Obama is now sprinting to the Right as the GE has started

[itsrobert]

He's at AIPAC today starting his move to the right. Those who were expecting a moderate/liberal candidate are fooling themselves.

[SoonerPride]

1. How so? I heard his speech and it was the same message he's had for months.

Explain yourself.

[anonymous171]

2. You have to kiss Israel's ass if you want to be a politician in America

Sad fact. I'm not too happy about that either. :( Obama is still awesome though.

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. Never expected that, he is a centrist

I am hoping circumstances on the ground force him to do what another famous moderate had to do.

You may have heard of FDR... he ran an extremely moderate campaign, slightly to the right.

[zbdent]

26. The media is so skewed to the right that a moderate/centrist is now labeled as

a "far left" nutbag ... (in general, not just Obama ...)

[nadinbrzezinski]

31. Yes, there is that, part of Clinton's gift to us

Reagan started it, and Clinton ended that

But if you look at the VOTING record, there is no light between him and HRC... they are both corporatist

[Radical Activist]

41. That was always a BS talking point.

You've got one candidate who helped Monsanto poison people and sat on the Walmart board. On the other hand we now have the first left wing movement activist nominee the party has ever had. You'd have to be blind not to see the difference, and yes you have to compare more than their last two years in the Senate together to get an accurate picture of them both.

[nadinbrzezinski]

46. Sorry if I looked at voting records... sorry

Look. I am happy, will vote for Obama and KNOWING US history... (FDR once again) I have great hopes for this man

For me it is not a talking point when I go and LOOK at voting records for BOTH candidates...

I might add, both are a little shallow, not that this matters since we have put in place Presidents before with records before that are just as shallow. (From a legislative perspective that is)

And without fail, they were amongst the people we talk about... not the ones we'd rather forget.

There is another clue for you.

If he came out and pushed a very progressive agenda.. you honestly think we would be talking about Candidate Obama?

See Kucinich, who I love dearly and HOPE will have a significant role in the coming administration

[Radical Activist]

53. Obama has a very liberal voring record. You'll have to give examples.

I've seen Obama's record too and his ratings with labor and environmental groups are on par with Kucinich. Although Obama does have a better career record on choice issues. Obama was also the only other candidate who spoke out so early and clearly against the war as Kucinich. If you're going to say there's no difference then you'll have to back it up. The main difference between Obama and Kuinich is that Obama has enough political savvy to get elected. No, there just isn't any comparison between Obama and Hillary. One or two bad votes doesn't make Obama a corporate sell out. Even Dennis takes a bad vote once in a while.

[nadinbrzezinski]

63. Continued funding of the war in Iraq

for example

And that is one of MY issues. And I hope to god he can bring the troops home in an orderly manner... as is he will inherit an empire in decline

And if you look at HER voting record, on DOMESTIC issues she is also fairly liberal

At least by US Standards

But to each his own

I will vote for him in November, I'd even vote for her in November (GHASP), since the dems are better for my pocketbook. But I am not fooled by the idea that a modern US President will be able to go too far afield from the reservation unless we have such an economic crash he'll have that chance.

Which is what happened with the New Deal

[Radical Activist]

66. The war isn't going to end by cutting off funding.

That's a difference in tactics, not goals or ideology. I didn't hear Kucinich harping that much about funding votes on the campaign trail until Obama was in the race and it was the only way he could distinguish himself.

I don't think there will be major change without a mass movement, which is what Obama talks about in every speech.

[Radical Activist]

56. Obama: 96% lifetime LCV rating. 96% lifetime AFL-CIO rating.

That isn't the record of a corporate candidate.

[Radical Activist]

33. He has a solidly liberal record for his entire career.

I guess Obama is a centrist if you're looking at things from a Marxist perspective.

[Goblinmonger]

4. I support the presumptive Democratic nominee

Do you?

[itsrobert]

8. I'm supporting him

What choice do we have?

[gateley]

5. I don't care.

We need to win this election, and Hillary isn't helping.

[wyldwolf]

6. did he actually run a (DU defined) progressive primary campaign?

[JVS]

12. Compared to Hillary's beer swilling, gun praising, latte trashing drive for white voters

[wyldwolf]

15. issue examples?

[depakid]

21. There aren't many

for the simple reason that there isn't a whole lot of difference between the two on a policy level.

Six one way, half dozen the other.

[SoonerPride]

24. #1 IWR. #2 Diplomacy

That's a start.

[wyldwolf]

32. you're applying those in dubious manner in regards to Obama

As has been stated often, Obama was in no position to vote on the IWR and has said he isn't sure how he would have voted if he'd held a Senate seat.

Who doesn't believe in diplomacy? We've witnessed that in nearly every president - Republican or Democrat - we've had.

