By Patrick
Virginia Postrel has a smart critique of Obama:
His glamour makes it easy to imagine that a President Obama would dissolve differences, abolish hard choices, and achieve political consensus—or that he’s a stealth candidate who will translate his vague platform into a mandate for whatever policies you the voter happen to support.
Where optimists fill in mystery with their hopes, however, pessimists project their fears. The flip side of glamour is horror: the vampire, the con man, the femme fatale, the double agent. These glamorous archetypes remind us of how easy it is to succumb to desire and manipulation. What, ask his opponents, is Obama hiding?[…]
To rely on illusions is to risk disillusionment. If Obama the dream candidate becomes Obama the real president, he’ll be forced to pick sides, make compromises, and turn “hope” and “change” into policies some people like and some people don’t…Some of his supporters will feel disappointed, even betrayed.
I don’t agree with all of her points. For instance, it is hard for me to accept that Obama’s platform is "vague"; as has been written in this space many times, Obama has a plethora of detailed policy proposals. That said, Obama’s theme of unity, hope, and bipartisanship certainly allows room for supporters and opponents to fantasize. There are good reasons to support Obama beyond the glamour, but I have no doubt many Obama supporters are guilty of the projections Postrel describes.
The Dish 