When being better than John McCain is good enough

Ever since he nailed down the delegates he needed for the Democratic presidential nomination, Barack Obama has given the appearance of someone eager to wiggle his way closer to the political center.

From the left have come complaints about Obama’s apparently newfound centrist sympathies on, among other things, U.S. policy toward Iran, expanded government wiretapping powers, handgun bans and capital punishment.

But when Gwen Ifill pressed the Illinois senator on the point on PBS’ NewsHour, Obama offered an odd defense: that he hasn’t wiggled as much as John McCain has.

Acknowledging that his “shift in emphasis” on issues such as faith-based initiatives has “raised hackles amongst some in the blogosphere,” Obama added: “If you compare that to John McCain’s complete reversal on oil drilling, complete reversal on George Bush’s tax cuts, complete reversal on immigration where he said he wouldn’t even vote for his own bill, that, I think, is a pretty hard case to make that somehow I’ve been shifting substantially relative to John McCain.”
       
-- Stuart Silverstein

Comments

[Scootmandubious]

I was one of the progressive bloggers, and Obama supporters, who was incensed over his FISA vote.

Obviously, there was no way I was gonna back McCain, but I e-mailed the campaign, and stated in my internet posts, that such a move offended me and took away much of my passion for his candidacy.

However, listening to the cries of 'flip-flop' from the right-wing was like being part of "Alice in the Looking Glass."

John McCain, in the effort to gain his party's nomination has pandered and flipped on so many issues that I have lost track. I refer to the McCain charges as 'the POW calling Obama black.'

What I don't understand about Obama's move is, when Bush and conservative policies are at such a low point with the American public, why is he still running a pre-2000 campaign where liberal, or 'progressive' if you will, is still a dirty word.

It makes no sense. And it diminishes him.

For once I would like to see a Democratic candidate less afraid to be defined by the GOP and more concerned with speaking the truth and putting the GOP on the defensive.

I blame the consultants and hope that Obama thinks twice about the consequences of pandering. He lost far more by conceding civil liberties on the FISA bill. The GOP did their damage anyway by saying he doesn't stick to his principles.

On that particular issue, they were correct.

[keith]

Well Scootman, hang on for the ride of your life. You need to understand that his dance to the left was the pandering.

No doubt McCain is a pandering weasel and will probably lose the election because of it. But what Obama's got in store for his hardcore left believers - that's going to be quite a sight. The Democrat's have a knack for burning water & it will be on full display with this guy, wait and see.

[keith]

BTW, what happened to the Pepe LePaul march on Washington, did I miss it on the blog? I'm sure millions turned out, marching to the beat of a nice manifesto.

[dave]

who says it is 'good enough'? it's 'politics as usual' even as the presidential nominating conventions approach - both preemptively-declared, presumptuously-presumptive would-be nominees are candidates of the 'system', their projected artificial images constructed with the 'help' of the bought and paid for media, brought to the forefront of public attention, backed by their 'puppet masters'; not qualified in any way, but clearly disqualified in many respects. and their constant flip-flopping on the issues, and even their ostentatious stage fights, are in full deliberation being used as a tool to brazenly and coldly, pass by the confused distracted people the legislative dismantling damage of their remaining rights and civil liberties. the fix is in, the trick is obvious and nefarious. the standard for the presidential office is not meant to be the lowest common denominator, or the epitome of treason and corruption; millions of people are aware now of what is going on, and millions more will join the freedom, peace, and constitution minded, people of the RON PAUL r3volution (not televised by the corporate fascist media - but sites like breakthematrix.com keep reporting).

[naderette]

Vote Nader. Screw the system. Stop being pawns.