Winter Break WK #2: “A President-Elect’s Progress”
From Rev. Wright to Rev. Warren
by William Kristol 12/29/2008
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Until last week, the most important and most famous man of the cloth with whom Barack Obama was associated was the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, his longtime pastor from Chicago’s South Side. Today, that distinction belongs to the Reverend Rick Warren, best-selling evangelical author (The Purpose Driven Life) and pastor of Saddleback Church, thanks to Obama’s inviting him to deliver the invocation at the Inauguration. Talk about growing in office! Obama’s growing even before he assumes office. Is this smart politics on Obama’s part? Sure. Does it mean Obama has studied the mistakes of his predecessors, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton? Probably. Obama may have learned from their examples that, even though everyone says the economic crisis has put social issues on a far back burner, mishandling those issues can severely damage one’s presidency: Recall gays in the military under Clinton and the IRS ruling on Christian schools under Carter. If Obama’s selection of Warren is smart politics, it’s of a piece with four years of smart politics. In his 2004 Democratic Convention speech, with his statement that “We worship an awesome God in the blue states,” Obama tried to reassure red-state awesome-God-worshipers about the Democratic party. Indeed, he has generally gone out of his way not to disparage social conservatives. He knows–better than many Republicans–that social conservatism is the strongest political force on the right. So social conservatives may want to respond with some smart politics of their own. They might try taking Obama at his word. He’s for overturning Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell–but he’s also concerned about the military’s smooth functioning. Social conservatives could offer to join a bipartisan commission to study how the policy has been working and to consider alternatives–asking for assurances up front that Obama isn’t dogmatically committed to the conclusion that there’s nothing problematic about open gays serving anywhere and everywhere in the military. Similarly, Obama has said he wants to reduce the number of abortions. Maybe pro-lifers should offer to work with him on this. He and the Democratic Congress are going to try to funnel gushers of money to Planned Parenthood. How about some money for crisis pregnancy centers? Obama says he’s not hostile to faith-based initiatives. Social conservatives might offer to work with him to make sure his ACLU-type appointees don’t inadvertently–contrary to Obama’s wishes–shut down many of those fine programs. No conservative should kid himself about what the Obama administration is going to be like. Many of its key policies will be anathema to social conservatives. But social conservatives need to persuade some social moderates, and social undecideds, and social conflicteds, and social uncertains of the reasonableness of conservative concerns, and the sincerity of conservatives’ claims that they seek progress in these areas, not merely conflict. There will be plenty of occasions to draw lines with the Obama administration. For now, it might be a good idea to offer a few olive branches to Obama as well. And the selection of Rick Warren may turn out to have significance beyond short-term political maneuvering. One can see this from the hysteria on the left and among gay activists. They sense that Obama isn’t willing to sign on to their campaign to delegitimize, to cast out beyond the pale of polite society, anyone who opposes same-sex marriage–and in particular, anyone (like Warren) who supported Proposition 8 in California, the initiative that overturned the California Supreme Court’s legalization of same-sex marriage. The assault on Prop 8 supporters has been extraordinary in its mean-spiritedness and extremism–but the left knows what it’s doing. The purpose has been to intimidate people with an opposing point of view from defending their position. To be against same-sex marriage, even against the judicial imposition of same-sex marriage, is to be a bigot. As one leftwinger said on CNN, Warren is a “hatemonger” comparable to “the grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan.” Or, as the Human Rights Campaign’s Brad Luna told Byron York of National Review, dismissing the fact that the benediction will be delivered by the Reverend Joseph Lowery, who is more friendly to gay marriage: “I don’t think any Jewish Americans would feel much comfort in knowing that an anti-Semite is starting the inauguration with an invocation, but we’re going to end it with a rabbi.” So the claim is, opposing same-sex marriage is tantamount to being a racist or an anti-Semite. Making that charge is at the heart of the agenda of the gay lobby. They don’t want to debate same-sex marriage. They want to demonize its opponents. Ironically, Lowery himself, who is a (somewhat equivocal) supporter of gay marriage, refuses to equate the gay rights and the civil rights movements: “Homosexuals as a people have never been enslaved because of their sexual orientation,” he told the Associated Press. “They may have been scorned; they may have been discriminated against. But they’ve never been enslaved and declared less than human.” And, one