[SoonerPride]

37. Well, then you should be happy to support Obama.

As a former Hillary supporter myself, I know I am.

[wyldwolf]

62. I have stated several times I am, but that doesn't speak to the original point

Obama (policy wise) did not run a (DU defined) progressive primary campaign

[depakid]

39. You must not have been cognizant during the Clinton era

The reason why Obama praised Bush I and Reagan was because he felt that it would be politically infeasible to acknowledge the Clinton's diplomatic and foreign policy successes.

Indeed, if Obama's half as successful on the world stage as Clinton was, he'd be looked on as quite successful himself- particularly in contrast to the disgraceful conduct the world has seen over the past 8 years.

As to the IWR, we don't know how Obama would have voted, but based on his pattern of go along to get along in his short Senate term, there's every reason to think he would have gone along with that vote, too.

But we'll never know....

[SoonerPride]

42. Senator Clinton is not her husband, nor is her stance on engagement with foreign leaders

She is McCain-lite on diplomacy. Not willign to talk to other countries without pre-conditions, which means no talking at all.

She is not her spouse.

[depakid]

48. The Clintons are and always have been a team

And pretty much everyone acknowledges that.

Ridiculous comparisons to McCain only show that you're not thinking clearly, and have swallowed what been repeated over and over on DU and elsewhere.

Seems to me, the Clinton's record speaks for itself- on many issues (which is why I'm pleased she's not the nominee) -but on the other hand, I'm not expecting too much more from Obama, based on what I've read of his policy proposals.

Of course, he could surprise us. If he gets elected, I guess we'll see.

[hokies4ever]

54. except when it doesn't poll well

:rofl:

[wyldwolf]

29. that's my point.

[hokies4ever]

43. Your gal Hillary is finished. Her attempt to hold our party hostage is going to fail miserably.

So give it a rest attacking the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party.

[depakid]

50. The "hostage" meme

Another ridiculous neophyte assertion. Grow up and get a clue.

She's just a politician trying to play her hand and force some concessions. That's how the game is played.

[hokies4ever]

52. Glad that you agree. She's still going to fail miserably.

MSNBC and MSM has reported that Obama's campaign manager has said that Obama talked to Hillary and that they agreed to meet sometime over the next few weeks. That's right, over the next few weeks. Good luck Hillary trying to survive the superdelegate and media scrutiny between now and then.

[depakid]

58. There are a lot of ways to use political pressure from ones delegates

It's not all aimed at the nomination.

For example the platform "discussions" look a bit more interesting this year due to the close split.

It would have been even more interesting had Edwards hung around.

[hokies4ever]

59. Presidents don't become Presidents ceding power over on important decisions

Goes without question. Someone with the ambition to fight tooth and nail to become President is not going to just hand over the power of the Presidency because someone else thinks that they're entitled to it.

[depakid]

60. Doesn't sound like you've read much history

There wasn't much love lost between John Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson...

Nor between Reagan and Bush I in 1980.

Or Kerry & Edwards, for that matter.

[hokies4ever]

68. LOL! You just brought up JFK and LBJ? Let me educate you on this.

Specifically the Cuban Missile Crisis. JFK kept LBJ out of the loop during the important parts of the Cuban Missile Crisis. It was JFK and RFK solving this crisis behind closed doors. That's right, the President and his Attorney General keeping the world from WWIII. LBJ kept OUT of the loop. Why? Because they didn't govern together. The V.P. should be the first or one of the first people that a President talks to during a national crisis of that scale. Puppet V.P.s don't help a President govern.

JFK/LBJ is a perfect example as to why a President should choose the V.P., because the V.P. has little official power and just about only the amount of power that the President wants to delegate to him/her.

[depakid]

73. Wow. You really haven't read much history or analysis (or perhaps, misunderstand it)

The take home message of the Cuban Missile crisis was to avoid group think.

Here's the wiki summary of Janis' much cited work on point:

According to Irving Janis, decision making groups are not necessarily destined to groupthink. He devised seven ways of preventing groupthink (209-15):

1. Leaders should assign each member the role of “critical evaluator”. This allows each member to freely air objections and doubts.
2. Higher-ups should not express an opinion when assigning a task to a group.
3. The organization should set up several independent groups, working on the same problem.
4. All effective alternatives should be examined.
5. Each member should discuss the group's ideas with trusted people outside of the group.
6. The group should invite outside experts into meetings. Group members should be allowed to discuss with and question the outside experts.
7. At least one group member should be assigned the role of Devil's advocate. This should be a different person for each meeting.


By following these guidelines, groupthink can be avoided. After the Bay of Pigs invasion fiasco, John F. Kennedy sought to avoid groupthink during the Cuban Missile Crisis.<3> During meetings, he invited outside experts to share their viewpoints, and allowed group members to question them carefully.

