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On July 11, RJ Eskow posted an article on HuffPo that sums up what I've been thinking re: Obama's style of politics for awhile now: Have We Missed the Key to Obama's Leadership Style?http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rj-eskow/have-we-missed-the-key-to_b_112289.htmlSome quick quotes: When I did some work [in Japan] nearly twenty years ago I encountered some of the same traits we're seeing in Obama now: The urge for consensus. The courtesy toward all parties, no matter how strong the disagreements. The nearly-holographic quality of appearing different to different observers. The centeredness and self-control.
It may be coincidental. Or it may be the result of growing up with Hawaii's Pacific Rim influence. But Obama's management style resembles the classic Japanese model. And, at least historically, these haven't just been behaviors. They're living embodiments of a spiritual perception which says that all humanity -- all existence -- is interconnected and equal.
The operative word, the core value behind this behavior, is unity. Unity means preserving the integrity of a social group. Where elections and debates emphasize process, and policies focus on outcome, unity creates an emphasis structure. That's unfamiliar to us.
[...]
Obama's been frustrating observers across the political spectrum lately. Progressive bloggers are debating whether he's driven by cynicism or centrism, while the rightwingers at Human Events claim there's a "Secret Plan Behind Obama's Move to the Right!"
They're all missing the point. He's not moving to the Right. His political architecture isn't built on the old foundation of Right vs. Left -- or on Right vs. Wrong, for that matter. It isn't even binary. When it comes to policy he inclines toward the progressive position, but he's not thinking in terms of "winning" or "losing." His goal is group unity around the best possible realistic outcome. That means assess the situation, get what you can, then move to bring the parties together around a new consensus. Having read both of Senator Obama's books, and looking into his work in the IL state legislature and the US Senate, I think Eskow's analysis is spot on. Give the article a read. Tags: reference
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Singer-songwriter Eric Anders Rowe has released a numbered, limited edition EP! (That would be my good friend ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) ericrowe, for those playing at home.) 'The Problem With Romance' is a five-song EP, written and performed by e.a.rowe. This is a first run, limited to one hundred hand-numbered discs, and featuring photography by the multi-talented mercurialgirl. The songs deal with issues of obsession, fear, shame... and just a bit of surprisingly resilient hope. Five bucks, plus $2 S&H within the US. Click the image for a buy-link:  Go drop a fiver plus two and get some kickass music. I did. Tags: 240 dollars worth of puddin', dc-metro, reference
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First, a personal anecdote. Back in the last millennium, I either heard or read something that ended up causing a fundamental shift in my perspective and personal psychology. It had to do with active listening and conversational stances. The short form of this insight was along the lines of "in a conversation, are you actually listening to the other participants, or just waiting for your turn to speak?" IIRC, one method to judge this involved paying attention to the pronouns one used in speaking -- are you using more "I" than "we" constructions, for example. ( STUFF )In light of this, I think this habitual pronoun usage helps explain an element (among many, including the substantial and the style-focused) of my distaste for Senator Clinton. I'd love to hear the observations/opinions on this sort of pronoun usage from my f-list -- especially in light of the "unused" pronouns [singular you, plural you (yinz/y'all), and he/she/it) -- be it discussing typical conversation or the political arena. Tags: mental health, philosophy, reference
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