Shades of Grey

Joe at 2parse/blog has a thoughtful post which explores the difference between necessary compromise and complete jettisoning of principles in the political realm (specifically in re: Clintons v. Obama). 

Read the whole thing, but here's an excerpt: 

There is a world of difference between citing a source inaccurately to support something you believe and deliberately distorting an opponents words in order to deceive people about what he or she believes. Does the Obama campaign really believe that his health care plan will save $2,500 for every family? Probably so. Does Hillary Clinton really believe that Barack Obama supports the Republican positions of the past few decades? No, she doesn’t. 

The fallacy is this: one compromise is morally equal to any other; every shade of moral grey is equal. When I say that politics is about compromise, I am not implying that all politicians are equal. When I say shades of grey, my focus is on the shades rather than the grey.

Those who see no difference between Obama and Clinton are just as guilty of moral idiocy as those that proclaim “either you are with us or you are with the terrorists.” You don’t get full credit for doing away with two opposing moral poles and replacing them with a single category in between which allows for no differences.
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The difference is one of degree and reflection.

Hillary is making the same argument to liberals now that her husband did in his presidency: Trust me, because I’m one of you; if I screw you guys over, it’s only because I have no choice. The scene from Primary Colors is fictional, but it gets at the heart of Clintonism - a philosophy of governance and politics that Bill and Hillary Clinton together embody. The problem is that the moment to “show true leadership,” to appeal to the better angels of our nature, never comes - because there is always another election, always another scandal. Clintonism is about postponing progress. It is about first and foremost making sure the Clintons win.
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The fact that taking any action involves moral compromise does not absolve us of our responsibility to make informed judgments. Some compromises are more basic than others. If we cannot differentiate between the many shades of grey, then we are lost without a moral compass. That is what I imagine has happened to the Clintons.