In light of last week's discussion about the pragmatism of Booker T. Washington's approach to racial equality in American versus W.E.B DeBois's more idealistic critique of Washington's philosophy, this WaPo story by Dana Milbank seems awfully relevant.
The story argues that Obama needs ditch some of the idealism that emanates from his White House staff and heed the advice of his uber-pragmatic chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel. Obama faces a question much like that one we wrestled with last class.
Obama chose the profane former Clinton adviser for a reason. Where the president is airy and idealistic, Rahm is earthy and calculating. One thinks big; the other, a former House Democratic Caucus chair, understands the congressional mind, in which small stuff counts for more than broad strokes.
In my view, this is a question central to the idea of America, a political experiment that has its roots in the radical idea that "all men are created equal." Our reality does not match our ideals. So how do we begin to change--this is a debate that continues on and on.
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