Definition: noun 1: food; especially: a suspension or solution of nutrients in a state suitable for absorption
2: intellectual sustenance
3: something (as writing or speech) that is insipid, simplistic, or bland

Etymology: Latin, food, fodder; akin to Latin pascere to feed

Quotation: “Mr. Obama has the reputation of being terribly smart, and he obviously ran a great campaign. But his policy prescriptions as senator were quite ordinary, and his statements as presidential candidate and now as president-elect have seemed to me just catch phrases and standard Democratic pablum.”
- from this week’s edition of Everybody’s Business in the New York Times by Ben Stein (yes, the Ben Stein)

Obviously Mr. Stein was invoking the third definition in his use of “pablum”. It seems odd that the second definition specifies “sustenance” — something essential and positive — while the third definition has a negative connotation. Hmm.
We all heard our fair share of “insipid, simplistic, and bland” speech during the presidential campaign. It will be interesting to see if Obama will be able to make good on all of the promises he made on the road to the presidency. Of course, the economic situation will put a short leash on some of his loftier goals. I think I will give him in A if he can get us on a good road to recovery in four years. The inauguration is only a week away…should be interesting.