Philosophizing with Light Feet: From Michael Powell's "Obama's Ideological Elusiveness"

"Obama,  an intellectually curious man,  is nothing if not pragmatic in his application of philosophy to politics,  temperamentally inclined toward no strand of thinking.  In his books,  sentences are pulled taut between opposing viewpoints;  a literary critic remarked on the " internal  counterpoise" in his writing.  . . . there is a side-step,  and a move. . toward the center . [and then] a subtle shift to the left."