Daniel De Groot at Open Left pulls a comment by sTivo and it may be the clearest explanation of both Barack and 3rd way politicians yet given:
When Barack Obama made his famous remarks about Ronald Reagan being transformational, it was misinterpreted as being political, an attempt to reach out to the other side. It actually was, as some feared, philosophical. It really did mean, sincerely, that except around the edges, he thought that Reaganism-Thatcherism was irreversible. Just as Bill Clinton does, just as Tony Blair does.
The Third-Wayers are serious about this. Seriously deluded, perhaps, but dead serious. There was never an attempt to triangulate the “independent center”, those who still believed in Reaganism but were distressed by the partisan cultural meanness. That was sincere. Those who were played were the Democratic base. They would have to be satisfied with corporate-style knockoffs of social-democratic ideas (health care being the most obvious example). Labor reformers would have to be mollified with “we don’t have 60 votes”. And symbolic gestures devoid of content like inviting Pete Seeger to the White House.
(emphasis mine)
Occam’s razor seems to mitigate toward this explanation.
Go read the rest.
H/t Atrios.
> <span>Reaganism-Thatcherism was irreversible</span>
This is still somewhat under-stated.
"Irreversible" indicates a situation that you reluctantly adjust yourself to. This is not the case here. For Clinton, Obama, and the Democratic establishment, Reaganism was crudely executed and possibly crudely thought out, but they fully agree with the essentials of its ideology.