by Drew Westen
Psychologist and Neuroscientist
Emory University Professor
June 22, 2009
Drew Weston is a colleague of mine and one of my favorite political writers. His book [The Political Brain] and the books of George Lakoff [The Political Mind] have, in my opinion, been the antedote to the madness of the Conservative Revolution of The Reaga/Bush/Gingrich/Bush insanity. Drew recommends that Obama be stronger in reminding us how we got here – how the Financial Institutions and the Conservatives brought us to the brink of destruction. There are lots of people saying the same thing from other quarters – Obama should take a stronger stand on …blah, blah, blah…
I’ve avoided saying much about Obama’s approach to things. I’d just end up being monotonous, an apologist of sorts. But I would like to compromise that position here for just a moment. Barack Obama has undergone the most vicious attack from an opposing political party I’ve seen in my lifetime. From where I sit, it has been shameful. The Republican Party; Rush Limbaugh; the former Vice President; A 24 hour filth machine called Fox News. No matter what he does, the wheels of the attack machine rev up to make it into some dramatic global failure of character. A friend reported that one of our neighbors [a talk radio type who chews tobacco] stopped by his yard on his ATV and began to rant about that "n—-r president," something I haven’t heard in years – even here in the South. It has been unmerciful. Everything Obama has done has been spun into Socialism, or Communism, or Islamic-leanings, or worse, some kind of racial epitepth – such bull-shit the likes of which I’ve never experienced in my days on this planet. And the attacks haven’t just come from the Right. The Left is asking Obama to be their champion for Gay Marriage and any number of other things – many of which I support.
However, I don’t agree that Obama should be "stronger," or more forceful in fighting the Right, or more pro-active in championing the Left, or, in fact, more anything. Our government has been run on political strategies for far too long. No one is fooled by strategies, at least no one who has any sense. The Bush/Cheney Administration was only strategies – campaigns to get us to think a certain way. And they succeeded temporarily and almost destroyed the country [I hope "almost" is right]. Strategies create an audience that is always listening for what’s behind the words – a paranoid audience. If the American people need to be reminded who got us here, the American people are fools. If the American people need to be reminded that the massive spending is because of what came before, the American people are fools. If the American people can’t see through the strategy of the current attacks, the American people are fools.
I don’t think that the American people are fools, nor does Barack Obama. We just have a lot of fools – actually more than we need. I say, "Stay the course." I say, come out swinging in the midterms. I say, make the right speeches at the right times, just like you’ve done before. If the American people are fools, that’s too bad. There’s no strategy to deal with that. If Obama is going to succeed [not guaranteed], he’ll succeed by playing it very straight. So I don’t disagree with Drew exactly. He’s giving good advice. I just don’t think Obama will take it, and I’m kind of glad. I prefer this kind of audacity:
| Dear Friend,
Last week, I announced United We Serve – a nationwide call to service challenging you and all Americans to volunteer this summer and be part of building a new foundation for America.
And when I say “all,” I mean everyone – young and old, from every background, all across the country. We need individuals, community organizations, corporations, foundations, and our government to be part of this effort.
Today, for the official kick off of United We Serve, members of my administration have fanned out across America to participate in service events and encourage all Americans to join them.
The First Lady is rolling up her sleeves and getting to work too. But before she headed out today, she asked me to share this message with you.
Our nation faces some of the greatest challenges it has in generations and we know it’s going to take a lot of hard work to get us back on track.
While Michelle and I are calling on every American to participate in United We Serve, the call to service doesn’t end this fall. We need to stay involved in our towns and communities for a long time to come. After all, America’s new foundation will be built one neighborhood at a time – and that starts with you.
Thank you, |
||
President Obama has talked to historian Doris Kearns Goodwin about her wonderful book ” Team Of Rivals” Kearns writes that Lincoln had many critics but especially from slave abolitionist who said that Lincoln had to declare slavery illegal and immoral right away Lincoln agreed with all of them but he knew if he did what they wanted there would be more states that sided with the confederecy and the Union would lose the war. Lincoln knew he had to walk a fine line to win the war. President Lincoln was in my opinion picked by a higher being to save our country from the evils of slavery. I think President Obama has been picked to rise us above the evils of the last 8 years. That doesn’t mean I think he is right about only moving forward and not examining the sins of the Bush Administration.
There are plenty of fools with microphones, who get listened to by folks like your tobacco chewing neighbor. But the American People as a whole, know what’s going on and are giving Obama the highest level of support of any recent president.
As long as people from both the left and the right are criticizing him, I figure he’s hitting it just about right.
I’m glad you two sort of agree with me. At times, I worry that I’m naive and idealistic. This time, I don’t think it’s that. I think it has to do with something else – another one of my “theories” that I’m about to write about.