Loading ...
Run, Don't Walk Towards the Center
- Filed under: Obama, Presidential
- Date: Jul 8,2008
John Forbes Kerry, Sunday, on Face the Nation: "John McCain has changed in profound and fundamental ways that I find personally really surprising, and frankly upsetting. It is not the John McCain as the senator who defined himself, quote, as a maverick, though questionable," Kerry said. "This is want-to-be president John McCain. The result is that John McCain has flip-flopped on more issues than I was even ever accused possibly of thinking about."
So I guess it won't be McCain - Kerry 2008. Kerry was for McCain before he was against McCain. The more things change the more they stay the same. I'd like to see McCain fire back against Kerry, but he probably won't, since he wants to run an "honorable" campaign and all.
Okay, John Kerry gets me off-track. Regardless, I don't think his statement is true. By my count, and I may be missing some things, Obama has changed positions on the following issues since he basically became the nominee of his party: FISA bill, 2nd Amendment, debating John McCain anytime or anywhere, if Iran is a threat, meeting with terrorists / foreign leaders with no preconditions, whether he likes NAFTA, public financing for the election, an Iraq timeline, nuclear power, and mental health exceptions for abortion.
None of the above changes are ones that move Obama leftward.
Obama, in his own words, from November 2007: And that is why the same old Washington textbook campaigns just won't do in this election. That's why not answering questions 'cause we are afraid our answers won't be popular just won't do. That's why telling the American people what we think they want to hear instead of telling the American people what they need to hear just won't do. Triangulating and poll-driven positions because we're worried about what Mitt or Rudy might say about us just won't do. If we are really serious about wining this election Democrats, we can't live in fear of losing it.
This party - the party of Jefferson and Jackson; of Roosevelt and Kennedy - has always made the biggest difference in the lives of the American people when we led, not by polls, but by principle; not by calculation, but by conviction; when we summoned the entire nation to a common purpose - a higher purpose. And I run for the Presidency of the United States of America because that's the party America needs us to be right now.
I guess that is out the window. Do hardcore Obama backers care about the rapid shift in positions? I would doubt it. They know it isn't true. Sure, there was a little noise about the FISA stuff, but nothing earth shattering from the left. You also might think I would be happy about moves towards the middle. I guess I would be if I thought he was genuine, but I have no reason to believe he is. Any guesses on what the next position change will be? Still a lot of issues out there where he can keep the sprint to the center going. Drivers licenses for illegals? Affirmative Action? Off-shore drilling? Missile defense? We certainly know Senator Obama has no shame in shifting on a whim, and these policy reversals mentioned above aren't due to changing facts. The only basis for his candidacy in the first is that he "is a different kind of politican," so I am not upset by this (since I never did, don't now, and won't ever support him) but maybe some are. What does this political chameleon have in store for America over the next four months? We will find out. He makes McCain look like an actual straight talker, not just someone who rides on a bus that says it.
As Jon Lovitz (playing Michael Dukakis) asked on SNL way back when, "I can't believe I'm losing to this guy!"
Other News: Another person told they will not be VP pulls their name out of consideration. Today it is Jim Webb.
17 Responses for "Run, Don't Walk Towards the Center"
Most of us real people want someone who does more than pander to the far right. A great strategy to go for the 30 percent of the country who is satisifed with the current administration.
Ben - how hard would it be for you to admit that McCain has done the same thing re: how he's trying to get to 270? This issue is endemic to the way the races are run. The only way it will change is if we demand it, through pressure on these candidates when they are in the primaries, and the only way that will change is if we get more people to feel vested in the primaries and the only way that's going to change is if candidates, once they become elected, follow through on doing what they've promised to do or not do.
But so long as we, as part of our system, don't dissent, don't withhold our money from people who do things we don't like and give money to people who we support (time and energy works too), this is what will happen.
You know better than to write as though it's news, yes?
And the caring not caring about McCain and Obama doing these things? I think you are wrong. I think we all care very much - but people feel helpless in making them change or making the system change.
Ben, I'm glad to see you followed Rush's marching orders from yesterday and did not use the term "flip-flop" since it is worn out from John Kerry. Barack Obama is a moderate Democrat. That is why he has been my candidate from day one. Conservatives tried to brand him as a far left liberal and now that he doesn't fit the mold you guys are freaking out. There is going to be some disagreement between Obama and the far left, but it will pale in comparison to McCain's disagreements with the far right, which is illustrated daily on the EIB Network.
