(Photo: Obama speaking in Europe, where his views are well received and highly regarded)
By Marc Seltzer; originally published on April 13, 2010, at care2.com
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Contrary to all the talk of disenchantment with the state of the nation, there is reason to be optimistic that President Obama is leading the government in exactly the right direction. While his critics voice disappointment and outrage, calling on Mr. Obama to govern to the left and to the right, President Obama governs by judgment, not ideology. This will always disappoint ideologues who see the world through conservative or liberal glasses, but do critics have credible political ideas behind them?
At the outset, a few things need to be set straight. First, the biggest thing President Obama has done since taking office is not health care reform. (Complete Story)
An archive of Marc Seltzer's writing about US Supreme Court cases and blogging on political topics 
Comment at NPR Planet Money about the Ugly Comment Trail There
Second comment on:
Experts Say Bills Won’t End ‘Too Big To Fail’
As to the comment trail here, I want to say that I respect the earnest Conservative vision of free-market capitalism and small-government individualism, but those who call President Obama a Socialist or Maoist simply illustrate their lack of education about the historical references they make and undermine the credibility of political arguments for libertarianism and against Progressive or Democratic-party principles. Obama, viewed reasonably, is no different than most Presidents who have attempted to solve problems of their time.
The differences between practical Republican and practical Democratic platforms, on the role of government and its financing, are not so different as they are made out to be in the public debate. There are differences and there are merits to Conservative and Liberal positions, but the key is to learn about the real distinctions and make the best choices among them. Instead, the current anti-Obama hatred is parroted from talking points for partisan political purposes, without getting the analysis, or as I say, even the terms, correct. It’s a shame, because good policy is a mix of Libertarian, Conservative, liberal, bureaucratic ideas put to practical use to meet specific real world challenges. http://wp.me/pm5qY-ig
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Tagged Conservative, Democrat, Liberal, Maoist, NPR Comments, Partisan Politics, Planet Money, Progressive, Republican, Socialist