(Community Matters) Response to a friend complaining that Obama ran as an idealist but acting like a pragmatist.
You say he ran as an idealist, I say he also acknowledged being a pragmatist. All during the last year of the election I cautioned that the liberal base will be more disappointed than the moderates who didn’t vote for him, knowing that he was a pragmatist who most valued repairing the deep red and blue divide. ALWAYS imagined the moderate would be pleasantly surprised and the ideological liberals temporarily disappointed.
On my friend’s position that Obama & America should be much more overt and aggressive in support for Iranian opposition:
Disagree a thousand times about Iran. This isn’t an election about affirming American culture or reestablishing ties with us. Let’s not forget, the most powerful and influential Mousavi supporter is former President Hashemi Rafsanjani, who was the closest collaborator of Islamic Revolution founder Ayatollah Khomeini. I fear we’d lose much of the important fracturing support from clerics, revolutionary guards, police and the middle income older generation if this became framed as pro vs anti-American. President Ahmandinejad and Ayatollah Khamenei would be quick to exploit this given half a chance.
Community Matters 