Yesterday Yglesias posted a short but thoughtful and, in my view, important entry to his blog.
This is the link.
You should read it, but the purpose of my diary is to summarize and reflect. More below.
The point Yglesias is trying to make is that Obama is a moderate. OK, I suppose we all knew that. And yes, Rick Warren is in essence a hateful scumbag. But the question really is: How many American citizens believe Rick Warren to be a hateful scumbag? And how many think that he has been their savior, their spiritual guide, someone who has helped them find new meaning and purpose?
Probably a lot.
So?
So the point is this. I am as progressive as they come. I was pissed when Obama supported retroactive immunity for the telecoms. I think some of his cabinet choices have been ridiculous. I am not even all that happy to see HRC in the State slot.
But I want Obama to be the most successful president in history with respect to truly bringing this country together to work on pragmatic, important goals. I think Obama really wants universal health care, and he really wants the US out of Iraq. He really wants the middle class to be strong and he really wants a forward thinking energy policy. For goodness sakes, in his earlier discussions about getting a dog for the White House he even shows some savvy with respect to the animal welfare movement. (PLEASE, please get a shelter dog, Barack.)
Ask yourself what you would prefer: A lefty Obama who pushes a progressive agenda, keeps 40-45% of this country alienated and angry and ready to vote him out in 2012? Or a pragmatic moderate Democrat who makes red staters second guess themselves and end up regretting that they didn't vote for him in 2008, and resoundingly ready to keep him for four more years in 2012?
The second scenario, OBVIOUSLY, is preferable. But it won't happen without moves to the center and it won't happen with a cabinet full of leftys. Perhaps it might have happened without Rick the amazing Douchebag Warren at the inauguration, but having Warren there will pull an audience that might otherwise be cursing the day Obama takes office. And once that audience finally sits down to listen to Obama... well, we're all on our way to real change.