This is about how I saw Obama's governance philosophy when I decided to support him in the primaries. It's what the simple-minded media manages to miss about him. From an interview with Politico published today:
Obama’s Governing Philosophy
Axelrod: I think President Obama is a committed, practicing nonideologue. He’s consumed by neither tactics nor ideology. He is more concerned about outcomes than he is about process and categorizations. He believes strongly that we need health care reform. He believes strongly that the federal government has a role to play in lifting the level of education in this country. He believes strongly that energy is an integral part of our economic mixture. And so if, in engaging in those, people want to call him a big-government liberal, he doesn’t care.
Obama’s Pragmatism
Emanuel: He differentiates ends vs. means unbelievably well. He says: “Here’s where I think we’ve got to get $3.5 million. Tax cuts make up X percent vs. Y percent. Does it get you the jobs?” He doesn’t get caught on the means. Republicans and others have made a mistake: He has an open hand, but it’s a very firm handshake.
http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=CAFB4557-18FE-70B2-A8CFDB1038E50E7F