STILL COMMITTED

For weeks now, the meme on the blogosphere has been that President-elect Obama has been slowly alienating the coalition that elected him. From his appointment of centrists to his cabinet to the recent flap over his invitation of evangelical Christian minister Rick Warren to give the invocation at the inauguration, there’s been plenty of red meat for those commentators who are chomping at the bit to declare that the Change We Need is dead before arrival.

For that reason, I found it extremely telling to read the President-elect’s interview with TIME in the forthcoming Person-of-the-Year issue. Throughout his (admittedly brief) time in national politics, Barack Obama’s most defining habit has been candor - in spite of ideology and, to some extent, even in spite of politics. He hasn’t been afraid to speak frankly when simply falling in line and not making much noise would be more politically expedient. It’s what brought him to the brink of voting for John Roberts’ confirmation to the Supreme Court, before offering a thoughtful and well-reasoned explanation of his ultimate opposition. It is also explains why during the Rev. Wright scandal, his first instinct was to give an honest, unprecedented and statesmanlike speech on race at the height of the most damaging controversy of his presidential campaign, when the easier route would have been to simply give a categorical denunciation, as he did once Wright forced his hand.

More to the point, it is what drove him to set concrete expectations for what his administration must achieve in its first years during the TIME interview. This candor is the mark of a supremely confident person, who knows what he wants to accomplish and how to do it, and does not fear the consequences of showing his cards, albeit briefly. But while Obama’s willingness to set expectations was unsurprising, what was still remarkable to me was the height of the bar he has set:

On [domestic] policy, have we helped this economy recover from what is the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression? Have we instituted financial regulations and rules of the road that assure this kind of crisis doesn't occur again? Have we created jobs that pay well and allow families to support themselves? Have we made significant progress on reducing the cost of health care and expanding coverage? Have we begun what will probably be a decade-long project to shift America to a new energy economy? Have we begun what may be an even longer project of revitalizing our public-school systems so we can compete in the 21st century? That's on the domestic front.

On foreign policy, have we closed down Guantánamo in a responsible way, put a clear end to torture and restored a balance between the demands of our security and our Constitution? Have we rebuilt alliances around the world effectively? Have I drawn down U.S. troops out of Iraq, and have we strengthened our approach in Afghanistan — not just militarily but also diplomatically and in terms of development? And have we been able to reinvigorate international institutions to deal with transnational threats, like climate change, that we can't solve on our own?

And outside of specific policy measures, two years from now, I want the American people to be able to say, "Government's not perfect; there are some things Obama does that get on my nerves. But you know what? I feel like the government's working for me. I feel like it's accountable. I feel like it's transparent. I feel that I am well informed about what government actions are being taken. I feel that this is a President and an Administration that admits when it makes mistakes and adapts itself to new information, that believes in making decisions based on facts and on science as opposed to what is politically expedient." Those are some of the intangibles that I hope people two years from now can claim.

Reading this laundry list, one must be reminded that the president-elect is not describing what he thinks he'll achieve by January 2017, when he hopes to retire to Hyde Park. He is setting benchmarks for what his administration must deliver within two years, in order to deserve a reprieve from the obligatory flogging most presidents take in midterm elections.

Though this won’t happen, this interview should put to rest the firestorm in the blogosphere about Obama’s supposed abandonment of progressive policy goals. The main ingredients of Obama’s campaign promises are all there: close Guantanamo. Restore transparency and accountability in government. End substantial American involvement in Iraq. Move early on health care reform. Provide the catalyst for a green energy revolution. At the core of each of these changes is the elimination of an eight-year thorn in liberals’ sides: torture, executive overreaching, economic inequality, etc. Once the conventional wisdom about Obama’s supposed “triangulation” is swept aside, one simple fact remains: the president-elect is just as committed to his campaign agenda now as he was the day before he was elected. He isn't backpedaling on the big questions.

Nor is he unrealistic about the challenges ahead. Though he offers a robust agenda, he also seems to recognize that he will only be able to begin the work on many of the key tasks. The important point now, though, is not whether or not all of these goals are accomplished by November 2, 2010. It is that starting late next month, we will have a president who was not afraid to set a high bar for himself, even in the immediate aftermath of an election - who was willing, at the farthest possible point from electoral consequence, to recommit himself to an ambitious agenda.

This might be dismissed by some as post-election euphoria and blustering. But at a time when the country teeters on the edge of a new depression, I think it cannot be shrugged off so lightly. To me, it can only mean one thing: the new president is ideologically committed to the goals he laid out in his campaign. He is, at heart, a liberal – a pragmatic one, to be sure, who might disdain the label for fear of alienating potential partners, but a liberal nonetheless. Those liberals who fear a turncoat president should be pleased at their good fortune. The next president won’t just enact liberal policies: like FDR, it seems he will use pragmatism and transparency to give them a legitimate, durable new label: centrist.

(P.S.: sorry for the lack of posts lately. Obligations in the real world got a little crazy recently. Posting will be more frequent in the future.)