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Many conservatives, for example, had hoped that George W. Bush's
"compassionate conservatism" was simply a marketing slogan.
They were dismayed to discover he really meant it. In the 1980s, Republican factions were
deeply divided in the "let Reagan be Reagan" debates. Everyone heard what
they wanted to hear during the campaign and expected the man's
presidency to jibe perfectly with their expectations.
Obama's ideological compass is far more difficult to discern than Reagan's
or Bush's were. This is why his conservative detractors often called him
a cipher. Obama's supporters rolled their eyes despite producing oftencontradictory
evidence to rebut the charge.
Obama Presidential Inauguration. Illustration by Dana Summers / The Orlando Sentinel
This raises perhaps the most interesting question of the Obama
presidency: "What wasn't Barack Obama lying about?"
I don't mean this to be as harsh as it sounds. I'm not talking about what
Obama's conservative critics said he was lying about — say, the true nature of his
relationship with Bill Ayers. Rather, I'm talking about issues where his own
supporters seem to have just assumed he had his fingers crossed.
Consider, for example, the controversy swirling around Pastor Rick
Warren, invited to deliver the invocation at the inaugural. The
choice is controversial because Warren, while something of a
moderate in the evangelical world, is a black-hearted villain among gay-rights
activists for his support of Proposition 8 in California, which successfully
proscribed same-sex marriage.
The interesting thing is that throughout the campaign, Obama and
Joe Biden took the exact same position as Warren on gay marriage. And yet,
gays overwhelmingly supported Obama (and Democrats generally) but consider
Warren a slap in the face of the first order. When you ask gay activists and
liberal strategists about this sort of thing, their response might be: "It's OK
because we know they're lying." They insist that when it's politically feasible,
"Obama and the Democratic Party will be there for us."
That's one reason why the Warren appearance is so offensive to activists: It
conjures the frightening possibility that Obama's election posturing wasn't
posturing but rather (gasp!) his actual position.
Over the interminably long campaign, Obama's positions "evolved" to suit his
political needs. This is hardly extraordinary. Pretty much every
successful presidential candidate embarks on a similar ideological
migration. Indeed, Obama's campaign was in some ways remarkable for how
little he tacked to the right in the general election. But it was also
remarkable for how honest Obama could be about his dishonesty. When his
past statements on NAFTA ("devastating" and "a big mistake")
became inconvenient, he shrugged: "Sometimes during campaigns the
rhetoric gets overheated and amplified." His own economic advisor, Austan
Goolsbee, had already told Canadian officials not to worry about Obama's
pledge to unilaterally "renegotiate" NAFTA; it was all campaign boob-bait.
Some on the left are worried that Obama's previously staunch anti-war
position was smoke and mirrors as well. Obama has retained Bush's secretary of
defense and has surrounded himself with supporters of the war, including
his vice president and secretary of state. On Israel, the left had good
reason to believe Obama was their guy.
One of Obama's closest friends is Rashid Khalidi, an unofficial
Palestinian spokesman and left-wing academic. Early in the campaign, many
perceived Obama to be taking a pro-Palestinian line when he said that
"nobody has suffered more than the Palestinian people." As the campaign
wore on, he sounded increasingly pro-Israel, particularly during a hawkish
speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. In July, during a
visit to the Hamas-besieged city of Sderot, Obama told reporters, "If
somebody was sending rockets into my house, where my two daughters sleep at
night, I'm going to do everything in my power to stop that." And, he added, "I
would expect Israelis to do the same thing." In short, Obama placated
Israel supporters without alienating critics of Israel.
But that's precisely the sort of thing you can pull off when
you're simply running for president, particularly when your
eloquence is only outmatched by the willingness of your supporters and
the press to accept whatever you need to say to get elected. But when you're
actually the "decider," splitting the differences becomes much more difficult.
That's why we have that saying: "To govern is to choose." It will be in his
choices that we will know the man.
Jonah Goldberg is the author of "Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American
Left from Mussolini to the Politics of Meaning" (Doubleday). You can write to him
at JonahsColumn@aol.com.
Barack Obama Presidential Inauguration Articles
Reviewing Presidential Inaugural History
The inauguration of the first black president will long be remembered as a momentous day in history, but many past
inaugurals also have had their memorable moments. Inaugurals are a mixture of pomp, festival and gravity, the
American equivalent of a coronation. Their rituals are laden with symbols of national purpose, continuity and
unity. For 220 years, they have marked the peaceful transfer of power, a feat few other countries have achieved.