could add, gender and sex are at least potentially morally relevant in a way a decent society will not allow skin color to be. Skin color is skin deep. Gender and sex are more complicated–which is why even in our “enlightened” age, all distinctions based on gender and sexual orientation haven’t collapsed. God knows, Obama isn’t going to be out there defending such distinctions, or explaining which are reasonable and which aren’t. And it’s certain Obama is going to govern as a pro-abortion rights, not-particularly-pro-traditional-family, social liberal. But he at least seems open to a discussion of these issues. And that leaves some political space for social conservatives to continue making their case over the next few years. Conservatives have to be ready to stand up for themselves–and for each other–if and when the left comes at them from the academy, Hollywood, and the media. Obama’s invitation to Rick Warren doesn’t mean his administration won’t put a heavy thumb on the left side of the scale in our cultural conflicts. It doesn’t even mean that organs of the federal government, over which Obama will of course be presiding, won’t try to stifle nonconforming opinions. But the Warren invitation means that one can at least appeal to Obama’s own precedent against suppressing out-of-favor views. The left senses that the invitation to Rick Warren is a blow to their effort to establish a soft tyranny of “correct” opinion, to enforce society-wide political orthodoxy, on social issues. They’re right. This isn’t the time for conservatives to snipe at Obama’s motives. It’s time to welcome him into the American mainstream, to salute the president-elect’s progress from Reverends Wright to Warren. –William Kristol |
This article went a different way then I thought it would. It started off talking about Obama’s invitation to Rick Warren to do the invocation at the inauguration. Then it moved to talking a little bit about Social conservatives. “Social conservatism is the strongest political force on the right.” I’m glad Obama knows this and that he is willing to work with them. The social conservatives are probably going to hate Obama’s key policies but “they need to persuade some social moderates, and social undecideds, and social conflicteds, and social uncertains of the reasonableness of conservative concerns, and the sincerity of conservatives’ claims that they seek progress in these areas, not merely conflict.” This I think will help them go head to head with Obama in areas that are important to them.
The article then finishes with a big talk on gay marriage. This section seems out of place to me in an article entitled “A President-elect’s progress.” I had to read this section twice to really understand why it was in there. “The purpose has been to intimidate people with an opposing point of view from defending their position. To be against same-sex marriage, even against the judicial imposition of same-sex marriage, is to be a bigot.” This is a good way for the left to portray people against same-sex marriage and also an effective way to get supporters. Although I am not sure how people equate the gay rights and the civil rights movements. They aren’t similar at all and Joseph Lowery, the reverend giving the benediction at the inauguration, gives us some good points as to why they aren’t the same thing.
Connection: I can connect this article to the litmus test. The two reverends that Obama has asked to speak at the inauguration would have their litmus tests come out differently. This shows us how Obama is willing to work with both sides and how he is able to play the political game.
I really had no idea which direction this article was headed towards. The word “progress” made it seem like the article would focus mainly on Obama’s political agenda as his inauguration creeps closer and closer with every passing day. Now that all the Christmas hype is over, the next two big events in our lives are New Years and the inauguration in early January. It was almost a shock to read about social issues like abortion and gay rights simply because it feels like they haven’t really come up very much since the economy took over the major headlines. “…everyone says the economic crisis has put social issues on a far back burner” (William Kristol). Just like any eager president-elect, waiting to take this place in office, it’s smart that Obama “at least seems open to a discussion of these issues” (William Kristol). Obviously, he can’t please everyone, but at least he’s making an effort to include others (who really desire to voice their opinions) in the discussion. After all, there aren’t that many true Democrats and true Republicans left these days. This cross-pressure is driving people insane since it may be hard to identify more with one party than the other.
Connection: This article definitely does relate to the litmus test. In an October interview with NBC news, “Obama indicated he would only appoint judges to the Supreme Court who support unlimited abortions” (Steven Ertelt). The author continues in his article, saying that this was a “clear pro-abortion litmus test for federal justices” (Ertelt). Perhaps I never heard about this decision, or maybe I just can’t remember reading anything about it. Either way, such a decision clearly brings particular social issues in front of public eyes (or off the far back burner, at least).
