Matt Yglesias

18 Responses to “MSM to Obama: Beware the DFHs”

1. petr Says:
   November 5th, 2008 at 2:30 pm

   Obama’s agenda isn’t a hidden secret — he’s been running on it for over a year. The question is how much of it can he or will he get done.

   If we’ve seen anything from from the past 21 months is that Obama is a master at organization. That might be his real genius: he’s not nakedly triangulating, like Clinton; or splitting the difference, like Carter; but putting raw political organization to work.

   I’m simply blown away by the sheer clean machinery of it… Obama put together a fantastic machine and motivated it, cajoled it… led it to victory. I think, whatever Obama wants, Obama gets based upon his ability to be three steps ahead of everyone else. This isn’t Bill Clintons DLC windsurfing the zeitgeist… No sir. This is Obamas game now.

2. Al Says:
   November 5th, 2008 at 2:43 pm

   Well, the legislative agenda isn’t going to be the left-wing Congressional Democrat agenda OR the Obama agenda. As Harry Reid says that “This [election] is a mandate to get along, to get something done in a bipartisan way. This is not a mandate for a political party or an ideology.”

   The agenda is to be non-ideological and bipartisan.

3. Chris Says:
   November 5th, 2008 at 4:03 pm

   @2: This raises two questions.

   1. Exactly what would it take, in Harry Reid’s opinion, to constitute a mandate for a political party or ideology?

   2. If Harry Reid is this determined to impede a Democratic agenda, what is he doing as Senate majority leader? Maybe his “no matter what, we can’t be liberal” attitude has something to do with Congress’s historically abysmal approval ratings and the fact that when people who disapprove of Congress are asked why, not standing up to Bush heads the list?

4. Estrien Says:
   November 5th, 2008 at 9:06 pm

   Obama is a pragmatist with liberal instincts and liberal values. That’s it and that’s all. In any issue he will ask himself how he can shift both the focus and the end result towards opening opportunities, reducing inequalities, developing a social conscience and so on. And he has the managerial smarts to figure out whether that means, in any given context, a direct or an oblique way forward. He is not an ideologue and may not frame these issues in terms which ideological liberals will find strong enough. Nor will he drive his administration onto the rocks in battles he can’t win. In all of these attributes he is a liberal Reagan as many have said – including himself. His great project is to turn a more socially conscious frame of reference into the ‘common sense’ of American political life and see it continue to produce results long after his two terms are over.

   People shouldn’t obsess about whether he stays ‘true’ to the ideals which everyone has projected on him and whether he passes a litmus test on each individual issue every individual holds dear. That is an impossible burden and just moves everyone back into the horrendous ideological partisanship that has done so much damage to America over the past two decades.

   I write as an outsider, someone who wishes the US very well, who is happy – very happy – to see a politically bankrupt country hit the jackpot. Use your winnings wisely.

5. sogespors Says:
   November 18th, 2008 at 10:55 am

   All are good lasses, but whence come the bad wives?

6. occundMoupt Says:
   November 19th, 2008 at 11:50 pm

   Reason why is great to be a gay
   If you’re 34 and single, nobody even notices. Its joke

7. gaiseebleakly Says:
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   If I ever have twins, I’d use one for parts. (Steven Wright)

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