(Community Matters) This sounds right:
From Mike Allen:
THE BIG IDEA -“Dems urge Obama to take a stand,” by John F. Harris and James Hohmann: “By declining to speak clearly and often about his larger philosophy-and insisting that his actions are guided not by ideology but a results-oriented ‘pragmatism’-he has bred confusion and disappointment among his allies, and left his agenda and motives vulnerable to distortion by his enemies. The president’s reluctance to be a Democratic version of Ronald Reagan … has produced an odd turn of events: Obama has been the most activist domestic president in decades, yet the philosophy behind his legislative achievements remains muddy in the eyes of many supporters and skeptics alike. … The ability to transcend ideological divides and unite disparate parts of the electorate was a signal strength of his candidacy in 2008. But that has given way to widespread-if often contradictory-complaints about his agenda (too radical or too cautious?) and the political tactics (too partisan or too conflict-averse?) he uses to pursue it. … ‘You have to provide the country with a narrative of where we have been and where we need to go and how to get there,’ said Don Baer, communications director in Bill Clinton’s White House. ‘That requires a theory of the case on the role of government-and the role of the president … [P]eople need context, and I imagine this leaves the president unhappy when they reach what he thinks is the wrong conclusion’ about his vision for the country.” http://bit.ly/9GcdSN
Community Matters 