Obama & The Practicality of Pragmatism

In a timely article, "In Cabinet, Obama goes for experience, pragmatism", BlackPoliticsontheWeb.com discusses how President-Elect Barack Obama has been staffing experienced leaders and seasoned Washington insiders in his bid to Change the federal government and by extension the United States of America. That's a veteran move. A number of progressives have been criticizing Obama because they don't understand that it's nice to desire hope and change. However, if you don't have operatives who actually know how the system that you hope to change works AND who have the respect of their peers in order to get things done, then your change ain't gonna come. That's what President Bill Clinton, elected as a Washington outsider found out when it became difficult to get things done that he wanted. He wanted to change government, but he picked a bunch of Washington outsiders as his top policy implementers. As well, Hillary had no relationships and no respect so Hillary Clinton's health care reform was soundly defeated because she didn't know how to navigate the networks which are again based on relationship and respect. Obama, a student of politics and history, certainly knows this having hired some of the Clinton's most competent former staffers to lead his change efforts. Change that produces the desired objective due to experience--now that's the power of pragmatism.