I've had my differences with the writings of Slate's Jacob Weisberg. I've always thought he was way too Blue Dog/DLC for my tastes. He pandered way too much for me during his days at The New Republic; however this piece in Saturday's Slate Magazine has me changing my mind, albeit briefly on Mr. Weisberg.
Amidst the recent writings by pundits and bloggers in websites that will remain nameless, Mr. Weisberg is correct regarding President Obama's accomplishments.
Here is one paragraph that sums it up for me:
This conventional wisdom about Obama's first year isn't just premature—it's sure to be flipped on its head by the anniversary of his inauguration on Jan. 20. If, as seems increasingly likely, Obama wins passage of a health care reform a bill by that date, he will deliver his first State of the Union address having accomplished more than any other postwar American president at a comparable point in his presidency. This isn't an ideological point or one that depends on agreement with his policies. It's a neutral assessment of his emerging record—how many big, transformational things Obama is likely to have made happen in his first 12 months in office.
Also, this portion is also effective:
We are so submerged in the details of this debate—whether the bill will include a "public option," limit coverage for abortion, or tax Botox—that it's easy to lose sight of the magnitude of the impending change. For the federal government to take responsibility for health coverage will be a transformation of the American social contract and the single biggest change in government's role since the New Deal. If Obama governs for four or eight years and accomplishes nothing else, he may be judged the most consequential domestic president since LBJ. He will also undermine the view that Ronald Reagan permanently reversed a 50-year tide of American liberalism.
There are those who will say that Obama has followed the DLC playbook that Weisberg covets. There are also those who'll say that this plays into the hands of the so-called "Obamabots" or "Kool-Aid drinkers" (in which I have been accused of being), but what Weisberg is saying isn't far from what Obama has said during the 2008 campaign. It takes time and not everyone will agree with him.
I still believe there are those who were against Obama were never supporters of his in the first place. Or they thought Obama was going wave a magic wand immediately and solve all problems. With the lobbying climate (Obama is trying to change this) still a major part of American politics, it will take some time to get out. Patience is a virtue for me. I hope others in here believe this as well.