It is nice to see that even though the Democrats control the Presidency, House and Senate, that President-elect Obama is compromising. He knows that he cannot please everyone in our nation but that sticking to the middle may win him an extra four years in the oval office. Conservatives need to take this opportunity to offer the “olive branch” peace offering as a start in order to take advantage of a President willing to help both sides.
Also in the article, it shows that people will do whatever it takes to get people to think their way. Such as calling people “bigots” who do not support same-sex marriage. This will be biggest social problem for Obama as name calling is most likely the first course of action which with further escalate.
Connection: In a way, Preident-elect Obama is still building his party platform in the social arena, figuring out ways to please the left and the right. He already knows what his policies are, but at the same time he is modifying and tweaking. His goal most likely in doing so is to earn himself another four years. As we have learned, politicians start extremely early to insure success and reelection.
It is a given that Obama was going to move toward the middle. That is what ideally what a President should do: work in the middle where most Americans are. The author made a great point that Obama has probably learned from his processors. “Recall gays in the military under Clinton and the IRS ruling on Christian school under Carter.” It’s a horribly bad idea to ignore the opposition’s feelings, and it’s a bad idea to assume just because something doesn’t have the spotlight, that it will be ignored. We can only hope that both social conservatives and social liberals can reach some peach with one another. Obama is trying to offer the olive branch. “And it’s certain Obama is going to govern as a pro-abortion rights, not-particularly-pro-traditional-family, social liberal. But he at least seems open to a discussion of these issues.” I thought it was interesting that the author brought up the issue of same sex marriage, but it does make a point. I believe that the biggest point made was how sensitive the issue at hand is. With extreme views on both sides, and insults slung at some groups, it is easy to see how delicately Obama will have to handle this situation. Obama will have many hard decisions, of which he will have to try to maintain this middle ground, and keep the peace between opposing sides.
Connection: The hyper pluralist theory could be considered true in tough social issues. Obama, and many other politicians have and will receive extreme pressure from many groups especially those of concerning same sex marriage. A definite decision will be hard to make because of the pull from each group. Obama is required to stay somewhere toward the middle, and by upsetting liberals or conservatives, he could be hurt greatly. With the pressure from different grounds, will we have an answer to the legality of same sex marriages during the next four to eight years?
This author brings up some very good points conservatives truly do need to work with Obama where they can, these next at least four years conservatives are definitely outnumbered. Work with does not mean let him do what he wants but with no majority it will be the only way to accomplish any task. Obama is definitely a politician to the core what he is doing is definitely trying to appeal to everyone of which he seems to be doing a good job of. What he will actually do while in office who knows, the problem with his appealing to everyone is: can he keep it up? Once his promises have ran their course and it comes time for him to fulfill them can he? Quite a bit is riding on this term for him and the Democrats, Obama is the idol and he will be held accountable for the progress of the US good or bad possibly more so than ever before.
Connection: Being extreme wins primaries but being more center wins general elections, Obama has become more politically centered, the only Democrats to win in a long time have been politicians such as Clinton who compromise with the right.
In response to Rachel Kerr: “It was almost a shock to read about social issues like abortion and gay rights simply because it feels like they haven’t really come up very much since the economy took over the major headlines. “…everyone says the economic crisis has put social issues on a far back burner” (William Kristol).” The “economy crisis” is being taken care of, so it is necessary to look past it and see what else there is to do. The social issues need to be taken back off of the “back burners” because they are important issues that can drastically affect Obama’s presidency. Abortion and gay rights are two most important social issues out there that will never go away, so the sooner that Obama can figure out what to do with them and get them out of his way, the sooner he can go on to other issues and policies. I think that Obama is taking the right path and keeping his options open until he knows exactly what he wants to do on the two issues. Letting both sides one either issue have a say and an overall effect is hard to do, but overall it will help him to make the best decision. The “economic crisis” is not going to be around much longer with the prices of so many things dropping, such as gas which is down to $1.53. Economy will always be an issue, but now it is more even with the rest of the issues.