Opinion-Huff: "Pretty Speeches, Compromised Values, and the Quest for the Lowest Common Denominator"

[Sparkly]

This is a relatively long read -- maybe 10-15 minutes -- but makes valid points. For those who are inclined to unrec this reflexively, I hope you'll read the piece and refute some parts of it here.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20091221/cm_huffpost/3...

Leadership, Obama Style, and the Looming Losses in 2010: Pretty Speeches, Compromised Values, and the Quest for the Lowest Common Denominator

Drew Westen – Mon Dec 21, 3:28 pm ET

As the president's job performance numbers and ratings on his handling of virtually every domestic issue have fallen below 50 percent, the Democratic base has become demoralized, and Independents have gone from his source of strength to his Achilles Heel, it's time to reflect on why. The conventional wisdom from the White House is those "pesky leftists" -- those bloggers and Vermont Governors and Senators who keep wanting real health reform, real financial reform, immigration reform not preceded by a year or two of raids that leave children without parents, and all the other changes we were supposed to believe in.

Somehow the president has managed to turn a base of new and progressive voters he himself energized like no one else could in 2008 into the likely stay-at-home voters of 2010, souring an entire generation of young people to the political process. It isn't hard for them to see that the winners seem to be the same no matter who the voters select (Wall Street, big oil, big Pharma, the insurance industry). In fact, the president's leadership style, combined with the Democratic Congress's penchant for making its sausage in public and producing new and usually more tasteless recipes every day, has had a very high toll far from the left: smack in the center of the political spectrum.

What's costing the president and courting danger for Democrats in 2010 isn't a question of left or right, because the president has accomplished the remarkable feat of both demoralizing the base and completely turning off voters in the center. If this were an ideological issue, that would not be the case. He would be holding either the middle or the left, not losing both.

What's costing the president are three things: a laissez faire style of leadership that appears weak and removed to everyday Americans, a failure to articulate and defend any coherent ideological position on virtually anything, and a widespread perception that he cares more about special interests like bank, credit card, oil and coal, and health and pharmaceutical companies than he does about the people they are shafting.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

1. This probably could get unrecc'd sooner because it was posted half a dozen times last week.

I'm not unreccing or reccing. But just so you know.

[Sparkly]

2. Oh! Sorry...

I don't read HuffPo -- just saw it on the "Opinion" section of Yahoo News' front page.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

3. I'm just saying that some people have likely already formed their opinions, so the recs or unrecs

could come in (legitimately) within minutes even though you *just* posted the thread.

[xultar]

7. Unrec has nothing to do with opinion. Why can't people get that one simple fact.?

[SemiCharmedQuark]

9. One's estimation of whether this piece is worthy of the greatest page is not an opinion?

From the dictionary:

o⋅pin⋅ion
  /əˈpɪnyən/ Show Spelled Pronunciation

2. a personal view, attitude, or appraisal.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/opinion

[xultar]

49. If the story is already on the greatest page and this one is a repeat.,.then it isn't a personal

view about the article...or an appraisal of the article...

IT could be that it's already posted and no need for a duplicate, which has nothing to do with a fucking personal view.


SMARTY PANTS.

[davidwparker]

30. Thanks for posting it again. I didn't see it.

[ProSense]

4. More moronic drivel

What's costing the president are three things: a laissez faire style of leadership that appears weak and removed to everyday Americans, a failure to articulate and defend any coherent ideological position on virtually anything, and a widespread perception that he cares more about special interests like bank, credit card, oil and coal, and health and pharmaceutical companies than he does about the people they are shafting.

[Sparkly]

5. What's the argument against that statement? nt

[ProSense]

8. Seriously, if you believe this:

a widespread perception that he cares more about special interests like bank, credit card, oil and coal, and health and pharmaceutical companies than he does about the people they are shafting

Can you give an example of where the widespread perction that Obama cares more special interest than people exists?

A real example.

It's easy for the anti-Obama assholes (and Drew Weston is one) to say anything. They have the luxury of never having to provide evidence to back up their stupid claims.

[Sparkly]

12. "A real example" -- what would you consider a real example?

It's "widespread" among virtually everyone I know, that's for sure. Pundits, writers, talking heads have voiced this opinion to a widespread extent. Polls reflect it, as well. It's largely about the "stimulus" funding without adequate oversight and regulation, the heath care debacle, and the people around Obama who come straight from such special interests.

Do you have a "real example" that indicates there's not a widespread perception of this kind?

[jefferson_dem]

21. What polls? Link please.

Thanks.

[Sparkly]

23. His poll numbers have been down pretty consistently.

I say it's "reflected in" the polls -- not that there have been polls directly asking the question.

The Goldman Sachs profits, for example, didn't help.

