These are welcome gestures, but they are not policies. Perhaps Obama is just conventionally liberal. Perhaps he has carefully avoided offending Democratic constituencies. Whatever the reason, his lack of a strong, centrist ideological identity raises a concern about his governing approach. Obama has no moderate policy agenda that might tame or modify the extremes of his own party in power. Will every Cabinet department simply be handed over to the most extreme Democratic interest groups? Will Obama provide any centrist check on liberal congressional overreach?
This guy is the whole Chicago package: an idealistic, lakefront liberal fronting a sharp-elbowed machine operator.
Obama blamed his decision in part on McCain and "the smears and attacks from his allies running so-called 527 groups." But he failed to mention that the only outside groups running ads in earnest so far are those aligned with Obama — and running commercials against McCain.So much for being a straight shooter.
CBS News (on Obama's free trade rhetoric):
But there may be something of a gap between the reality of Obama's position and the impression his words left.
No. Really?
So many pundits, so much sorrow, so little knowledge.
As DBAGD has observed before, it's a fool's errand to try and reconcile Obama's words with his beliefs or actions. He reads off the teleprompter. He has no genuine beliefs, unless he genuinely accepts the views of the leftist academics he hangs out with. He will act in his own benefit, with no concern for his country.
Start from that premise and there's nothing to reconcile.
Jun 20, 08 10:46 AM