MyDD :: Obama's steady centrism

Obama's steady centrism

by graham poor, Mon Jul 21, 2008 at 04:00:09 AM EST

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/070 8/11880_Page2.html
Great article rejecting the "Flip Flop" / "Race to the Center" smear on Obama
by the chief speechwriter and deputy policy director for Rudy Giuliani's presidential campaign:

"Throughout the left-wing blogosphere, the cry has come: Barack Obama is moving away from them, and to the center. "Moving to the middle is for losers," cried the politically ambidextrous Arianna Huffington. He's "betraying his claims of being a new kind of politician," declared Markos Moulitsas of Daily Kos.

But all this outrage ignores the obvious: Throughout his career, Obama has consistently framed himself as a post-partisan centrist. He's been a bridge-builder all his life, first between black and white, and now between left and right.

It's a formula for victory in a country that's essentially center-right. Even after all the alienation from the Bush administration, a new Washington Post/ABC poll affirms that only 19 percent of Americans describe themselves as liberal, while 43 percent say moderate and 35 percent, conservative.
...."

Tags: Obama, steady, centrism, Flip Flop, Race, to the Center (all tags)

Permalink :: 10 Comments :: Post a Comment

Labels, labels, labels... (2.00 / 1)

...a new Washington Post/ABC poll affirms that only 19 percent of Americans describe themselves as liberal, while 43 percent say moderate and 35 percent, conservative...

Meanwhile, back in reality, only 15% of these (same) voters, when asked to name their representative in Congress, will answer correctly.

And, while we're on this subject, if...

...Obama has consistently framed himself as a post-partisan centrist...

...then why do I keep hearing that comment about him being labelled "the most liberal member of the Senate?"

Mind you, I really don't have a problem with this last label...not at all. (I will most certainly be voting for Obama in November, btw.) I'm more liberal than the most liberal member of the Senate--whomever that might be--but, where's that coming from? Apparently, someone forgot to send that memo to Obama!

by bobswern on Mon Jul 21, 2008 at 05:23:07 AM EST

Re: Labels, labels, labels... (2.00 / 2)

The phrase comes from RW Republicans who also consider Joe Lieberman a liberal.
Up until Obama won the nomination, they even tried to attach the "radical Liberal" tag to Obama's name.

From 2006:

Obama is a liberal, and a rather radical liberal at that. According to Obama's new best seller, "The Audacity of Hope," Obama hates Ronald Reagan: He was "disturbed ... by Ronald Reagan's election in 1980 ... unconvinced ... by his John Wayne, 'Father Knows Best' pose, his policy by anecdote and his gratuitous assaults on the poor."

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/articl e.asp?ARTICLE_ID=53064

What other things make Obama a "radical" Liberal? Well, according to the author cited above, he loves Jimmy Carter, dislikes President Bush, slimes Rush Limbaugh, and (gasp!) insults evangelicals.

Guess we're all radical Liberals, then, aren't we?

"Who are you for? That is the wrong question. It should be who is for you?" HRC

by skohayes on Mon Jul 21, 2008 at 07:27:06 AM EST
[ Parent ]

I'm not sure a guy (2.00 / 1)

with an 82% ACLU record:

http://action.aclu.org/site/VoteCenter?p age=legScore&congress=110&repId= 25424

can be considered "center right".

by Neef on Mon Jul 21, 2008 at 06:45:38 AM EST

Re: Obama's steady centrism (2.00 / 1)

Yes, he's basically a gussied up moderate. He's the New Old.

That may fit the mood of the country at the moment. Hillary was too much potential real change, that was the root of resistance to her.

Centrism is the political stance that does and achieves least, though. People bore of it quickly, though, and get extremely impatient with its unwillingness to do much. It is transitional.

by killjoy on Mon Jul 21, 2008 at 10:50:41 AM EST

lulz (2.00 / 1)

bravo. This comment gave me a good chuckle.

by JJE on Mon Jul 21, 2008 at 11:11:01 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Let's just check back in, say, about 2 years... (2.00 / 1)

and see who "does and achieves least."

Obama has positioned most of the liberal agenda as centrist, so now we can get it done. Combine that with his massive efforts to get his party back in charge, and it's likely that some things will happen.

by Garret on Mon Jul 21, 2008 at 11:15:29 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Let's just check back in, say, about 2 years.. (2.00 / 1)

It wasn't the word liberal that stopped the agenda.

Calling it progressive won't magically make it popular.

Having a president who is good looking doesn't change what policies people want or how they will vote out senators and reps who give them policies they don't want.

In short Obama will either be like Bill Clinton with no values but pragmatic leadership that nets big rewards or like Carter with values but with no results which nets future losses.

Obama is actually inheriting a worse country economically than Bill did as Bush Jr is far less the man Bush Sr was.

by dtaylor2 on Mon Jul 21, 2008 at 11:53:46 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Let's just check back in, say, about 2 years (2.00 / 1)

[i]Obama has positioned most of the liberal agenda as centrist, so now we can get it done.[/i]

That's either laughable or a sorrowfully confused misdefinition of liberal. It's a moderate agenda.

Here's a shorthand for you:

Moderate agenda: stop doing the stupid things. Balk at doing anything slightly painful.

Liberal agenda: absolutely stop doing the stupid things and start doing the intelligent ones.

[i]Combine that with his massive efforts to get his party back in charge, and it's likely that some things will happen.[/i]

It looks more like he's trying to get enough of Congress in his debt and getting more Midwestern and Southern centrist/DLCish and Blue Dog Democrats in. It's all based on targeting and maximizing an anti-Republican vote that is low hanging fruit. Cleaning up on Republican-held seats in Blue states and Blue House districts, where we get actual good Democrats into Congress, not so much of a priority.

The electorate is, on 1% per year trend, 52% Democratic leaning and supporting in 2008. It should be an easy election. Frankly, Obama is underperforming. I would look at the 1976 election for comparisons.

by killjoy on Mon Jul 21, 2008 at 02:47:13 PM EST
[ Parent ]

What's in a word? (2.00 / 1)

"only 19 percent of Americans describe themselves as liberal"

Yet when polled on specific issues, a majority in almost all instances support the liberal positions.

It's time to take back the term "liberal" from the conservative smear monkeys and make them the ones ashamed to call themselves what they really are.

Let's let JFK lead the way......

A Liberal Definition by John F. Kennedy:
September 14, 1960

What do our opponents mean when they apply to us the label "Liberal?" If by "Liberal" they mean, as they want people to believe, someone who is soft in his policies abroad, who is against local government, and who is unconcerned with the taxpayer's dollar, then the record of this party and its members demonstrate that we are not that kind of "Liberal." But if by a "Liberal" they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people -- their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil liberties -- someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a "Liberal," then I'm proud to say I'm a "Liberal."

by Beren on Mon Jul 21, 2008 at 12:48:50 PM EST

Re: Obama's steady centrism (none / 0)

Thanks so much for your insightful comments. I really appreciate you all taking the time.

The users here are so a typical, IMHO they seem to be very informed and reasonable.

BUT I thought I would get all sorts of folks arguing that Obama had flipped flopped. I thought I might get some actual facts that supported the smear. I have yet to find any that convince me.

Anyway if the "Flip Flop" smear comes back maybe I'll post a clearer question.

by graham poor on Tue Jul 22, 2008 at 01:58:31 AM EST

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