Is Obama The Cable Guy?

That's the premise of an article by Bob Beckel, erstwhile Democratic campaign advisor and currently a semi-regular on Fox News. Beckel's best known assignment was as Walter Mondale's campaign manager in 1984, and I would not rank him among the savvier political minds on the scene. Nevertheless, he offers an interesting read:

By raising the specter of failure to achieve success on a range of big issues (Obama) the cable guy has put his opponents in a position of appearing petty if their offerings at consensus are perceived to be too close to the status quo or worse appear to be defending a slew of special interests. Obama realizes that the public will no longer accept polarization and gridlock that has become the norm in Washington. They expect the next president and congress to "get 'er done" or "get out of the way".

That attitude is why charges of flip flopping against Obama will not work. Voters expect the next president to be willing to change his position if necessary to get government moving again. In fact the willingness to change to adapt to new realities is viewed as strong not weak politics. What is weak politics is polarization and inflexibility. The politicians and their polarizing special interest allies who play that game will be rolled by the voters especially if the voters are encouraged to do so by a charismatic cable guy president who is seen as willing to find reasonable consensus in order to "get 'er done".

None of this is to suggest that Barack Obama lacks a moral compass. What he is blessed with rather is an internal compass with the capability to lead us from here to there. No one argues that staying where we are is acceptable. Most agree on where the there is we need to go be it healthcare reform, ending the war, protecting the country, or educating our kids. The only question is how we get there and who has the ability to lead us there. In other words, who can "get 'er done".

One of Obama's most promising attributes is his pragmatism. That's not a very positive word among "true blue" liberals, but it certainly fits the times. Let's hope John McCain can get past the silliness stage---although shrewd in its own way---and begin to demonstrate some of that vitally important quality as he did in earlier years. I like my politicians to be principled pragmatists. How about you?