"Radical in the White House" is an article written in the New York Times by Thomas L. Friedman. He is looking for President Obama to make some big changes. Friedman includes a statement from Michael J. Sandel, a Harvard University political theorist, who compares Obama's presidency to that of John F. Kennedy, Franklin Roosevelt, and Lyndon Johnson. According to Sandel, these three former presidents "did more than enact laws and programs, they rewrote the social contract, and redefined what it means to be a citizen." Sandel believes that Obama could be just as effective- as long as he remembers to "run the bases" after 'swinging for the fences', which is something George Bush did not do, according to Friedman.
Friedman states that he hopes that President Obama will be a radical president, because that is what times are calling for right now. Deep holes were left by George Bush's post-9/11 decisions, and is why America is in need of radical change. It seems as though Friedman's hopes will be answered as he closes with this quote from Obama- "Our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interest and putting off unpleasant decisions - that time has surely changed."
Kiersten Stiling
