From a comment:
"Obama just gave a GREAT speech in Plainsfield, Indiana on bringing together those who hate on both sides. Reject what the haters say but understand their anger. We can't solve America's many problems with a divided America. He's back on message and we should be too."
I disagree. We CAN solve America's problems (or start to) with a divided America. And this emphasis on uniting us all is what bothers me most about Obama and why I can't support him.
Political leadership is seldom about uniting a nation. Sure, in the case of a real war such as WWII national unity is a must. Churchill is an example of such inspirational, uniting leadership. But more often courageous and effective leadership requires recognizing real conflicts (such as class conflicts)and mobilizing working majorities for political agendas or just for a particular piece of legislation. It means recognizing that you can't please everyone and that if you advocate for a particular group, e.g., industrial workers in the U.S. through NAFTA reform, you will antagonize other sectors or major employers.