He also encouraged group members to discuss possible solutions with trusted members within their separate departments, and he even divided the group up into various sub-groups, in order to partially break the group cohesion. JFK was deliberately absent from the meetings, so as to avoid pressing his own opinion. Ultimately, the Cuban missile crisis was resolved peacefully, thanks in part to these measures.

NOTE THE DISSIMILARITIES FROM MUCH OF WHAT GOES ON AT GDP

[wyldwolf]

65. I'm not attacking Obama - unless you consider pointing out simple facts "attacking."

[dionysus]

45. 23!!! you're back!!

:hi:

[donheld]

7. Oh Please!

[BlooInBloo]

9. tick tick tick tick

[godai]

10. What...did he say he will obliterate Iran?

Oh no...that was Clinton.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

49. Good one!

[spanone]

11. sour grapes?

[sazemisery]

13. He told AIPAC he would sit down with Iran

under HIS terms, on HIS time, at HIS appointed meeting place and only if it were good for America.

Are you calling that centrist?

[rucky]

71. Wow.

There just may be something to this "sitting down with the opposition" policy.

[Caution]

14. As long as Obama is to the left of McCain he gets my vote. Hopefully yours too.

Every non-vote for Obama helps McCain. It's that simple. I would have thought that Nader taught everyone that lesson in 2000.

[wyldwolf]

19. that's my only criteria

[movonne]

27. Well if hillary won she would have been my only criteria....

[Better Believe It]

28. Geoerge W. Bush Is To The Left Of McCain!

Well, he's on McCain's left side in this photo.

:)

[blm]

16. He didn't sabre rattle Iran the way Hillary did - he stressed diplomacy as he always does.

What part of his strength through strong diplomacy do you disagree with?

[Cali_Democrat]

17. He said nothing to indicate that he is shifting to the right

Everything he said today is exactly what he's been saying all along. You're full of shit.

[glowing]

18. Did you hear Clinton after him?

[NatBurner]

20. lol

[reflection]

22. OMG!!! He's campaigning to the center!

Call the newspapers.

[theoldman]

23. Obama will act like a Centrist to win the election.

That is the smart thing to do and he is a smart guy.

[movonne]

30. His handlers have got him this far ... I'm sure they will get him all

the way...

[Captain Hilts]

25. With advisors like Sam Nunn and Jim Cooper and conversations with Colin Powell...nt

[BearSquirrel2]

34. I heard his stance on Iran a long time ago ...

Obama isn't moving one bit. He's a left leaning moderate as opposed to Hillary who is a right leaning moderate.

[Occam Bandage]

35. He said nothing he hasn't said so far. Zionophobes are annoying.

[thewiseguy]

40. He said that he supports Israel's strike on Syria last year

I never heard him say that before. Or that Jerusalem has to be the capital of Israel. Never heard him say that before either.

[Meshuga]

36. What did he say specifically that made you come to the conclusion

that he is moving to the right?

[hokies4ever]

38. Your hitjob on Obama fell flat. Please try harder next time.

All he did was reaffirm his commitment to Israel. I'm sorry that your gal Hillary lost. Now get over it.

[AZBlue]

44. Obviously the talking points of today's Clinton Conference Call.....

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

47. He'll never get further to the right than Hillary, that's for DAMN sure!

[blindpig]

51. It ain't no move

He's where he's been all along, people just refuse to see it.

Possibly the most deluded electorate since Raygun.

[high density]

55. Obama said [random statement]

He's moving to the right!!

There's a group of people here that are so predicable. No, he's not Kucinich. We know that.

[Endangered Specie]

57. Getting it out of your system? Time is running out!

[itsrobert]

69. Honest critque isn't against the rules? Is it?

I'm still supporting him. (He's my third choice after Gore and Edwards.)

[theboss]

61. Is pledging to defend Israel running to the right? It's been our platform forever.

Hell, he told AIPAC that he would sit down with Iran.

I repeat:
He.told.AIPAC.he.would.negotiate.with.Iran.

[apocalypsehow]

64. First it was "Obama is too conservative." Then it was "he's too far left." Now we're back to "Obama

is sprinting to the Right."

I wish you boosters would make up your mind - you have all the mental consistency of a bowl of spaghetti.

P.S. Senator Obama is now our nominee, BTW, so you've only got one week left here at DU to continue slandering/attacking him.

[Forkboy]

67. Well, at least it's a longer run than Hillary would have to make.

And btw, every candidate does exactly this in the GE.

[rucky]

70. I expect a winning candidate

and a moderate-to-liberal PRESIDENT.

[Catherina]

72. An unfortunate political necessity from a man who's not going to needlessly "obliterate" Iran n/t