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{"id":1876,"date":"2008-02-07T13:35:53","date_gmt":"2008-02-07T13:35:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/voxnova2.wordpress.com\/?p=1830"},"modified":"2008-02-07T13:35:53","modified_gmt":"2008-02-07T13:35:53","slug":"the-pragmatic-center","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/voxnova\/2008\/02\/07\/the-pragmatic-center\/","title":{"rendered":"“The Pragmatic Center”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

In what sense \u2014 to use Gerald\u2019s term\u00a0<\/a>\u2014 does Obama\u2019s good showing on Super Tuesday indicate the \u201cresurrection\u201d of the \u201cpragmatic center\u201d?\u00a0 Seriously.\u00a0\u00a0Sen. Obama \u2014 who is clearly, in many ways, an attractive and decent person \u2014 was recently rated the most \u201cliberal\u201d (scare quotes used to anticipate Morning\u2019s Minion\u2019s objection to the term, which is not mine) Senator in Congress.\u00a0 He\u2019s down-the-line, 100%, for (what in America goes by the name of) the left-liberal line.\u00a0 Even his (very good) speeches do not promise centrism and non-ideological compromise; they promise efforts to unite America around his own, 100% left-liberal views.\u00a0 If those are your views, great.\u00a0 But if not . . .<\/p>\n

And, of course, unlike even Jerry Nadler, Obama\u00a0voted against \u2014 and gave deeply troubling reasons for voting against <\/a>\u2014 the Born Alive Infants Protection Act.\u00a0 Where\u2019s the evidence (besides the nice speeches) that Obama takes us beyond \u201cideological politics\u201d, or that he is \u201cwilling to exchange ideas and strategies\u201d?<\/p>\n

Now, as it happens, there is a candidate in the race, also a Senator, also with an inspiring life story, who actually does <\/em>have a record (for better or worse) of compromise and collaboration \u201cacross the aisle\u201d, who (unlike Obama) has actually taken political risks in opposing torture and nativism, and who (unlike Obama) does not think there should be a constitutional right to snuff out a helpless\u00a0newborn who manages to survive an abortion.\u00a0 I\u2019m just sayin\u2019 . . . .<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"