[ProSense]

26. His poll numbers are in the 50s, and still

extremely high among Democrats:

[jefferson_dem]

20. Westen is an academician (psychology not ps) who's made a habit out of baselessly bashing Obama.

Want to see something really funny?

Check this out (dateline 2007) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/drew-westen/obamas-declin...

[dave29]

10. +100

Why do people continue to post opinion as if it is fact?

[Sparkly]

13. I'm asking you to refute the points if you have facts (or opinions) to the contrary.

[dave29]

18. How do you refute opinion?

Seriously? I am generally lost when people paint with a broad brush -- "widespread perception" on any of those items is simply not true. Even here on DU, there is not a "widespread perception" -- there is a vocal group of people who do not like Obama or his policies or style of governance. But it is not widespread. As I posted below, over the holidays, everyone I spoke to has been impressed with Obama -- even if they did not support him in the primaries. Granted, not a scientific study (nor is this piece) -- but it was a welcome break from DU in that regard.

[Sparkly]

19. With a different opinion.

I do see that perception as widespread, here on DU as well as in the national debate.

If you think it's not an issue for the president or the party -- and everything is just fine -- so be it.

[dave29]

22. Maybe it's because this article has been posted here 1000 times?

"widespread" is more of a quality thing rather than a quantity thing -- but that's just my opinion

[Sparkly]

24. What question are you answering?

As for the 1000 times, my apologies for not keeping up enough. See #2.

[dave29]

25. I was stating that the perception of this being a widespread opinion

may be due to the fact that people are seeing the same opinion posted over and over again -- as in this case and a few other articles from the same sources. Hence the quality vs quantity argument. I would encourage you to support your own opinion with other sources that have more credibility. This article has been "debated" ad nauseum, and I do not really feel the need to debate a premise I completely disagree with, yet again.

[depakid]

42. Now Professor Westen is a moron- LOL nicely done!

Drew Westen (Andrew Westen) is Professor in the Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. He received his undergraduate degree (B.A.) from Harvard University, an M.A. in Social and Political Thought from the University of Sussex (England), and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Michigan, where he taught introductory psychology for several years.

His research is in the cognitive, emotional, and motivational processes that people use to maintain intimate relationships, with a focus on people with personality disorders, who have interpersonal problems. After several years at the University of Michigan, he then moved to Harvard University, where he was professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Chief Psychologist at the Cambridge Hospital. He is unusual among academic clinical psychologists in being both an active researcher and a practicing clinician for 25 years, who has written on what can be learned from both science and practice.

Much of Westen's theoretical work has attempted to bridge perspectives, particularly cognitive, psychodynamic, and evolutionary. He has published 140 research papers in the scientific literature.

Of particular note:

Political bias study

In January 2006 a group of scientists led by Westen announced at the annual Society for Personality and Social Psychology conference in Palm Springs, California the results of a study in which functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) showed that self-described Democrats and Republicans responded to negative remarks about their political candidate of choice in systematically biased ways.

Specifically, when Republican test subjects were shown self-contradictory quotes by George W. Bush and when Democratic test subjects were shown self-contradictory quotes by John Kerry, both groups tended to explain away the apparent contradictions in a manner biased to favor their candidate of choice. Similarly, areas of the brain responsible for reasoning (presumably the prefrontal cortex) did not respond during these conclusions while areas of the brain controlling emotions (presumably the amygdala and/or cingulate gyrus) showed increased activity as compared to the subject's responses to politically neutral statements associated with politically neutral people (such as Tom Hanks).

Subjects were then presented with information that exonerated their candidate of choice. When this occurred, areas of the brain involved in reward processing (presumably the orbitofrontal cortex and/or striatum / nucleus accumbens) showed increased activity.

Dr. Westen said,

None of the circuits involved in conscious reasoning were particularly engaged... Essentially, it appears as if partisans twirl the cognitive kaleidoscope until they get the conclusions they want... Everyone... may reason to emotionally biased judgments when they have a vested interest in how to interpret 'the facts.'

The study was published in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience 18:11, pp. 1947–58, a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

[Dinger]

6. K & R, And Yes, I Read It All

Thanks for posting this.

[MuseRider]

11. Read it before

sent it around because this is exactly what I am hearing from all the people I talk with, those people who were rabid about Obama and those who think he is a socialist but not the teabagger types, I don't know any of them. Across the board from everyone. I do not know anyone who would support him if they had a viable option.

FWIW, I agree totally with this article. I am not certain I would be so kind if I was writing it.

[dave29]

15. That's remarkable, since exactly the opposite is true for me.

Over the holidays everyone I spoke to was impressed with the President, including those who did not support him during the primaries. It was a welcome break from DU.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

16. My uncle who swore he was going to vote for "McClane" in 2008 said he was pleased with Obama so far

Could have knocked me over with a feather.

