The Art of the Possible

Now the election. Amazing in so many ways. A guy from nowhere. A guy with no
real history. A black guy. A guy nominated because of his party's opposition
to the war only to have the war recede as a major factor in the campaign. A
guy with associations that would have sunk many campaigns single-handed. A
guy who has stimulated a new coalition that will have to be dealt with in
the future. A guy who stands for....change. Well, he is change. By his very
identity he is change. And this is going to be exciting.
Wm. Buckley once was asked why he held a certain position that his
philosophy did not seem to include and he said "reality". I think this is an
important thought in politics, the distinction between what was attainable
and what was limited by the nature of things. This is at the core of
Bismark's quote "Politics is the art of the possible." But the "possible"
as an ideal is difficult. How much should you invest in "the unlikely?" Or
the "totally outrageous?" Or the "illogical?" We are in for some really
exciting times. If Obama is the calculating guy I think he is, this could really
be incredible.
A quote from Galbraith: "Politics is not the art of the possible. It
consists in choosing between the disastrous and the unpalatable."