Obama: Passion vs. Arrogance

God forgive me for my brash delivery
But I remember vividly
What these streets did to me
So picture me
Lettin these clowns nitpick at me- Jay Z “What More Can I Say?”

Danny, I like the Guru comparison, but I would take it a step further. Guru was too underrated to be Obama. Obama is really the Jay-Z of politics. Lyrical. Smooth. Never rattled. Ice cold. Possessing a large, cross-sectional fan base. Seemingly above the fray. He needs that smoothness and cool demeanor given the vitriolic nature of the healthcare debate and his Tea Party agitators. So, I surely appreciate him trying to take the high road. On the other hand, I want to clarify the notion of passion. I would never debate that Obama can deliver soaring rhetoric. He has the grand speech thing down pat. But speeches don’t effectively change people’s lives unless there is a movement or policy changes linked to them. I most definitely want Obama to succeed but I must also objectively critique his strategies and tactics. The passion thing is based on the data. I will not question his toughness. Folks know his history in Chicago and the fact that he was willing to bare knuckles to get things done. But when I discuss passion, I am really talking about commitment to some core values and principles, which are consistently demonstrated. Is it to his party? Evidently not. Exhibit A. A weak yet loyal Democratic candidate runs for mayor in New York City. Rather than using some political capital to strongly support Bill Thompson, which would have cost him nothing, he gives one of the weakest endorsements possible. Why? Clearly Obama did not want to upset Bloomberg and his deep pockets. I would rather he just say, “Mayor Bloomberg is an ally, and I wish to remain neutral in this race.” But no, he plays both sides of the fence, giving an innocuous endorsement which faintly demonstrates party loyalty, but allows him to save face with Bloomberg. It wasn’t about whether or not Thompson was a loser but rather about commitment to your party, which I guess doesn’t mean much to Obama. Some would argue that Obama did not want to get involved in local politics but clearly he felt it important enough to sandbag poor David Paterson (I’m not his fan but clearly he deserved a little bit more love) and to try to save a sinking Gov. Corzine in New Jersey. Worse yet, now it has been revealed that Bloomberg used his influence to keep Obama on the sidelines.

That is a microcosm of the Obama way. Play the middle. Passion? Is it to ending the war in Afghanistan? Nope. Clearly not yet ready to make a decision on that yet. Hasn’t articulated a strategy for getting out, and what exactly we are doing there now. Still searching for Bin Laden? Trying to prop up a corrupt Karzai administration? Hmmm, a cliffhanger. Is it to get American workers employed again? No, he has just gotten around to announcing a jobs summit after months of reports by economists that unemployment would hit double digits (and it is definitely way higher since the way unemployment is calculated is akin to nutritional information on junk food, the smallest number the better). Now comes word that the major stimulus plan component, green jobs, are primarily going overseas.

I think the passion that some talk about is really Obama’s own grandiosity, like any other narcissistic politician. Quite honestly, Obama and his advisers, as Bush would say, misunderestimated Obamamania and the amount of political capital he possessed. They talked about having healthcare wrapped up before the Congressional recess in August. He tackled healthcare because he believed that his charm would overwhelm both his Republican critics and his party dissidents. Obama knew it would be a remarkable legacy. But he was wrong about the power of his charm offensive. It was pure arrogance. There will be no true bipartisanship on this bill, and he was even unable to wrangle his own party’s rabble-rousers. Despite that reality, the healthcare bill will be a major achievement. And he should indeed receive credit for such a historical accomplishment. Since I understand that he probably wanted to take advantage of his majority in both Houses to pass this bill, it was a strategic move. But the most pressing issue was unemployment. I have been talking for some time about the fact that the administration needs to spur job creation. Folks who are unemployed will not have to worry about health insurance because they won’t be able to afford it. Climate change? Probably not the most salient concern for someone trying to just pay the rent. Constantly extending unemployment benefits will not stimulate the economy or really help those who are not working. Folks who can collect unemployment for two years will not necessarily be that willing to consume. Rather they are just trying to keep hope alive and their heads above water. Obama and his advisers understand that to create jobs, you either need to convince private employers to wholeheartedly invest in American workers (not a good bet) or to have the government develop a major WPA-type initiative to get people working (probably too socialist for them and a massive undertaking). So, again, as difficult as healthcare reform has historically been, his ego convinced him that it was easier than job creation.

