There's a certain trite phrase that's being tossed about far too often on this website. It's usually in response to some criticism of Obama's latest moves.
The perfect is the enemy of the good
But is it true?
Like most trite phrases, it's a gross oversimplification of the issue.
DailyKos is a progressive community, which means we have certain ideals and principles upon which we generally agree.
If a progressive candidate were to ever emerge who perfectly supported our ideals with perfect delivery of a perfect message, that person would not be our enemy.
They would instead be our strongest ally, because they would help to advance our cause by convincing the voting public and the politicians whom they elect to join us.
What "the perfect is the enemy of the good" is actually trying to say, then, is that people who refuse to support anything less than perfection are hurting the cause.
That's true, because perfection is awfully hard to find.
What's equally true, though, is that people who settle for the barely acceptable are also hurting the cause. We'll call them the "people with the lowest of expectations".
These people give their full and unqualified support to politicans who pay lip service to progressive causes, show only token actions, or espouse twisted and conflicting positions. The politicians they enable don't just fail to accomplish anything once in office, but they actually hurt the party by furthering a perception that Democrats are weak, spineless, and incapable of standing for anything.
I do not expect my elected representatives, senators, and presidents to be perfect, but my love for this country also demands that I have greater than the lowest of expectations for the people chosen to represent us.
I do not expect them to show perfect judgement or to never make mistakes.
I do expect them, however, to be true to core Democratic principles, to protect and defend the Constitution, to be honest in their statements, and to follow through on their committments.
Now, I'm not going to say where Obama falls in this spectrum, because frankly I'm not sure yet. We'll each have to decide this for ourselves as time goes on, and the answer is truly subjective.
But the next time you hear "The perfect is the enemy of the good", I hope you will reject a literal interpretation of the phrase and remember the bigger picture instead.
We should all aim for perfection every day.
Like the North Star shining brightly in the night sky, perfection is a destination we may never reach-- yet it reminds us of our greater purpose, as it helps guide us in the right direction.