Authors Eric Alterman and Pepe Escobar debate whether Obama is a real liberal or more a practitioner of realpolitik. Alterman argues that to be effective, a politician “msut speak from within the consensus.”

Sound bite from Alterman: “I don’t know what he really believes in his heart.”

Sound bite from Escobar: “That’s my point, Eric. Nobody does.”

Alterman: “Politics is about compromise….I think he’ll be the most effective president if he wins than Franklin Roosevelt.”