Monday, November 17, 2008

Obama Hipsters Need to Know NAFTA


For all the people who like Obama just because he's cool (yes he is), you'd also be served if you learned about NAFTA, foreign policy and some of the intricacies of government.

That's what Obama's cool is about-- power to the people. If you're not paying attention to government, in 8 years, we could get stuck with Sarah Palin or worse, if there is such a thing.
WaPo: "Obama is a figure, especially in pop culture, in a way that most new presidents are not," historian Michael Beschloss says. "Young people who may not be interested in the details of NAFTA or foreign policy just think Obama is cool, and they're interested in him. Being cool can really help a new president."

So can a sense of optimism, reflected on USA Today's front page. "Poll: Hopes soaring for Obama, administration," the headline said, with 65 percent saying "the USA will be better off 4 years from now."

But what happens when adulation gives way to the messy, incremental process of governing? When Obama has to confront a deep-rooted financial crisis, two wars and a political system whose default setting is gridlock? When he makes decisions that inevitably disappoint some of his boosters?