d? Clintons favor? Never. Half the country decide...

2008-02-08T18:11:00.000-08:00

d? Clintons favor? Never. Half the country decided they hated her ages ago. And I try not to harp on it, because what is done is done, but she made the wrong choice on C already, becuase it was the politically viable choice. All nuance aside, at the time, we all knew that was a vote to go to war.

I would argue that d goes in Clinton's favor and t...

2008-02-08T18:06:00.000-08:00

I would argue that d goes in Clinton's favor and that c is an unknowable theoretical.

Well, you can't argue the counterfactual - i.e., w...

2008-02-06T06:58:00.000-08:00

Well, you can't argue the counterfactual - i.e., what if Kennedy had lived to be re-elected, or what if Johnson hadn't received the wellspring of support emanating from JFK's death - but overall, yes, LBJ pushed through a lot of civil rights legislation (with an overwhelming majority in Congress), and his rhetoric better matched his action than JFK. I would also say that LBJ had a ridiculous knowledge of the Senate, which can't be matched by either Clinton (7 years) or Obama (3 years).

On the other hand, LBJ deepened our involvement in Vietnam and was so badly damaged by that he did not run for reelection in 1968. I'm not sure Clinton should invite a comparison to another politician who was good on domestic policy and disastrous on foreign policy.

The broader, less historical point I would make is that H. Clinton and Obama represent two myths - the "get things done" myth and the “bipartisan” myth, respectively. I’m realistic/cynical enough about political institutions that I don’t really think any leader, no matter how knowledgable or invested in “making government work,” actually can steer the government strongly in any one direction. What presidents of the US do have, in terms of power, is a) appointing people to head bureaucratic institutions in the executive branch, b) nominating Supreme Court justices, c) deciding whether or not we go to war (well, actually that’s Congress’ job, but ever since Vietnam…you know the rest), and d) using the bully pulpit to convince Congress/the public to go along with his/her ideas and programs. If you accept those limitations, then it doesn’t seem (to me) that “getting things done” is something a president actually does, especially given the enormous complexity of government. S/he, in most cases, delegates that authority to others – the proverbial devil being in the details (of the bureaucracy). Point b is a wash in terms of Clinton vs. Obama, and c and d are decidedly in Obama’s favor.

Comments on Practical Progress: Hopeful Experience/Experiential Hope

d? Clintons favor? Never. Half the country decide...

I would argue that d goes in Clinton's favor and t...

Well, you can't argue the counterfactual - i.e., w...