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Politics : President Barack Obama
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To: ChinuSFO who wrote (55465)6/6/2009 3:26:49 AM
From: one_less  Read Replies (1) of 149317
 
"I consider him to be a pragmatic person. Wouldn't you?

I don't usually like to get into labeling people, unless they have made some firm effort to wear that label themselves, one way or another. Labels are easy to criticise because they can be extended in every extreme direction and usually do extend far beyond the person who gets tagged by them.

For sure he has shown some genius about sizing up the camps of people and addressing his various audiences in tune with their issues. But I think of a pragmatist differently, as someone who has practical ideas. During his campaign Obama avoided discussions on how he thought America's problems could practically be solved. He spoke of the need for change but did not always lay out specific practical solutions. In this way he avoided the strong criticism that other candidates got for their ideas. For example, if Hillary spoke of health care, we jumped all over the solution she tried to implement during the Clinton administration. Obama spoke of changing health care and did not get the same reaction.

During his campaign I thought of him as a visionary and even criticised that to some extent. Being able to envision a positive future and to engender confidence in others toward that vision is still probably his greatest asset at this time.

A visionary is criticizable to the extent they are unable to operationalize their vision in a comfortable fashion. To be an effective leader a visionary must, at some points, flex into the uncomfortable task of laying out plans for practical solutions. Of course he has a cabinet of subordinates and an entire country ready to help with that task; but, any mis-steps fall back against the visionary.

As far as labels go 'visionary' is the one I would connect to him and I do that with some caution.
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