Obama’s been praised by many, including me, for his calls for responsiblity in the black community. Much has been written and/or said about how this whole Jesse Jackson controversy allegedly exemplifies a point Obama made in his race speech when he talked about the older generation of black people who were stuck in the 60s (like his “former” pastor Rev. Wright) versus younger black people like him who supposedly want to move beyond the divisiveness of such people.

[emphasis mine]

Quite so.

And I think this can be made more broad. I believe Obama (and you all can argue about whether this is a good thing or a bad one) sees himself as a bridge between the traditional 60s left and the left of today. He understands, I think, that the Democratic Party needs to get away from “identity politics.”

We saw how crippling IP was in the primary campaign (all those darling pro-Hillary 60-year-old-women in their red hoodies, denim skirts, with feet decked out in checkerboard-patterned trainers; the Reverend Wrights; and so forth). Obama needs to set the party in a new direction, free from 60s (and 60-year-old) thinking.

He’s trying: his change of direction on Iraq/Afghanistan shows that he now realizes that however and whenever we leave Iraq, it’s not going to be clinging on to the last helicopter out of Baghdad. His quick denunciation of the New Yorker Cover (brilliantly commented on by GWR) shows that he knows how exploit the excesses of the left, and turn those excesses against it.

I can’t wait to see how he handles Kos et al. I believe Kos is in for a big surprise.

But I’ve no doubt Rat’s take is spot on. Obama is just that artful, or else he’s just stupid. I don’t think he’s stupid as far as being a politician. Look at how many view him as “new” when he’s just really good at doing what politicians have always done. Everyone should keep it in mind that he honed his skills in the land of the slick politician known as Chicago. He learned from the best who are the worst have in office.