Obama can be Cool Hand Luke all he wants but appearances matter. I am not asking him to be fire and brimstone all the time. But I am asking for him to not be so scripted and staged. Michelle seems to be his realness and moral compass. It’s the psychology of it. What worked during the campaign (i.e. grand ideas and promises) will not work as a sitting president, if there is no substance. The Clinton comparisons will continue because he hired all the usual suspects rather than bringing new energy and a different perspective to the White House. Rahm Emanuel? Really? If you want to ever see an example of Good Cop (Obama), Bad Cop (Emanuel), there it is. I will give him credit where it is due but I would also like his fervent supporters to be willing to admit his missteps and flaws. I know my politics are indeed much to the left of him, so I don’t ever expect to fully agree with Obama on a lot of things. Yet I am open to supporting him when there seems to be common ground, and I will continue to call him out when I feel it necessary.

“It is not light that we need, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake.” – Frederick Douglass

Just like the seashore I’m calm… but wild, with my monotone style

Let me step into the cipher, now long overdue and glad to be here. To start, Ghostface is in town tonight. I had thoughts of going, but nothing quite makes me feel my age now like going to a hip hop show. And, as you may know/imagine, a hip hop show in Boston lends itself to a unique brand of white youth proving they’re down. Of course, in this day and age, they are – everyone is. It almost makes me miss the whole debate about wiggers and Young Black Teenagers.

But this post is ultimately about Obama, and my musing about how we assess his tenure thus far. David and Todd’s debate hit on key points, none of which I’ll repeat. And the question about his passion immediately brought me back to Guru, who, in spite of his self-described monotone, brought incredible passion to the game. Of course, his game was elevated (and some would say made) by Premier, his essential partner, foil, perhaps muse. Who is Obama’s Primo? The one and only person that comes to mind is Michelle – who, though, as well as she plays it, is still expected to maintain as primary her First Lady status (but did you catch the picture of her jumping double dutch on the White House lawn last month? It truly brought me to tears of joy). I’ll leave the question out there… in the dual realms of politics and leadership, who is Obama’s pnc?

Back to the realness: how do we judge Obama’s presidency? A few things come to mind. First, I have been involved in some form of urban youth work during every election from ’92 until present, and last year’s was the first one in which I saw young folks of all ages be engaged in an election. Children as young as 3, 4, 5 knew and know who Obama is. In fact, our soon-to-be 2 year old son says “Obama” at random times each week – and means it. And while the initial euphoria of victory certainly has dissipated, the inspiration and impact of Obama (and really the Obamas) being in the White House remains. We all know that nothing in the way of this country’s  entrenched and pervasive structural racism has changed, but the sense of what is possible for young people across the country has shifted dramatically. As the father of a biracial son, I can actually look to the White House with pride. I never expected that I would be able to say that at any point in this lifetime… if not beyond. As Erykah said, “I guess I’ll see you next lifetime.”

Aside from the beer summit (not to mention his choice of beer), Obama’s initial statements both about the police officer’s overreaction in making the arrest and then about the Secret Service’s hypothetical response to seeing him (Obama) trying to get in the front door of the White House provided powerful affirmation that Obama can bring the realness. I am almost amazed that there was not more backlash; he ostensibly named the racist elephant (fox?) that festers in the US, and it goes well beyond the Republican Party. When the now somehow (in)famous Joe Wilson shows his true colors, Obama can play it cool and allow others to call foul; say what you will about Jimmy Carter, but I absolutely trust that his Georgia roots allow him to judge racists fairly.

And, I have to say, I like having a couple in the White House that I can relate to. I mean, damn, Obama plays ball. Michelle is cultivating organic foods. Albeit on a different level, he and Michelle negotiate marriage, parenting and work as we do. I would actually want to hang out with them, and not on some “Who is a person, living or dead, that you would most like to have dinner with?” tip. But I am also realistic: A health care bill without a public option would be abysmal. Lack of significant reform AND regulation of Wall Street seems a real possibility. There is still minimal relief for homeowners facing foreclosure. I have no love for Arne Duncan and I am disgusted with the lack of substantive education reform. Guantanamo may not be closed by January. Kanye may still make public appearances. And on and on and on and on….

