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integral
July 2009 
Even Reagan has a piece of the truth
Chris
A big part of any integral theory, as I understand it, is the recognition that EVERYONE has a piece of the truth. For integral democrats, that means even republicans have a piece of the truth; and even Ronald Reagan has a piece of the truth. Senator Obama seems to understand that:
"Obama told the Reno Gazette-Journal editorial board Monday that 'Reagan changed the trajectory of America in a way that Richard Nixon did not and in a way that Bill Clinton did not. He put us on a fundamentally different path because the country was ready for it,' Obama said.
"'I think it's fair to say that the Republicans were the party of ideas for a pretty long chunk of time there over the last 10 to 15 years in the sense that they were challenging conventional wisdom,' Obama told the newspaper."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080118/ap_on_el_pr/democrats_reagan
Notice that Senator Obama didn't say that everything Reagan and the republicans have done has been great for the country; he simply recognized that Reagan changed the course of America in a way that resonated with many Americans at the time, and that republicans have had more new ideas recently than democrats.
The responses from Edwards and Clinton are predictable, pointing out the problems that have come from the Right. True enough; but does anyone honestly believe that Senator Obama is a republican in disguise? I doubt it.
Edwards and Clinton are giving us the same party line we've heard for years. Does it have truth? Of course; but it's also tremendously partial, on the same order as the partialities of the Right. Small wonder that the voting populace shifts between Right and Left as one side or the other gains more control - nobody's offering a vision that embraces the truths of both, so the only option is to get pieces one at a time, back and forth.
Senator Obama is the only candidate who's even attempting to bring a broader vision into the oval office, a vision that recognizes that even a republican - even Ronald Reagan - has a piece of the truth. Are we ready to join him? Are we ready to see republicans more as a source of ideas going forward than a source of blame looking backward?
(cross posted at http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/christiangrostic/CGgQQ)
Access: Public
Hey Chris-
I totally had the same thought when i heard all the uproar about barack’s comment about reagan. Thanks for two great posts here. I will have to look for you on the My Barack Obama site, we can be friends there too!
I have a great picture of Barack Obama holding Genpo Roshi’s new book Big Mind Big Heart… though not proof that Obama is interested in Integral, at least he is moving in some of the same circles. I will add it to my photos so you can check it out.
And i totally agree that barack seems to have at least an integral intuition, which is so exciting. I do believe integral theory can be very informative, but right now integral intuition is more than enough to restore my hope in the country.
There is an interesting discussion going on in one of the I-I chat rooms debating if barack is “integral.” I bet if you do a general internet search with obama and integral you will find it.
Hope you are doing well!
allison