What Obama Can Learn From FDR

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Other Politics
Posted on Tue Jun 30, 2009 at 12:04:05 PM EST
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So writes Time magazine this week:

Alas for countless pundits and inspirational speakers, it is apparently not the case that the Chinese word for crisis is spelled by joining the characters for danger and opportunity. But that common fallacy nevertheless captures an important metaphorical truth: whatever the perils it brings with it, a crisis can be a grand opportunity. Among those who have understood that truth was Franklin D. Roosevelt. . . . [T]he crisis of the 1930s also provided an object lesson in the relationship between economic danger and political opportunity — a lesson Barack Obama is now trying to follow. Obama, too, came to office in the midst of an economic crisis, and in the solutions he has offered, it appears he has often looked to the example of F.D.R., whose presidency — and the very idea of activist government that it represents — is very much back in the public mind this year. Roosevelt pushed through policies that aimed not just to deal with the immediate challenge of the Great Depression but also to benefit generations of Americans to come. Pulling off a similar feat will require Obama to persuade Americans to see opportunities in the present crisis as well.

Not bad. But it also provides me an excuse to link again to my first post at TalkLeft in the summer of 2006, What Obama Needs To Learn From . . . FDR. Probably my best post here. It's all been downhill since then.

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What Obama Can Learn From FDR | 65 comments (65 topical)

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Um, in what way (5.00 / 6) (#1)
by dk on Tue Jun 30, 2009 at 12:07:07 PM EST

is Obama remotely pursuing policies that will benefit generations of Americans to come? The so-called "public option?" The inadequate stimulus plan? Giving away trillions to banksers?

I mean, as a historical discussion of what FDR did, this is fine. But stating that Obama, through his actions, is even remotely doing the same is basically as flatly wrong as when Republicans try to label him as a socialist.

: ironic? (none / 0) (#6)
by Capt Howdy on Tue Jun 30, 2009 at 01:05:13 PM EST

But stating that Obama, through his actions, is even remotely doing the same is basically as flatly wrong as when Republicans try to label him as a socialist.

: Generations yet to come... (none / 0) (#60)
by lambert on Tue Jun 30, 2009 at 08:21:06 PM EST

... doesn't actually mean everybody in each generation, right?

FDR was born into wealth... (5.00 / 3) (#3)
by Dadler on Tue Jun 30, 2009 at 12:26:30 PM EST

...and into membership in the priveliged class. As such, he had a much easier time telling that class they were greedy, thoughtless and destroying their country for the less fortunate. Once he could turn his back on them, then real change started to happen.

Obama has spent his life trying to get into that club, and he has shown no real inclination to turn his back on those most destructive now. In fact, he is trusting that they are the ones who can make things better.

Obama, sadly, is probably not capable psychologically of turning his back on the clique he spent so much time and effort getting into. I hope its not so, I hope he can flip them the bird and soon, but I really don't see it happening.

We are all prisoners of our own selves. With rare exceptions. Excruciatingly rare when it comes to politicians.

: FDR was also doing eleventh hour (none / 0) (#10)
by jondee on Tue Jun 30, 2009 at 01:36:53 PM EST

damage control for the purposes of averting all-out revoloution. The man was the hard-eyed realists realist. Eleanor (gee, I think you're swell), was the idealist.

I Agree (5.00 / 1) (#4)
by squeaky on Tue Jun 30, 2009 at 12:48:50 PM EST

Your first post was smoking.. (just re read it) Really great, but downhill from there? Nah.. Your posts have been very consistent, imo. That first post put down a foundation, which is really solid ground, good to come back to.

Nice to dream of what a great leader can do though. And I love learning that the chinese character for crisis is danger and opportunity, a great hook. Nice article by David Kennedy..

Thanks for sticking with TL..

Greatness? (5.00 / 3) (#5)
by mmc9431 on Tue Jun 30, 2009 at 12:54:08 PM EST

Obama doesn't see the need to rise to greatness. I think he feels he's already there. Just being elected is enough for his ego right now.

Both Obama and the Democratic leadership are more than content to tred water and maintain the status quo. Neither are willing to step out on any political limb.

