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Thursday Dec 04, 2008
Rosner's Domain: Is Obama a pragmatist (and what does it mean?)Posted by SHMUEL ROSNER
Comments: 31      Is Obama a pragmatist - and what does it mean to be one? Peter Wehner wrote about it in Contentions: competence is not courage. When gale-force political winds hit, pragmatists, because they do not have deep-seated convictions, rarely hold shape. Our finest politicians are those who withstand the pressure of the moment to pursue policies precisely because those policies are part of an overarching governing philosophy. A pragmatist avoids hard choices. A great leader makes them. I responded and added some more (my point, in general, is that there's no such thing as "pragmatic" government): What's really behind the "pragmatism" campaign is not a battle against ideology. There's no such thing as a non-ideological government. It is a campaign against the Bush ideology, but smartly crafted. The Bush years have made voters wary and tired. They no longer want ideological battles. That's why Obama - definitely the most competent politician when it comes to the crafting of messages - isn't talking about the beliefs of his government, but rather about its pragmatism. Jennifer Rubin offers examples: it seems that the public is overwhelmingly opposed to the car bailout. How does this mesh with President-elect Obama's tributes to the car industry as the backbone of the American economy?... What's a pragmatist to do? And it's not clear how to judge whether the auto companies' plans will "work" so what does he do - give them half the money? But the public hates the idea, so maybe it's more pragmatic not to pick a fight with voters
1 | richard - colorado, Thursday Dec 04, 2008
husseim obamma may not be even elidgable to be a US President...how about we start there???....
2 | Carol - Arizona, Thursday Dec 04, 2008
Ditto to Comment #1 and let's find out before Inauguration day or we will be extremely SORRY!
3 | DEBBIE, the great state of GEORGIA, Thursday Dec 04, 2008
Pragmatic is a euphemism for WIMP! Do-nothing, just like congress. Wait and see how the wind blows.
God help us survive a very dangerous world when all BHO offers is rhetoric, words, uh, words, uh, and uh words. Speaking w/o a prompter uh is uh difficult.
4 | Avraham - Yerushalayim, Thursday Dec 04, 2008
To Richard (#1),
Why is it that bigots are usually the worst spellers?
5 | Avraham - Yerushalayim, Thursday Dec 04, 2008
I would frame the issue slightly differently. Bush was such an ideologue that he was unable to change policies, even when proven wrong.
Obama's beliefs and opinions are based on possessing a certain ideology of government, but they won't chain him to a specific policy forever.
6 | Ronald, Thursday Dec 04, 2008
Right now, Obama is a clean slate and therefore can't be defined. We will have to wait to see the imprint he makes, but I have doubts about his ability to be a positive force. I think his goal all along was to be president and he really didn't much care what he had to say to get elected. I might call him an opportunist more than a pragmatist. His problem is going to be that we need a strong hand at the tiller to steer the ship of state away from the rocky problems that may sink us. Just saying the right words and making people feel good is a great skill, but it will not solve real problems.
7 | patty USA, Thursday Dec 04, 2008
I love President Bush and someday we all will look back on him with great admirations as our troubled world moves forward. I believe Obama will do very little other than ride on the skirts and shirt tails of others and continue his crafty speaches. If it wasn't for Bill Ayers and Oprah Wimphrey he probabally would not have been known today. I am an USA citizen and I am not proud to say there was an abnormal amount controlled media and press during the campaign. The voters were not allowed to educate themselves with all the facts. There are alot of unanswered questions about Obama's Character.
8 | TJ, Thursday Dec 04, 2008
Milhous is an idealogue. He will go as far left as he can and still get relected.
9 | Artemis, Thursday Dec 04, 2008
If Israel attacks Iran-goodbye world...
10 | Bryan Schmitthaus, Thursday Dec 04, 2008
The Obama factor... wants to lead the US towards a more socialist form of Gov, which means the worthless, the people who only care about themselves, those that will not work for anything they have, people who want everyone else to pay for their medical, car, housing, school, food will follow lock step with him. My grandfather reminded me of a time in History that people are not wanting to remember.
He scares me and how he is really going to show his Muslim raising.
Do not forget... we stood by a few years back while the world did nothing. Obama will do nothing but cause more issues.
11 | R. Lee Kentuckian Extrordinaire, Thursday Dec 04, 2008
Sounds like you are a bunch of republican minions. You have no real ideas. You are weak! I think Obama will do better than the pieces of shit that have been in office. I would love to see Israel kick the crap out of the Iranian infidels with out the U. S. standing in the way. Send Hamass or is it humus to hell!!!
