I think the tribalists of the Right who have been laboring to turn every single breath, every chance word, every look <\/a>and every movement <\/a>Obama makes into an opportunity to condemn him have, as is the custom with tribalists, acquitted themselves poorly. I don\u2019t think Obama is a devil in human form, so I don\u2019t assume that everything he says and does is motivated by nothing but pure evil and I don\u2019t think it\u2019s charitable to go searching for evidence that it is. I don\u2019t it\u2019s just or even smart to labor to construe everything he does as a monstrous subterfuge. I don\u2019t think its wise to always put the darkest possible construction on his every word and deed. And I don\u2019t think it\u2019s wise for Christians to do this. I thought the same with Bush, which was why I always rejected all the stupid \u201cBush is Hitler\u201d attempts to arraign him for every form of evil and depravity in the universe.<\/p>\n \u201cBut you were a *huge* critic of Bush!\u201d Righty-O! Still am. But I confined my criticism of Bush to actual, you know, evils like torture and lying about it and did not venture off into theories that Bush orchestrated 9\/11, that when he scratched his nose, he was was flipping off War Heroes, that he was tunneling under your house, that he was simultaneous a political genius architecting the greatest coup in history and a moron who cannot think without a teleprompter. Righty tribalists regurgitate these sorts of Group Identity Self-Affirmation Slogans 24\/7. They function, not as contact points with reality, but as a sort primate call by which the troop recognizes who is a Member of the Troop and who is a foreigner to be expelled. That\u2019s fine if your political life is mainly about having a Sense of Belonging. However, if (as in my case) you primarily think of politics as a means toward ordering the life of the community toward the Common Good, it\u2019s not so useful.<\/p>\n I think the sensible thing to do with Obama is be wise as a serpent and innocent as doves, to assume (as the Holy Father appears to assume) a charitable reading of Obama unless he actually gives reason not to do so. So when he, for instance, turns up in room with the Holy Father and makes a nice gesture of good will I don\u2019t think it\u2019s smart to gripe about it. When he does, you know, exactly what Bush did and bails out some big corp, I think it\u2019s fine to gripe about the bailout\u2013just so long as it\u2019s clearly noted that he\u2019s cleaning up a mess that was the result of years of GOP neglect. When his justice department talks about investigating Bush war crimes, it would be good if, in addition to pointing out that Obama is perpetuating much of the evil initially authorized by Bush, that it was also acknowledged that it was, you know, initially authorized by Bush. It would also be good to say, \u201cYou know, it will be really good if Obama\u2019s justice dept. does, in fact, do something about the war crimes of the Bush Administration.\u201d<\/p>\n Here in the Land of Binary Politics, to say things like the above invites catcalls from the practitioners of Identity Politics (now as abundant on the Right as on the Left). All one need to do to make oneself a marked man in the present atmosphere of tribalism is to, say, combine a remark that Sarah Palin probably was not really ready to be Veep with some other remark that Obama did something right and blammo!, you are revealed as a subversive fifth columnist, an enemy of all righteousness, and a false prophet who is deliberately leading unwary souls to damnation. Why? Because you have sent two signals that you are Not of the Tribe. True tribal members always cheer for Palin and always find a way to say that Obama is bad. Simple as that.<\/p>\n I think the Pope\u2019s approach is more sensible<\/a>. Regard Obama as a member of the species homo sapiens, not as a devil in human form. Extend him charity wherever possible and resist him wherever necessary, not always and everywhere, no matter what. Assume he is teachable, not that his mind is unalterable. Be aware that politicians say things they don\u2019t mean in order to get elected (such as \u201cFOCA is a huge priority for me\u201d and \u201cYay for gay marriage!\u201d) When such politicians back away from such feigned commitments, applaud them for doing so instead of continuing to treat them with implacable enmity. When they say they will read the encyclical and the Church\u2019s teaching on the life issues, take them at their word. Recall that Obama has nothing in his background that is likely to have acquainted him with actual Catholic teaching. Note that the cordiality between he and Benedict appears to be quite genuine. Be glad of that, instead of darkly muttering about it.<\/p>\n At the same time, since we should be watching what they do and not what they say, pay attention to who Obama surrounds himself with. For instance, when you appoint a nutty<\/a> eugenicist<\/a> like the impenitent population planner John Holdren <\/a>to be your Science Czar, you are also sending a message. As long as Obama has his ear out for such voices, he signals danger. However, the way Christians persuade him to listen to their voices is not be telling him, \u201cNo matter what you do or say on any conceivable subject, we will condemn it.\u201d People subjected to such treatment tend to think there\u2019s no point in trying to talk to you. God bless good Pope Benedict who is trying some other approach than the standard tribal culture wars template of American political discourse.<\/p>\n