[bvar22]

50. Makes perfect sense.

Any legitimate Republican should be very happy with the Obama administration.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

52. Yeah, I thought someone would say that. My uncle is a lifelong Democrat and union member

And he's also a veteran. But he was very angry that Hillary Clinton didn't win the primary last year and although his wife got on board pretty quickly after the primaries, he was slow to follow and only reluctantly got on board.

But please, continue your assumptions that anyone that isn't you is an evil corporatist Republican.

[bvar22]

53. What is there for a Republican not to like?

*WARS fully funded and EXPANDING. Bill sent to our children…...Mission Accomplished !

*Trillion Dollars given to friends and campaign contributors on Wall Street. No Strings Attached...Mission Accomplished!

*Military Spending INCREASED....Mission Accomplished!

*Trillion+ Dollars given to the Health Insurance Industry. Easily Avoidable, symbolic only strings attached....Mission almost Accomplished!

*Force all Americans to buy invisible products from For Profit Corporations who produce nothing tangible and create no wealth.....Mission almost Accomplished!

*Kill the possibility for a REAL "Public Option" or REAL Universal Health Care for at least another generation, and begin the “Entitlement Reform” defunding of Medicare (-$500 Billion)....Mission almost Accomplished!

*Block ANY REAL re-regulation of BIG BANKS and Credit Cards....Mission Accomplished!

*Protect the Bush War Criminals and Torturers from JUSTICE....Mission Accomplished.

*Throw the GBLTs under the bus and expand "faith based" initiatives....Mission Accomplished!

*Reinforce the worst Police State provisions of the Patriot Act....Mission Accomplished!

*Protect the very richest. Tell the Working Class that they CAN WILL compete with 3rd World Slave Labor for their jobs.....Mission Accomplished!

*EFCA (Employee Free Choice Act) killed in the crib....Mission Accomplished!

*More Anti-LABOR "Free Trade"....Mission almost Accomplished!

*Jobless Recovery....Mission Accomplished

*The Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party SHUT OUT of the Obama Administration…...Mission Accomplished!

*Accelerate the destruction of Public Education...Mission Accomplished!

*Bury next generation under such a debt burden that they will never be able to afford any social or economic programs that will benefit their Working Class....Mission Accomplished.

[MuseRider]

29. Interesting.

I know I travel in very mixed circles so I felt like it was a good representation. Interesting. I have not heard one thing said about the man that would indicate that anyone was pleased with the job he is doing. They feel ripped off, especially those who were very big fans of his and worked hard to get him elected. I am not including those who would not care if he dropped off the face of the earth from day one but those who were at least willing to give him a chance.

Whatever, my personal opinion is that I do not care for either his content or style of leadership. I think we are going backwards daily so I very much agree with this article.

It was a welcome break from DU for me as well.

[OHdem10]

14. Ouch, the truth hurts.

[jefferson_dem]

17. This one yet again?

UnRec.

[Name removed]

27. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ProSense]

28. It would be wise for the Obama detractors to understand that

they're in the minority.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

31. Since a large portionof the electorate defines themselves as independent

I would be very concerned about the steep drop there.

[ProSense]

32. Independent support always drops off after elections. n/t

[paulk]

37. independent support is what got Obama elected

I'd be concerned...

[jenmito]

40. The number of Repubs. decreased. Many of them probably became Independents. n/t

[davidwparker]

33. "likely stay-at-home voters of 2010" - demonstrated in the VA/NJ gov.

races.

I didn't not vote in the VA race because Deeds pretty much lost my vote after announcing he would consider opting-out of any potential public option. With that, he revealed himself to be more on the right than what I thought, so I didn't vote, allowing a better chance of a real (R) to get it. (Over DINO's, thank-you.)

Additionally, I was starting to wise up to where Obama really is in his policies and wanted to send a message to the WH of what would be coming up in 2010, with a non-vote. But, the continuation of the policies that we voted against in 2008 shows the message was unheard.

The 2010 federal elections will be the same. I hope it will show the rise of the independents. 2012 might be the best opportunity for an Independent president since Ross Perot. (Wow. He was so right on NAFTA, wasn't he?)

We really do need some change we can believe in.

[shadesofgray]

34. K&R. He totally nails Obama.

[zulchzulu]

35. Bloviation and Utopian Purist Tendencies Combined with Civics-Challenged Sophmoric Cluelessness

It's not a surprise to see someone get to snort nonsense like this drivel on Bluffington Hoax. That tabloid-driven blog and its owner has a name that is indeed the last name of a Republican senator/oil millionaire/religious conservative that Arianna Stassinopoulos was married to until he revealed he was gay and they got a divorce. So, whenever "Huffington Post" is referred to, consider its very roots to be phony. It should aptly be called the Stassinopoulos Hoax.

That said, Drew Westen provides the usual claptrap of a Utopian Purist with a completely bereft understanding of how legislation gets passed through the channels before it gets signed by the President. This civics-challenged nonsense is always a lovely dessert for those who didn't back Obama in the primaries and those who have a political education of a third-grader, or both.