12 | Jane Slaughter/Georgia/USA, Friday Dec 05, 2008
Obama is a typical politician. He is cut from the same cloth as Bill Clinton.
He says whatever he needs to to get what he wants. He is only interested in himself and his own self-agrandisment. He disavowed his own grandparents to gain the black American vote and it worked!
He grew up in an affluent caucasian (white) American household.
He now plays up to the liberal powerbase which is anti-semitic/anti-Israel and always has been so!
How American Jews could support him is beyond me. They have signed their own peoples death warrants. He will do nothing to help or support Israel.
13 | elmo, Friday Dec 05, 2008
That's it guys! Based on your worthless ,uninformed and idiotic comments, OMG ...Everything about our next President must be true!!!!
richard - colorado
Carol - Arizona
DEBBIE, the great state of GEORGIA
Ronald
patty USA
TJ
Bryan Schmitthaus
See how easy people get mislead -- Stup!
14 | Scott in Tennessee, Friday Dec 05, 2008
When are, We the people, going to take back our country? By whatever means necessary?! Instead of waiting for the greeding bastards in Washington to do what they promise...HOw many lies are we going to withstand? Why is no one demanding to see Obamas birth certificate. I cannot believe he was even allowed to run without it being known??What the hell is going on? Whatever it is , I guarantee you that we will not here the truth from our loving Media. Traitors. Whatever happend to hagging traitors... This country is full of fat , stupid, selfish, idiots that think they are owed something!
15 | Scott in Tennessee, Friday Dec 05, 2008
When are, We the people, going to take back our country? By whatever means necessary?! Instead of waiting for the greeding bastards in Washington to do what they promise...HOw many lies are we going to withstand? Why is no one demanding to see Obamas birth certificate. I cannot believe he was even allowed to run without it being known??What the hell is going on? Whatever it is , I guarantee you that we will not here the truth from our loving Media. Traitors. Whatever happend to hagging traitors... This country is full of fat , stupid, selfish, idiots that think they are owed something!
16 | PK, Friday Dec 05, 2008
Blah blah blah. The Obama haters are mostly just petty little girls. Ideology and partisanship is what ruined America. Only a "conservative" could turn pragmatism into a negative thing......Mark my words, Obama will do a good job. As a pragmatist, he will do what works, without having to check if it fits with some abstract philosophy.......
17 | dave LA, Friday Dec 05, 2008
Obama despises our Constitution by the condescending way that he mocks the american people would want proof. Believe me when things go wrong in the next four years, he will deflect the blame on the big names like Clinton. This slick Chicago politician during the campaign is the same hypocrite the country will deal with for four more years! I HOPE his speeches are can deliver, when he doesn't we will CHANGE leadership in 2012. There is your hope and change America!
18 | dave LA, Friday Dec 05, 2008
Obama despises our Constitution by the condescending way that he mocks the american people would want proof. Believe me when things go wrong in the next four years, he will deflect the blame on the big names like Clinton. This slick Chicago politician during the campaign is the same hypocrite the country will deal with for four more years! I HOPE his speeches can deliver, when he doesn't we will CHANGE leadership in 2012. There is your hope and change America!
19 | francois t. tampa, fl, Friday Dec 05, 2008
A scant pyschological profile would appear to show that Barack Obama rely's mainly on charm and charisma to get his way and move people to his way of thinking. An academia with a smooth non-threatening approach. But when you peel back the skin on the onion and read his autobiographys the man has often resorted to his father's genetic traits of drugs, alcohol and nicotine. (weaknesses by anybodys standards.)
Combine this with his childhood of white privelage, upper crust education, and lack of physical confrontation and it's fair to say he would fold under pressure and appease the enemy.
20 | Steve, US of A, Friday Dec 05, 2008
To patty USA,
lol...oh, may god bless you. You voted for this good for nothing moron Bush twice. Everything he did resulted in a mess. You were not educated enough to realise what a disaster this guy was. Wasn't the media there when bush won?? Have you been hearing a lot of right wing talk radio? Give Barack a chance. Atleast he can't do any worse than the republicans.
Bryan and Richard, ahh the people who believe chain letters are the same a scientific journals.
21 | Donbury, Montreal Canada, Friday Dec 05, 2008
Well, there are a lot of things worse than Bush. I did a simulation of what would have happened if the States hadn't wiped out the Saddam regime. One of the more probable consequences would have been a couple of million dead Jews and an even bigger mid-eastern war post 2003. Pragmatism can mean doing the easiest thing NOW regardless of later and not too visible consequences. FDR was very pragmatic in not getting into WWII until well after Hitler's death camps were functioning. A great choice for Americans. A lousy choice for Jews.