How am I judging Obama? I ultimately intend to hold Obama accountable for the lasting change he is able to effectuate. Yet just as no leader should be put on a pedestal or falsely idolized, and certainly no black leader should be held to any lower standard than our wonderfully competent cohort/cabal of white presidents, we also cannot fall prey to leadership oppression. As much as people tend to like the idea of change, they resist when asked to act on it. That reality, along with the social, political and economic context in which we are living, all make the challenges facing Obama that much greater. I harbor incredible hope that conditions in the US will improve for the majority of people and that Obama will help lead the charge. The politricks in this country are such that he cannot and will not do it alone – and we know he has a lot of folks rooting for his demise: “In the arena, or rather coliseum, there’s people gathering by multitudes to see one
perpetrator fall to the dust after the other…”. As long as he brings the realness, I’ll have his back.

Obama’s passion

In a comment to the previous Obama post, Raustin says

My issue with him is that he seems to have no true passion for anything, except basketball. He just wants to have everyone like him.

I’ve heard this from a few people, and I deeply disagree with it.  On the minor side, I don’t think Obama cares at all if anyone likes him (beyond the professional “I’m a politician and I need people to like me to get elected” concerns). But on the more substantive issue, I do think Obama has a serious passion, but not for any particular political issue. I think Obama’s passion revolves around proving that we can still tackle big issues, that we can still govern effectively, that we can actually act responsibly. It’s kinda absurd to have a passion for “responsibility,” but in the aftermath of the absolute irresponsible Bush years (turning budget surpluses to record deficits; incompetent planning and execution of two wars; appointing hacks to important positions, resulting in disasters like the response to Katrina; creating new entitlements without a way to pay for them, namely their Medicare prescription plan), I think it’s pretty necessary passion.

It’s a recurring motif in Obama’s most soaring speeches. From Obama’s inauguration speech:

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

…

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends — hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence — the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

From Obama’s January (Not Quite) State of the Union speech:

As we stand at this crossroads of history, the eyes of all people in all nations are once again upon us, watching to see what we do with this moment, waiting for us to lead. Those of us gathered here tonight have been called to govern in extraordinary times. It is a tremendous burden, but also a great privilege, one that has been entrusted to few generations of Americans, for in our hands lies the ability to shape our world, for good or for ill. I know that it’s easy to lose sight of this truth, to become cynical and doubtful, consumed with the petty and the trivial…. if we come together and lift this nation from the depths of this crisis, if we put our people back to work and restart the engine of our prosperity, if we confront without fear the challenges of our time and summon that enduring spirit of an America that does not quit, then some day, years from now, our children can tell their children that this was the time when we performed, in the words that are carved into this very chamber, “something worthy to be remembered.”

From Obama’s health care address in September:

But that’s not what the moment calls for. That’s not what we came here to do. We did not come to fear the future. We came here to shape it. I still believe we can act even when it’s hard. I still believe we can replace acrimony with civility, and gridlock with progress. I still believe we can do great things, and that here and now we will meet history’s test. Because that is who we are. That is our calling. That is our character.

Obama’s agenda is to meet the toughest issues head-on: health care, climate change, then it’ll be immigration reform (which I personally think will be his toughest challenge), plus Iraq and Afghanistan. It’s a lot safer to govern like Clinton did during his second term, after he abandoned big ideas like universal health care and turned instead to small accomplishments. Remember how the Democratic leadership in Congress agreed to the war in Iraq in 2002 to “get the issue off the table” for the elections? That’s the mentality that Obama is fighting against. Congressmen who want to avoid tough votes are already bitching about Obama.

People who question Obama’s toughness don’t recognize that while he appears soft, he’s chosen the toughest battles to fight. Dems have been fighting (and failing) on health care reform since Truman. Why choose a fight that’s been a sure loser for half a century if you’re not serious about it? People are mistaking his strategies — striving for bipartisanship — for his principles. If bipartisanship was the end-all for Obama, his agenda would be completely different. Isn’t it worth noting that for all the supposed compromising Obama has done to gain Republican support, both the House and the Senate health care bills contain everything he’s said he’s wanted in them from the beginning? I have plenty of opinions about his strategies, and I’m certainly willing to debate what I think is useful and what’s a waste of time. But the idea that he’s not a fighter, or that he lacks passion, is a non-starter with me.

On to the Next One

Actually, the next chamber of Congress. The proverbial ball is now in the Senate’s court. This should get really interesting now. Regardless, history was made last night. For the first time in American history, a bill that exponentially expands health care coverage made it out of the House relatively unscathed. Well, that might be saying a bit much, I’ll scale it back a bit. A major health care reform bill made it out of the House. Props to Nancy Pelosi.

I suspect that silly season will move into the stretch run now. Hopefully, no one will do something nonsensical and compare health care reform to the Holocaust. Wait, that already happened.