Westen yammers on about the banks and Wall Street getting help with utterly no indication of knowledge that both of those sectors were in a free fall and we were headed toward a global depression that would have made the 1930's depression a hiccup by comparison.

So we should have done nothing? Did this all happen out of thin air? Does Obama have the power of a monarchistic magician that can turn off financial crisis with a wand and/or ignore because it's not fun?

As for health care reform, does this nitwit think that after 100 years of trying, that we would get single payer right off the bat and chastise and extinguish the health care insurance industry in less than a year? Again, stupid...

This quaint, clueless parlor talk makes Arianna wince with joy, but the notion that Obama has demoralized the base and pissed off the center is nonsense. If it's a wish list, there is certainly plenty of more time for the Stassinopoulos Hoax to continue whining with the political toolset of a whining teenager.

FireDogLake may try to outdo this gibberish from Westen to prove a higher grade of Stupid. Some people will buy it.

[depakid]

46. Wow- that one was so full of irony and bizarre self contradiction

that Dr. Westen would have a field day with it!

Just sayin'

[bvar22]

51. You forgot to add strawmen to the confused gumbo above,

but you nailed it with "bizarre".

[blueworld]

36. Unfortunately, well stated

When the Prez said he's proven that he can make difficult decisions on unpopular issues, my first thought was to wonder if he is willing to do the same on popular issues. I still want to believe in his administration, but this article eloquently states some of the weaknesses.

The only ideology anymore is a political "win", for either side. There doesn't seem to be a United States anymore. Just two political parties warring incessantly over numbers. The GOP are slime. They don't attempt to identify or solve problems but use every situation to attack Obama & the Dems. Period. No logic, rarely sanity.

I'm proud of being a US citizen. Political parties should have different approaches to solving problems, but should pretty much acknowledge the most glaring problems. I don't see that anymore. Just a national video game & a bunch of kids in suits fighting over the keypad. At taxpayer expense and with better benefits than we get.

[liberalpragmatist]

38. It's well-written, and I think it deserves to be read...

... but I disagree with it. Westen may be a great psychologist, but he's no political scientist or historian. He continually asserts that the president should "lead" without any concrete suggestion about how to get legislation through the Senate, for example. And I've always found articles criticizing Obama's lack of a populist tone to be headscratchers - who did they think we were electing? I mean, Obama NEVER was a raging populist - he has a cool, detached, cerebral persona and that was obvious throughout his campaign. (Remember all the glowing stories about "No Drama Obama"?).

Of course, on policy grounds, I agree with some of it. The administration has been a disappointment on civil liberties, and his reluctance to do anything on gay rights is disturbing. I also think he needs to be tougher on the banks and should be looking into breaking up the big banks or reinstating Glass-Steagle. And I'm ambivalent on Afghanistan - more willing than most DU'ers to give it one last try but fairly skeptical and lean towards pulling out.

Still, on balance, I can't say I'm all that surprised by Obama and I thank our nation's voters every day that he's president.

[Sparkly]

41. Your agree/disagree

Thanks for a thoughtful post.

What I got from it, as far as the president's potential to lead, was the opinion that he could use his popularity, political capital, speaking skills, and the bully pulpit to bring the public around to the points of view he espoused. (Personally, I also think he could do much more to knock Congressional heads together and make things happen there.)

I do think he said quite a bit as a candidate that was "populist," and see it as a matter of policy more than demeanor (cool, detached, cerebral).

On policy, I agree that there were signs he might be weak (a lot of talk about reaching across the aisle, compromising) and signs that he wasn't going to be very progressive on gay rights, and Afghanistan didn't surprise me much -- except that I expected a fully-articulated rationale and plan of action.

But again, the main thing I think the piece emphasized was about pressing points to the people, as well as to Congress.

[freddie mertz]

39. I posted this last week. I think it's dead on the money. nt.

[gulliver]

43. Rhetoric should be kept out of the hands of children.

It is too dangerous. This guy is like Matt Taibbi only without the talent. (pause for laughter)

Seriously, who woulda thought Matt Taibbi could inspire wannabe's? Drew is truly precious.

[DrToast]

45. You have no idea who Drew Westen is, do you?

Without him, Obama may not have been elected and we might not have the congressional majorities we do.

[Greyhound]

44. "failure to articulate and defend any coherent ideological position on virtually anything"

& R

[burning rain]

47. The essence of Obamism is selling crony capitalism as populism.

.

[quantass]

48. K&R x 100 ** TERRIFIC Article. Highly Recommended ** n/t

[LatteLibertine]

54. Too bad

President Obama forgot to flip that change switch when he entered the oval office.

[mkultra]

55. please dont drag your garbage in here

we don't debate birther or teabagger ideology either.