What they seem to have forgotten very quickly, is that they were elected by a substantial margin in the belief that they were going to lead and change the direction of the country.

Wait a sec (5.00 / 2) (#7)
by lilburro on Tue Jun 30, 2009 at 01:09:13 PM EST

you are not insinuating that Obama needs to lead, are you?

From my POV the entire healthcare approach thus far has been the opposite of what Time writes above. The willingness to compromise and lack of personal leadership on Obama's part say to me that there is no crisis, that this is not a good opportunity. And the message is also that this opportunity is so fragile that it must be handled with kids' gloves - ssh! don't talk about anything else! We're handling healthcare while we can!

Thus far I don't think Obama has been the master of public opinion that he needs to be. I really liked Kevin Drum's analysis on the subject.

: The "public option" explained (none / 0) (#61)
by lambert on Tue Jun 30, 2009 at 08:23:10 PM EST

Here.

Too bad Obama missed your original (5.00 / 3) (#8)
by Anne on Tue Jun 30, 2009 at 01:13:50 PM EST

post, BTD. Not only is this:

Politics is not a battle for the middle. It is a battle for defining the terms of the political debate. It is a battle to be able to say what is the middle.

a lesson he did not learn, it is an opportunity he missed, much to our detriment.

He's still going out of his way to use the right's terms to define where the middle is - I think someone with real leadership ability would be able to define the middle, firmly lay claim to that territory and then bring people there on its own merits.

: The Right's terms to define the middle (none / 0) (#12)
by jondee on Tue Jun 30, 2009 at 01:41:01 PM EST

Barack, meet Bill.
A war party with two right-wings, as people like Gore Vidal have been telling us for forty years.

Goals vs Vision (5.00 / 1) (#9)
by koshembos on Tue Jun 30, 2009 at 01:20:10 PM EST

Before judging Obama's approach and failures one should realize that Obama came to the presidency with a collection of goal. Financial recovery was the pressing goal. Some form of health care reform and climate/green energy program where two other goals. General fairness towards the middle class in particular and the regular Jane in general were somewhat of an amorphic goals.

The legacy of FDR is a wide spectrum of legislation, agencies, policies and goals that amount to a liberal vision. That's drastically different than the minimal target of Obama.

Any comparison between the two, at least presently, reveals almost nothing in common and a lot of difference.

Well, (5.00 / 1) (#13)
by bocajeff on Tue Jun 30, 2009 at 01:42:52 PM EST

I sure hope he doesn't imprison U.S. citizens in the hundreds of thousands for nothing more than their ethnicity or indiscriminately firebombs civilians in the hundreds of thousands. Or prolongs the great depression. Yes, there were good things as well, I'm just not another hero worshiper.

there is a great (none / 0) (#14)
by Capt Howdy on Tue Jun 30, 2009 at 01:56:54 PM EST

tv movie around (HBO or SHO) I cant remember called The Gathering Storm which is about Churchill.
it is a very interesting behind the scenes look at that period.
doenst paint FDR as rosily as some others I have seen or Churchill either for that matter.


Really? (none / 0) (#17)
by Samuel on Tue Jun 30, 2009 at 02:15:00 PM EST

Historical fiction / HBO documentary? That's the best we can do?

Regarding efficacy of the New Deal: http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/FDR-s-Policies-Prolonged-Depression-5409.aspx I can't find the full text at this point in time, maybe the link has expired)

And the economic side of his administration (with sources) http://mises.org/books/rooseveltmyth.pdf


you seem very angry (5.00 / 1) (#21)
by Capt Howdy on Tue Jun 30, 2009 at 02:41:25 PM EST

about something that happened 70 years ago.
actually it reminds me of a story I read once. the guy said when he was growing up he thought G@d Damned was FDRs first name because the only thing he ever heard was G@d Damned Roosevelt.


: Haha sorry. (none / 0) (#30)
by Samuel on Tue Jun 30, 2009 at 03:04:40 PM EST

I mean you did recommend someone watch a fictitious account of history to educate themselves... I was definitely grinning not seething when I wrote that reply.

: Well, (none / 0) (#36)
by bocajeff on Tue Jun 30, 2009 at 05:07:41 PM EST