Obama's Tantrum

Via Jim

                 

                          We’re Living in Post-Deliberative-Democracy America


Michael Gerson, gun-control supporter, argues that Obama’s Thursday-night tantrum did measurable damage to the cause of gun control and to America’s system of political decision-making itself:

With his last election behind him, Obama is free to be Obama. And it appears that he is, deep down, a liberal commentator of the MSNBC variety -- perhaps providing a preview of his post-presidency. The only apparent purpose of his gun speech was to incite the faithful by expressing a seething arrogance.

But it matters when the president of the United States decides that democratic persuasion is a fool’s game. It encourages the kind of will-to-power politics we see on the left and right. In this view, opponents are evil -- entirely beyond the normal instruments of reason and good faith. So the only option is the collection and exercise of power.

When the main players in our politics give up on deliberative democracy, it feels like some Rubicon is being crossed. Our system is designed for leaders who make arguments for their views, seek compromise and try different policy angles to break logjams. And when they lose, their proper recourse is . . .  to make more arguments, seek other compromises and try different policy angles.

It’s a great point, but Obama’s lack of interest in seriously engaging with those who disagree with him has been obvious for some time now -- going back to his “I won” declaration in his first negotiations with Congressional Republicans.

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