For those who want to thank Medea of Code Pink for her speaking out

[ellennelle]

36. she was NOT listening

which is just rude. and it was his forum, not hers. i thought his reaction to her was beyond gracious, and his ability to actually use her outburst to further make her and his point - while acknowledging her right to do so, and in fact honoring her passion on the subject - utterly remarkable.

as he showed, though she did not listen to him, he listened to her. and what she missed, sad to say sad for her, was obama speaking - at the very least between the lines, but also overtly - his position as coinciding with hers! this is what happens when one lingers too long on the fringe; you can no longer hear the other end of the argument.

don't get me wrong; we need fringes, the more far out there in many respects the better. the further out the 'tails' the broader the 'normal' range. moreover, in principle at least, i agree with almost everything she was trying to say.

but what she missed was a dose of measured wisdom in addressing all the passions that obama shares with her. he is in the hotseat here, and he fully recognizes that you cannot bring about change by cleaving it full force. this brings about too much chaos and angst, too much hatred. change takes hold and endures best when it is applied with great care and respect for the strengths and weaknesses of what is being changed both from and to. understanding those subtle shapes and undulations in the process takes incredible skill; i'm amazed at this man's ability to do this so deftly. you have to try and carve at the joints, where there is greatest give, and where the integrity of the beast is kept in place, and its utility most likely.

so sorry for the bloody metaphor. switching to the aircraft carrier trope, you just can't reverse direction all of a sudden; best way to sink.

i disagree with obama on numbers of issues, but i have the utmost respect for his wisdom and integrity. these are the reasons i voted for him, not so much the policy issues (though those were important; i could not have voted for him had he shown policy positions like mitt's, of course).

but to watch how he has navigated through this unbelievable nightmare that bush left for him, that the republicans perpetuate with a vengeance, it's like watching barishnikov dance, i tell ya.

he's geting there; steady as you go. he's not forgotten his principles, or ours, or our country's; but he is carefully picking his battles and keeping a keen eye for timing.

obama scored hugely yesterday; code pink sadly fell face down in the mud. again.