BIPARTISANSHIP IS A TWO-WAY STREET, BUT THE NAME OF THE STREET IS PRAGMATISM:

Obama's Grand Bargain: The principles and promise of Obamaism (Bruce Reed, Jan. 15, 2009, Slate)

As John Dickerson observes, pragmatism has already become as much the watchword of Obama's presidency as change and hope were the mantras of his campaign. His widely praised choices for the Cabinet and the White House staff are pragmatic and principled, not ideological. In the face of so many unprecedented problems with uncertain answers, they'll have to be.

Pragmatism does not have to limit Obama's horizons. Franklin Roosevelt, who can hardly be accused of modest ambitions, saw pragmatism as a prerequisite of boldness. In a 1932 commencement speech, he called it "bold persistent experimentation" and explained: "It is common sense to take a method and try it: If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something. ... We need enthusiasm, imagination and the ability to face facts, even unpleasant ones, bravely."

Obama appears to have taken FDR's insight to heart: Americans will be more willing to take a chance on something new if they know they can exchange it if it doesn't work. The current debate about whether America is a center-left or center-right country misses the point. Americans have little enough interest in ideology in ordinary times; at times like this, their overriding loyalty is to what works.

While pragmatism has been a hallmark of most successful presidencies, post-partisanship is mostly uncharted territory. As Ron Brownstein writes in his history of partisan division, a president is the only person in Washington with the power to disrupt the inexorable, bipartisan slide toward partisanship for its own sake.

Actually, a president has no power to overcome partisanship by himself. Recall how devoted W was to the idea of working with Democrats, yet once he was elected they effectively put a gag rule on anyone talking to him about joining the cabinet.

However, if the UR really is driven by pragmatism then he'll have a great relationship with Republicans and New Democrats--whose ideas work--and a terrible one with liberal Democrats--whose don't. That's why the main threat to a successful first term is Nancy Pelosi.

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Posted by Orrin Judd at January 15, 2009 8:35 AM