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O is an ideologue. Even if he doesn't realize it
NY Post ^ | February 3, 2010 | Jonah Goldberg

Posted on 02/03/2010 3:12:17 AM PST by Scanian

'I am not an ideologue," President Obama insisted at his truly refreshing confab with the Republican caucus last Friday. When he heard some incredulous murmurs and chuckles from the audience in response to the idea that the most sincerely ideological president in a generation is no ideologue, he added a somewhat plaintive, "I'm not."

The president's defensiveness isn't surprising. He holds his self-definition as a pragmatist dear -- and not just because it polls well.

It's clear from interviews that he's fond of the notion that he is above ideological squabbles and is a clear-eyed appraiser of facts and adjudicator of political disagreements. He's described himself as a "pragmatist," even a "ruthless pragmatist," countless times.

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


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; Philosophy; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: ideology; leftism; obama; pragmatism

1 posted on 02/03/2010 3:12:17 AM PST by Scanian
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To: Scanian

He is a lying communist agitator. He will still try to ram socialized medicine and global warming down the throat of an America that wants mno part of it.


2 posted on 02/03/2010 3:17:09 AM PST by screaminsunshine
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To: Scanian
“He's described himself as a “pragmatist,” even a “ruthless pragmatist,” countless times.”

A Pragmatist would know what worked and what has never worked. Pragmatism doesn't allow for a modifier. A “ruthless” pragmatist is simply a Mao or Stalin or Pol Pot. The ruthless pragmatist believes that the truth is programmed into his DNA and never has any need to reflect upon anything.

3 posted on 02/03/2010 3:21:01 AM PST by TalBlack
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To: Scanian

Jonah has a curious way of pulling his punches in his national columns. Here, after aptly calling Obama out for claiming “all experts” or “all evidence” backs whatever his cause, Jonah seems to go with the definition of an ideologue as simply someone with ideological preferences. Obama’s claim that he isn’t an ideologue surely was meant in the more usual, ‘unrealistic advocate’ or ‘blindly partisan’ use of the term.

(And just like Nixon’s “I am not a crook” or Clinton’s “I did not have sexual intercourse with that woman”, Obama’s need to issue the disclaimer will probably go down in infamy.)


4 posted on 02/03/2010 3:27:06 AM PST by 9YearLurker
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To: Scanian
‘I am not an ideologue,” President Obama insisted

I was waiting for rolling over laughter when I heard him say this. The congressmen were probably blowing chunks out of their noses into their napkins, I would have.

5 posted on 02/03/2010 3:41:08 AM PST by Recon Dad ( USMC SSgt Patrick O - 3rd Afghanistan Deployment - Day 106)
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To: Scanian

He is an ideologue but what makes it worse is that he is a bitter HATEFUL ideologue with the mentality of a 13 yr. old spoiled brat.


6 posted on 02/03/2010 4:40:58 AM PST by panthermom
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To: Scanian

When you grow up inside an insane asylum, you think the people on the outside are crazy.


7 posted on 02/03/2010 4:48:31 AM PST by Conan the Conservative (Crush the liberals, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentations of the hippies.)
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To: Scanian

Of course he knows it. He’s nothing but a liar.


8 posted on 02/03/2010 4:58:53 AM PST by Carley (Are you better off now than one year ago? HELL NO!!!!!)
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To: Carley

My thoughts exactly.


9 posted on 02/03/2010 5:30:46 AM PST by originalbuckeye
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