Legal Commentary

Obama's "Flip Flop" On Hillary Clinton

By Big Tent Democrat

My title is a joke. As is Newsweek (here is J's writeup on the poll):

Obama quickly went about repositioning himself for a general-election audience--an unpleasant task for any nominee emerging from the pander-heavy primary contests and particularly for a candidate who'd slogged through a vigorous primary challenge in most every contest from January until June. Obama's reversal on FISA legislation, his support of faith-based initiatives and his decision to opt out of the campaign public-financing system left him open to charges he was a flip-flopper. In the new poll, 53 percent of voters (and 50 percent of former Hillary Clinton supporters) believe that Obama has changed his position on key issues in order to gain political advantage.

More seriously, some Obama supporters worry that the spectacle of their candidate eagerly embracing his old rival, Hillary Clinton, and traveling the country courting big donors at lavish fund-raisers, may have done lasting damage to his image as an arbiter of a new kind of politics. . . .

What a hoot. So Obama's problem says Newsweek is his "embrace" of Hillary Clinton. My gawd, not even Andrew Sullivan came up with that one.

But back on Planet Earth, most sentient beings know why Obama's gained a flip flop image - because he HAS flip flopped on some key issues. Most notably on FISA Capitulation. We wrote here that not only was the flip flop craven on principles but stupid politics. Maybe Obama will learn now why Congressional Hoyerism has a 9% approval rating and why he should avoid the political tactics of Hoyerism. Because it is the only conceivable path to defeat in November for him.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

Full post as published by TalkLeft on July 12, 2008 (boomark / email).