office, America is TOAST.

2 posted on 01/17/2010 7:02:49 PM PST by T Lady (The MSM: Pravda West)
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To: neverdem
When you rob Peter to pay Paul...Paul will always be your biggest supporter....Peter, your enemy.

See: "Redistribution of Wealth 101".
3 posted on 01/17/2010 7:06:03 PM PST by FrankR (There will be no jobs until it is profitable for employers to hire people....PERIOD.)
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To: neverdem
Pragatic Giovernance is Cde speak for Cloward / Priven. Obama is no American as you will see. Come on re: Haiti.

.Don't you know yet how Obama works? He had a choice between:

a) a rapid response ( to his mind,Imperialistic)military response that would have secured Port au Prince and delivered immediate military security and aid within 48 hours.

b) the kumbayah UN aid model with a conglomeration of aid agencies that will fight with the US military rather that deliver stockpiled aid, AKA, the UN AID GOAT F_CK ( UNAGF).The UNAGF lines the pockets of crooks and organized crime in any country it "helps."The people mostly starve and the aid agencies do mock protests about the barbaric nature of the testosterone driven natives, while simultaneously denigrating and interfering with military assistance.

Guess which model of aid Obama chose? Buahahahahahahahah!

Ask yourself: WHY?

You got to know how Obama works by now!

HINT1: ( the aid is designed not to work so that an emergency alternative will have to be invoked by Obama.)

HINT2: ( If you have to read hint 2 , you are either naive or dumber than dirt, but we take mercy on you in either case: I give you this word array: immigrant, refugees,votes,1 million,settle in red states)

4 posted on 01/17/2010 7:07:13 PM PST by Candor7 ((The effective weapons against Fascism are ridicule, derision , truth (.Member RA))
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To: neverdem

I still trust dogmatism!


5 posted on 01/17/2010 7:07:36 PM PST by SWAMPSNIPER (THE SECOND AMENDMENT, A MATTER OF FACT, NOT A MATTER OF OPINION)
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To: neverdem
 The Sultan of Squat
6 posted on 01/17/2010 7:13:41 PM PST by Tawiskaro
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To: Candor7

More afraid of stepping on the U.N.’s toes than of letting Haiti needlessly wallow in chaos.


7 posted on 01/17/2010 7:18:15 PM PST by HiTech RedNeck (I am in America but not of America (per bible: am in the world but not of it))
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To: HiTech RedNeck

He wants chaos , so he can import Haitians as his voters to the USA.


8 posted on 01/17/2010 7:20:31 PM PST by Candor7 ((The effective weapons against Fascism are ridicule, derision , truth (.Member RA))
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To: HiTech RedNeck

Look at this thread.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2430824/posts


9 posted on 01/17/2010 7:37:23 PM PST by Candor7 ((The effective weapons against Fascism are ridicule, derision , truth (.Member RA))
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To: Candor7; Quix

This is going to make Katrina refugees look like Girl and Boy Scouts.


10 posted on 01/17/2010 7:45:47 PM PST by HiTech RedNeck (I am in America but not of America (per bible: am in the world but not of it))
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To: HiTech RedNeck

Really bad news. I wonder if FEMA will get involved.


11 posted on 01/17/2010 7:48:17 PM PST by Candor7 ((The effective weapons against Fascism are ridicule, derision , truth (.Member RA))
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To: HiTech RedNeck

INDEED!

WHAT AN ENGINEERED DISASTER IN OUR LAPS.

HOWEVER, I do have compassion for the people.

Wouldn’t Puerto Rico be a better location?


12 posted on 01/17/2010 8:06:06 PM PST by Quix (POL Ldrs quotes fm1900 TRAITORS http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/2130557/posts?page=81#81)
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To: neverdem
After the New Deal and the Great Society, Reagan made government the enemy

And he was correct. Government has been, is and always will be the enemy of freedom. Decommission the Federal government before it destroys us!

13 posted on 01/17/2010 8:51:49 PM PST by April Lexington (Study the constitution so you know what they are taking away!)
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To: neverdem

>> Article: “Galston said he thinks Obama as a candidate misjudged the depths of partisan polarization”

That’s what you get for being present.

But I digress. Obama is the ultimate partisan. His remedy for a better America seems to be completely at odds with Conservatism, the center of our Country’s mass.


14 posted on 01/17/2010 8:57:56 PM PST by Gene Eric (Your Hope has been redistributed. Here's your Change.)
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To: neverdem
By 58 percent to 38 percent, Americans said they prefer smaller government and fewer services to larger government with more services.
15 posted on 01/18/2010 12:49:22 PM PST by Lorianne
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