Obama Presidential Inauguration Schedule & Events
With all of the excitement surrounding the event, it’s easy to forget there have been many inaugurations before it. Over
the years, the inauguration has become highly formalized, with the day’s scheduled events taking on almost ritualistic
significance. A look at the Obama Inauguration schedule, events from past inaugurals and how & when certain inaugural
events became part of Inauguration Day.
Obama Inauguration Facts, Trivia and Information for Kids
Parade, luncheon, ball. Being inaugurated sounds like fun. But what exactly is an
inauguration? What happens? Here are answers to your most pressing questions. Plus Inauguration Trivia, Presidential
Pets and the Obama Girls
Obama's new Home was Slow to Integrate
Not too long ago, Barack Obama would have found when he moved his family to Washington that his daughters
couldn’t attend the same schools white children could. They couldn’t try on clothes or shoes at most
local department stores, or eat at downtown lunch counters. Or see a play at the National Theatre or a
movie just a block or two from the White House.
Obama Isn't the Only One Being Inaugurated on January 20th
Arianna Huffington
Barack Obama is not the only one being inaugurated on January 20. And that's not just because Obama has promised to make a call to service "a central cause" of his presidency.
Top 43 Hits - Memorable Lines from Past Presidential Inaugurals
On January 20, 2009 Barack Obama will stand before Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and swear the
oath prescribed in Article II, Section 1, of the Constitution as the 44th President of the United States.
After taking the oath President Obama will give an inaugural address. Since George Washington's first
inaugural address, many memorable words have been spoken and are among the most enduring and frequently
quoted.
America Receives a Leading Man for the Dramas Ahead
Garrison Keillor
When President Obama takes his hand off the Bible and walks to the Capitol lectern, he carries real power in his pocket,
maybe more than any president since FDR, and some of it he has earned and some is a gift.
Don't Take that Oath, Barack
Mark Bazer
Personally, I'm hoping for a new piece of presidential trivia come Inauguration Day. I'm hoping Barack Obama becomes the
first person elected president to refuse to take the Oath of Office. In other words, I hope he turns down the job.
Don't get me wrong — I like and admire Obama. But that said, and for all Obama's clearly evident wisdom and sound judgment, I just don't
know if president of the United States is the ideal job for him.
Riding on the Wings of Change
Amy Dickinson
Our new president is offering us more than the promise of change. With his historic election, he offered us the
optimistic idea that we can do what we must do. In my experience studying the human condition, we only change
when there is no alternative. And now, there is no alternative. Our national challenges trickle down into our
households. We have family members at war, our jobs aren't secure, our retirement savings seem to be disappearing
and our material lifestyle is under assault.
America in Shock
Nathan Gardels
As we head into 2009, America is in shock. It is not because of the unusual sight of the first black president
taking up residence in the White House. Barack Obama's profile, after all, is familiar to the diverse
population of today's ethnically and racially hybrid America. America is in shock because our economic
and financial landscape is suddenly unrecognizable.
Great Expectations
Cal Thomas
With Barack Obama, it is the reverse. Perhaps because of his
eloquence, lithe body, handsome face and beautiful family (and because he is not George W. Bush),
expectations are so high that they are beyond the reach of any mortal. Perhaps that is why Obama
has been disparagingly referred to as "the messiah" and "the one."
Awaiting the Transformational Presidency
Arianna Huffington
President-elect Barack Obama is obsessed with Lincoln, who changed the country both by changing government policy and by
using the bully pulpit to help us change ourselves.
Europeans Love 'Alabama'
Rick Steves
With a new political era dawning in America, the world is paying attention. I remember the first time my Italian
friends expressed a curiosity and enthusiasm about some black politician named "Alabama." Now everyone knows
Obama's name, and we have a president whom people around the world want to look up to.
Is This the End of Black
Leonard Pitts
Those who claim we live in a post-racial America are guilty of no sin greater than wishful thinking. But
that doesn't make them any less incorrect. Not simply because people are still being pulled over for driving
black but, more fundamentally, because Obama's victory does not mean what some of us think it does. I don't
mean to suggest it does not embody breathtaking progress — it does.
A New Way of Being on this Planet
Robert Koehler
Something has to change about how we conduct our business and live our lives . . . no, that's putting it too mildly. A spiritual
awakening has to occur, the shock and awe of awareness as we look unblinking at the state of the world as it really is.
As the Decider, The True Barack Obama will Become Clear
Jonah Goldberg
Over the interminably long campaign, Obama's positions "evolved" to suit his political needs. This is hardly
extraordinary. Pretty much every successful presidential candidate embarks on a similar ideological migration
Special Inaugural Crossword Puzzle
Can you solve this special inaugural crossword with your mom, dad or your favorite grown-up?
Yes, you can! Kids solve the across clues while adults tackle the down ones.
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