I will say that I don't understand why the Obama campaign is using Kerry as a surrogate. He is awful.
Kyle,
There is no way you typed that Obama is a moderate with a straight face. He is attempting to sound moderate on the campaign trail now that he has the primary behind him. However, the guy is an extremist. Today he is praising SCOTUS decisions made by justices he voted against. The great majority of senators voted for John Roberts. However, Obama (on one of the few days he showed up for the job we are paying him to do) voted against Roberts on purely ideological grounds. It is one thing for Obama to fool the electorate by pretending to be moderate, but it insults our intelligence for you to claim he actually is a moderate.
Usually both candidates need to move to the center for the general election, but this year both candidates are having to move to the right. Our choices are fairly liberal (McCain) or extremely liberal socialism (Obama).
Largebill, which of the Republican primary candidates did you vote for?
Fred Thompson. Didn't really matter since fools in other parts of the country had already picked McCain.
Ben, I was going to write that the Dems new tactic is to tout Obama as a moderate to fool the public for the general election, but Kyle beat me to the punch and expressed that exact sentiment on Obama's behalf. I'd like to ask Kyle why all of Obama's "moderate" positions didn't surface until about a month ago, when the general election phase of the campaign began. I'd also like to ask why it took Obama flip-flops on about six previously held issue positions to paint that "moderate" mirage he's attempting to establish ?
Da king, in the primary, Obama focused on the issues that matter to Democrats because he wanted to win the primary. In the general, he is going to focus on different issues because he is appealing to a broader pool of voters. Barack Obama's opinions aren't surfacing. They have been there all along.
Largebill, don't you think that Bob Barr as the Libertarian is closer to Fred Thompson on the issues than John McCain? If so, are you considering voting Libertarian?
Who is surprised by this? Obama knows his radical left wing positions wont win in November. They never do.
Kyle,
Nope, a third party vote is nothing but a silly protest vote. Suggesting that a Republican vote for Bob Barr because McCain is too liberal on a couple issues is akin to my suggesting that a Democrat who somehow finds Obama to be too moderate should write in vote for Karl Marx. The intent is the same - to encourage the other guy to throw away their vote.
The only way a third party could gain prominence would be to have a major issue that pulls large quantities of voters from each of the two current prominent parties. In the 1850's the slavery issue brought voters to the Republican party primarily from the WHIG party, but also attracted a few Democrats. It took a couple election cycles before the Republicans won national office. The only issues comparable to slavery today are national security or abortion. Problem is those two issues are already fairly well defined on party lines which negates the impetus for forming a new party.
Obama is losing his "agent of change" image in a hurry.
the new RNC ad about obama's change is worth taking a look at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcIeoSHTyCI
Jill…of course McCain is doing the same thing. But Obama is the one who has tried to portray himself much much more as a guy who wont be driven bvy polls. That is what I am pointing out here.
Kyke, the evidence, as Largebill points out, is very very
thin that obama is any sort of moderate. DaKing is correct in what he says as well.
Thanks for the video MC Hammer.
Surely you jest Ben. Obama is the new politican. The one we have all waited for One that says what he means and means what he says and lays his beliefs out for all to see and hopefully embrace. Only by being open and honest can we all be brought together. He is merely nuancing his postions. At least that is what we are to believe. Im sure the rationalization just like the others is it is ok to jettision your principles for the greater good. The greater good being getting elected.
Kyle,
Your absolutley correct. There are fewer differences between Obama and because of his past record and the man they perceive he will be once elected. Why? His moving towards the center is just the get elected game and he will revert to form once elected. McCain is a different animal. Who in the hell knows what he might want to do.
angry conserv
If Obama gets elected he will be able to swim back to the left because he will have a left leaning house and senate. it will be a disaster.
The left leaning Senate that voted for FISA today?
The same Congress that when elected in 2006 stated:
"The first call will be for unity, civility, integrity, and accountability. That's what the American people expect."
If we look back to 2006 and see what was promised, it's now being said that the reason some of it wasn't done was because enough Democrats didn't win. Even though it was clear when some of this was still promised they knew how many seats they would hold…
Leave a comment