22 | Mrs W, Friday Dec 05, 2008
Blair was a pragmatist and it is dangerous, when Ha SHem talked about unto the fourth generation he meant it, bad news for the bad things you did, but good for the injustice you have suffered, hang in there Israel and keep praising the Lord for he lives in the praises of his people.
23 | Mrs W, Friday Dec 05, 2008
Blair was a pragmatist and it is dangerous, when Ha SHem talked about unto the fourth generation he meant it, bad news for the bad things you did, but good for the injustice you have suffered, hang in there Israel and keep praising the Lord for he lives in the praises of his people...and I think the Jerusalem Post is treacherous and playing both ends against the middle it is oft times scared of the truth, it sells news, NOTBY MIGHT NOR BY POWER BUT BY MY SPIRIT SAYS THE LORD.
Isaiah53
24 | Phyllis, Tennessee, Friday Dec 05, 2008
Say what you will about Bush...the bottom line is...we haven't had another terrorist attack on the homeland since 9/11. Are you Bush-haters so ungrateful that you will just forget that little piece of important info and support someone who has done absolutely nothing for this nation except deliver eloquent speeches? I didn't vote for him, but I hope and pray that Obama will do well in leading our nation. There are people's lives at stake here...not just our ideology!
25 | KOSHER MEANS HEALTHY, Friday Dec 05, 2008
Sarah Palin held up Jewish values, good marriage, good mother, a proper woman but the US voted for the guy with the islamic Dad, well Bless the Liberal Jews and may they come to their senses. All lined up at the Synagogue at Yom Kippur, but obviously did not stay long enough to listen to what Ha Shem said, O-bama O My Word, O dear. Yeshua Ha Messiach is Ysraels true hope and newspapers are just wall paper - purveyours of half truth and gossip. She may not hold a high post, but understood the important things...Next time you have a Christian nurse, look at the wounded healer..and think
26 | John Sarna - London, Friday Dec 05, 2008
The more I reseach the more I uncover. Now I am starting to understand Israel Shahak. God bless his soul he was so right.
27 | American, Friday Dec 05, 2008
A hard core republican or democrat will elect a leader based on idealism that is spelled out. An undecided usually likes to hear I will work on both sides of the chamber. It takes both qualities to be a good President. If you like the guy in office , it takes idealism to become a great President. I voted for Obama enthusiastically. Usually the best score I give a politician is C- for no damages at least. I will be happy with Obama who inspires me idealogically and who can deliver pragmatically some of the goods he promised.
28 | all American G. Hill,. USA, Saturday Dec 06, 2008
OBOMA IS A SOCIALIST; The dictionary says; socialism is the intermediate step between capitalism and communism.
29 | Windsong, Saturday Dec 06, 2008
Allah is not the same God, that is a moon god with unpleasant characteristics. Ha Shem Creator revealed Himself first to the Jews, He gave them Laws for Life through Love for them. When they disobeyed, things went wrong, when they listened and obeyed they prospered spiritually and sometimes materially. The Israelites were so bad when they left the slavery of Egypt, Moyshe had to persuade Ha SHem to remain with them. Finally the Israelites got so tied up with rules and religion He sent Yeshua His Son to Walk Torah in love. kneel and ask Him, He will enter your heart., forgive sin change you.
30 | Amadea, NYC, Saturday Dec 06, 2008
BHO has admitted that his hero is "Abraham Lincoln," who was also a Pragmatist & a Republican & a lawyer from Illinois. BHO has also compared his approach to Lincoln's and his personal traits to that of JFK - a Democrat. Herein, may lie some of the answers to BHO. His methodology (even ideology) leans towards the Republican (or Lincoln) and his style (or personal traits) are more similar to JFK. In other words, BHO is a sort of Republican dressed in a leftist suit. Let's see if this analogy turns out to be true.
31 | Ranman, Tennessee, Saturday Dec 06, 2008
Hey PK,
Thank you for your insight. I was unaware that America was in ruins. Conservatives do not think pragmatism is a bad thing. We think of it in these terms: Pragmatism. The opinion that metaphysics is to be largely cleared up by the application of the following maxim for attaining clearness of apprehension: Consider what effects, that might conceivably have practical bearings, we conceive the object of our conception to have. Then, our conception of these effects is the whole of our conception of the object. The problem of course is that one must think beyond just the next election.
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