Reply #26: Things that were called impossible include: aviation, electricity, the

[Bluenorthwest]

Untied States of America, the moon landing, women flying planes, and the election of Barack Obama.

The 'art of the possible' as a calling card for why one can not do what is right is not a mitigation, but an admission of a shortcoming. Many things are impossible until the fist mind comes along good enough to simply do it. "The art of the possible" means "this is what I am capable of producing".