Spin Offs

I've seen a fair bit of speculation over the past few days about whether The One, given the blowback his radical agenda is suffering and will continue to suffer in this fall's elections, will "pivot" back toward the center and seek to take a more compromising approach. Many cite the example of Bill Clinton after the '94 elections.

Well, although I think it would be a good thing for the country, I'll believe it when I see it. And I especially think the Clinton comparison is a poor one. For one thing, Clinton came into the White House after many years' experience getting sworn in and thrown out as governor of Arkansas, where he learned the art of effective management. Obama has no such experience whatever, and I think his rookie status is becoming more and more clear all the time.

More important, though, is their difference in temper. Although Bubba was generally a left-leaning kind of guy, his only real political passion was himself. In order to ensure that the Big He always came out on top, he was perfectly willing to be flexible when he felt he had no other choice. Obama, on the other hand, is an ideologue. He actually believes that Second-Coming-of-FDR stuff. Given this, it strikes me that he would have a much harder time admitting to a mistake or settling for half-measures.

I could be wrong, of course, and in the end self-preservation might win out over conviction, but as I say, I'm not holding my breath just yet.