1.22.2009

let the sunshine in

It is certainly premature to declare new era, but the actions taken by Mr. Obama in the first couple of days to limit his own power and that of the executive branch are very, very encouraging.

That being said, Brian Doherty's righteous outrage is sobering reminder to keep one's feet on the ground.

12 comments:

chris said...

And what else does he do in his first several days? Allow an exemption to the rules that he made for himself just a day or two prior. Yeah, that's change you can believe in. Status quo is the new change.

Gino said...

chris: i didnt want to break to him.
he was so hopeful.

Brian said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Brian said...

I'm sorry that I cannot seem to qualify my praise enough to satisfy the two of you. Every single post I've written about Obama (except this one, and for good reason) is riddled with hedging of my enthusiasm.

(I know this, ya see, not just because I wrote the posts, but because I've read them, too.)

If I am guilty of looking too eagerly for the bright side of the Obama administration (and I think my writing on the subject more than admits for that possibility) you are almost certainly guilty of the opposite.

Brian said...

None of the above is intended to discourage good old fashioned dissent around here, of course. (I wouldn't have it any other way.) I just feel like this particular conversation is going nowhere because you're arguing with how you seem to want to read me, not what I'm actually saying.

Gino said...

but its more fun calling you an obamphile than just 'some guy who crossed his fingers and voted for him anyway not expecting much in the first place'.

and you did just admit enthusiam, didnt ya?

play along, would ya? :)

KeepDurhamDifferent! said...

You suck for not voting for Barr.

chris said...

I'm chastised for calling him out on the carpet for granting exceptions to his own new rules? I suppose that means I carried the torch for Bush, too?

And KeepDurham is right. Not that Barr was a better candidate, but couldn't you at least go for the lesser of the three evils? You fair weather Libertarian, you. Or did you just get suckered in to the big swindle that your vote might be the reason that we'd end up with Yosemite Sam instead of Jimmy Carter II? You'd be a lot cooler if you just said you voted for the guy because you absolutely hate McCain, which would actually be true.

We already have one Canada in North America. Do we really need another?

Brian said...

There were at least as many libertarian reasons not to vote for Barr as there were reasons to vote for him. But as I've said before, "libertarian"--to me--is an adjective that describes how I tend to think. It isn't a noun that identifies me.

My voting is not a matter of conscience. I assure you that every vote that I cast is either calculating and cynical, or (when I vote for Libertarians) an utterly pointless exercise in self-expression.

If I were to vote my conscience, I would not vote at all.

On this point, Gino is clearly the better man (at least in the last election cycle.)

KeepDurhamDifferent! said...

weak

chris said...

"libertarian--to me--is an adjective that describes how I tend to think. It isn't a noun that identifies me."

I pretty much said the same thing in response to a question the other day about why the LP doesn't garner more market share than they do. And it's harder to gain traction when your whole platform is exactly anti-thetical to the "but what can you do for me?" platforms of the major parties. It's hard to sell personal freedom when the other team is offering cash.

chris said...

By the way, I think the count is up to one guy that needs exemption from the rules and two tax cheats. They always said too much sunshine was potentially bad for you.