More Than Moderation

And yet the philosophy of broadness and moderation has its limits; it is a tool of leadership, not its essence. And it can slip into something disturbing. It is easy to imagine Obama advisers arguing -- as Democratic strategists often have argued during the last few decades -- that Democrats should focus exclusively on broad, middle-class concerns. That dealing with extreme poverty in America, particularly among African-Americans, might be too "narrow" for the new president -- especially for this president. That focusing on the needs of Africa might seem too liberal and bring too much attention to Obama's own background. That Obama should keep these more "sectarian" issues for the end of his tenure -- when his power reaches its ebb.

We all know the economic needs of the moment must be addressed -- but not at the expense of larger ambitions and historic responsibilities.

Political indifference to durable poverty in our midst has long been a scandal; from Obama it would be a tragedy. America does need to "spread the wealth" -- but not in the simply redistributionist sense. The racial divide in our country is widest when it comes to assets. The median net worth of white and Asian-Americans in 2004 was $142,700. The median net worth of African-Americans was $20,400. There are many reasons for this massive disparity, including what Lincoln called centuries of "unrequited toil." Reparations are a politically self-destructive dead end. But what if President Obama, for example, proposed to set up tax-free savings accounts for every poor child at birth and seeded those accounts with a few thousand dollars? Addressing the wealth gap through the miracle of compound interest would be a lasting contribution to the justice of our country.

When it comes to Africa, Obama's roots and popularity on the continent -- evidenced by jubilation on the news of his election -- are a significant foreign policy advantage. Africa is a growing source of trade, energy and voting support in international institutions. Continuing and expanding President Bush's emphasis on Africa would not be narrow but visionary -- and would find a receptive audience among Americans, including religious conservatives, with humanitarian commitments on the continent.

Sometimes presidential leadership means emphasizing progress for the whole and splitting ideological differences to get a deal. Obama will need close associates who remind him of broad, middle-class concerns.

But sometimes leadership consists of setting out moral goals that challenge the whole and transcend our differences. So the next president will also need high-level advisers who fight passionately to place social justice issues such as poverty on the agenda. If they succeed, Obama may discover unexpected sources of good will and support.