"Politics is a strong and slow boring of hard boards. It takes both passion and perspective. Certainly all historical experience confirms the truth --that man would not have attained the possible unless time and again he had reached out for the impossible. But to do that a man must be a leader, and not only a leader but a hero as well, in a very sober sense of the word. And even those who are neither leaders nor heroes must arm themselves with that steadfastness of heart which can brave even the crumbling of all hopes. This is necessary right now, or else men will not be able to attain even that which is possible today. Only he has the calling for politics who is sure that he shall not crumble when the world from his point of view is too stupid or too base for what he wants to offer. Only he who in the face of all this can say 'In spite of all!' has the calling for politics."

These are words for everyone who cares about politics and policy.  They would have helped us get through the day following John Kerry's ignoble defeat in 2004, when Bush's insanity seemed to be embraced and bolstered by the American people.  They would probably provide some perspective to a Clinton supporter who cannot believe their favored candidate failed to win the nomination, and to the Obama supporters who will watch their hero face the onslaught of vitriol, calumny and hatred that is coming his way -- not to mention those same supporters who might see him fumble and fail if he does get into office.  

Max Weber spoke these words when Germany was in disarray following its defeat in World War I.  He seemed to sense that very bad things were coming for his countrymen, though I wonder if he could have even conceived of the horrors that would follow in the 1930s and 1940s.  "Not summer's bloom lies ahead of us, but rather a polar night of icy darkness and hardness, no matter which group may triumph externally now," Weber said. "Where there is nothing, not only the Kaiser but also the proletarian has lost his rights."  

But he wasn't trying to depress everyone.  As a sociologist, he was providing his insight into how modern, professional party politics worked, and he was encouraging people to strive for the best while accepting that the results might be mediocre or, more likely, worse.  He wanted to show that pragmatic politics did not just mean accepting the current definition of what is possible, but struggling to readjust people's idea of what is possible -- even if you have to settle, ultimately, for practical compromises.  This approach prevents one from getting lost and compromising over and over again, until the original purpose is lost, all in the spirit of being "realistic" and "practical."  I think this is why people have warmed to Barack Obama's message of "hope."  While many view it as a lot of empty platitudes, I think it represents an important rhetorical, strategic, and ideological posture.  His pragmatism is very different from the kind practiced by Bill and Hillary Clinton, who supported NAFTA, cut welfare and endorsed the Iraq War in their pursuit of the middle ground.  It says we can compromise while reaching for bigger goals, which is how I view his plan for healthcare, which many have legitimately criticized for not requiring coverage for all.  I think it is the best way to approach a single, public system by stealth, expanding Medicaid and offering people the alternative to buy into a cheaper, more efficient government plan.  People will say that it's just a feeble, pro-business compromise, but I respectfully suggest that this is a misreading of the policy.

There are many other examples we could look at, but I just wanted to share Weber's words as we try to confront the very real question of how you work for compromise and coalition without losing your ethical bearings in the process.

You can read Weber's whole fascinating speech here

http://www.ne.jp/asahi/moriyuki/abukuma/weber/lecture/politics_vocation.html