Legal Commentary

Politico Defends Obama's Centrism

By Big Tent Democrat

John Avlon, a speechwriter for Rudy Giuliani writes in Politico:

Throughout the left-wing blogosphere, the cry has come: Barack Obama is moving away from them, and to the center. . . . 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.

Obama positioned himself to the right of the Democratic primary pack on virtually every issue except Iraq. . . . [T]he founder of the centrist (and historically Clinton-boosting) DLC, Al From, now sees a kindred spirit: “This general election, more than most we have seen, is going to be a battle for the center. ... The more we learn about Sen. Obama's policies, the more we will see some of the policies the DLC has championed for years.”

More . .

While I agree that Obama has run on a post-partisan Unity Schtick that was right in line with the DLC for years now, the article does not deal with the flip flops Obama has executed since the primaries. In essence, the article ignores the fact that Obama abandoned his "New Politics" and undermined his image as a different type of politician.

But it is a rude awakening for all the zealous advocates for the notion of Obama as a progressive champion. Avlon writes:

Obama recognizes that his willingness to reach out to all sides, and eagerness to avoid labels, make his political personality something of a Rorscharch test. It’s inevitable that a politician inclined toward consensus will disappoint many of the true believers — especially those on the far left who see him as an avenging liberal angel. But those believers have misunderstood the roots of their candidate’s broad appeal: Far from an abrupt general election shift, Obama’s steady centrism has been the secret to his success.

For those interested in actual issues and policy change, they should realize by now that Obama needs his feet held to the fire on every issue. He will not do anything that is in any way bold or progressive without being pressured to do it. In many ways, he is the most typical of pols - acting only when forced to by political exigencies. The task now is to pressure him to pander to what you want.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

Full post as published by TalkLeft on July 20, 2008 (boomark / email).