American Thinker | Peter Kirsanow | July 7, 2008
The reigning media narrative is that because this is a heavily Democratic year, Senator McCain is a clear underdog to Senator Obama. The narrative has almost nothing to do with the appeal of the candidates’ respective policies — and it’s clear the Obama campaign is concerned voters will begin to notice.
Consequently, in order to position himself for the general election, Obama has been running furiously toward the center– deemphasizing his liberalism with the adroit use of linguistic jiu jitsu.
[…]
Whenever a proposition polls in the 60% range, it’s considered to be in landslide territory. That doesn’t necessarily mean that someone supporting the minority viewpoint is a nut or an extremist, but at some point it may fairly be said that a person on the short end of several of these propositions is out of the mainstream. Here are just some of the issues in which Obama’s on the fringe of American opinion:*
Obama opposes offshore drilling for oil. Voters support drilling by 67% to 18%. (Rasmussen, June 2008).
Obama supports giving driver licenses to illegal immigrants. Americans oppose this 76% to 23%. (CNN/ Opinion Research, Oct. 2007)
Obama supports affirmative action in public employment, contracting and university admissions. Americans oppose giving an advantage in these areas on the basis of race by a margin of 82% to 14%. (Newsweek, July 2007)
Obama says that he will cut funding for research and development of missile defense systems. 89% of Americans support development of or research for missile defense — 8% don’t. (Program on International Policy Alternatives, March 2004) It’s worth noting that Obama’s closer to a pre-9/11 view of missile defense. An August 2001 Bloomberg News poll showed only 49% favored missile defense at that time whereas 41% opposed it.
Obama voted against a ban on partial birth abortions. Americans support a ban by a margin of 66% to 28%. (CNN/Opinion Research, May 2007)
Despite his equivocal statements regarding the recent Supreme Court decision striking down the D.C. gun ban, Obama has never met a gun ban he didn’t like. Although many Americans support certain types of restrictions on guns, they oppose broad bans by a margin of 68% to 30%. In fact, 58% insist no new gun laws should be passed.(Gallup, Oct. 2007)
Obama opposed the Induced Birth Infant Liability Act while in the Illinois state legislature. The measure is designed to prevent abortion providers from withholding medical care and sustenance from infants born after surviving an abortion attempt. There’s no national polling data on this state issue, but when the Senate voted on a analogous piece of legislation — the Born Alive Infant Protection Act — the measure passed unanimously.
Obama voted against a bill that would make English the official language for conducting business with the U.S. government. Americans support making English the official language 85% to 11%, including 79% of Democrats. (Rasmussen, July 2006)
While in the Illinois state legislature, Obama voted against parental notification requirements for abortions for minors. Americans support parental notification laws by a margin of 79% to 17%. Even 64% of those identifying themselves as pro-choice support such laws. (Fox News/Opinion Dynamics, April 2005)
Obama maintains that the Supreme Court’s recent decisions prohibiting the use of race in determining public school assignments are wrong. In contrast, 71% of American agree with the decisions and only 24% disagree. (Quinnipiac, July 2007)
. . . more
For the record, Redstate.com recognized Obama for his opposition to late-term and partial-birth abortions.
Some will consider this pandering, but he did risk alienating some with this view. I think he is sincere on this.
The temporary makeover continues.
James K. #1:
How do you guage Mr. Obama’s sincerity? Did he make his statement with a pleasing tone of voice? Has he ever taken concrete action to suggest that his newfound opinion on abortion is sincere? Do you just want to belive in the man? You fail to account for Mr. Obama’s voting record (much more telling than his recent campaign talks). Even the same redstate article that you referenced recognized that Obama’s recent position contradicts everything he has ever done in the past regarding abortion:
“It should also be noted that this is diametrically opposed to everything Obama has ever said and every vote he has ever cast on abortion prior to this point…”
The article goes on to mention Obama’s support for partial-birth abortion rights and his support for the right to kill babies that are born alive after attempts to abort them fail. Don’t worry, Obama isn’t alienating anyone with his point of view because his leftist base knows that he is just pandering. If he were serious he would have sponsored legislation that defined the “health of the mother” to exclude mental health considerations.
Obama has made his position on abortion very, very clear:
Barack Obama Strongly Supports Unrestricted Abortion
https://www.orthodoxytoday.org/blog/2008/06/16/barack-obama-strongly-supports-unrestricted-abortion/
JamesK, by your own criteria of “consistency” Mr. Obama’s latest statement on abortion is radically inconsistent therefore likely corrupt.
You believe him simply because of your ideology.
Rule of thumb: politicians are sincere about only one thing–their quest for power. Anything else is frosting at best–something far less palatable in most other cases.
Michael, for the record, I do not know why the Democratic party leadership tries to appeal to the most extreme elements of abortion-rights advocates. It’s completely inconsistent with the classical liberal notion of protecting individual rights and liberties for the weak and dependent. I don’t think the Democratic voter at large supports completely unrestricted abortion for the duration of the pregnancy.
Voting for Barack Obama for president over John McCain is like asking a private from the backwoods of Mississippi instead of Robert E. Lee to lead the Army of Northern Virginia.
JamesK, the short answer to you question in #6 is because that’s where the money is and money = power. The Republicans do similar things.
To win the primaries, Democrats have to appeal to the most liberal of their party, but to win a general election they have to publically repudiate most of the beliefs they ran on in the primaries. That is called ‘moving to the center’. It doesn’t mean they still don’t belief what they ran on in the primaries and it is likely they will govern from those positions if they are elected.
JamesK #6:
Also, there is a “dependency class” that votes for the Democrat Party in hopes of expanded entitlements. Mr. Obama’s history of opposition to welfare reform, for example, appeals to many of these folks. Many in this class will vote Democrat even if they are opposed to abortion on demand.
On February 7, 2008, an article by Ann Coulter, “From Goldwater Girl to Hillary Girl,” was posted here on OrthodoxNet listing all the many defects of John McCain. In fact, she stated that “On the litmus test issues of our time, only partially excluding Iraq, McCain is a liberal.”
She concluded that “If McCain is elected president, we’ll have a four-year disaster, with the Republicans in Congress co-opted by “our” president, followed by 30 years of Democratic rule.”
So I guess the home team here gets to choose between a radical and a liberal (who will bring about a “disaster”) this year. Have fun at the polls guys.
Mr. Holman (#10),
I would not call McCain a leftist on the issues of abortion, race/sex-based discrimination in hiring (“affirmative” action), or second ammendment rights, and I would assume those are “litmus test” issues for Coulter. Coulter overstates a lot of things.
Sure, I don’t agree with McCain on some issues, I don’t think he takes a consistent stand on some others, and I don’t care for his temperament. But, I disagree with Obama on almost every issue and I believe his egocentric behavior is more dangerous than McCain’s bad temper. The decision is quite simple for me then, isn’t it, even if I don’t have “fun at the polls.”
Enjoy it while it lasts. Some leftists had to hold their noses and vote for Bill Clinton back in 1996 after he sold them out on welfare reform for the sake of political expediency. Obama, on the other hand, is a leftist’s dream candidate. Just look at his voting record and read his book. Have fun at the polls!
Five issues on McCain that conservatives seem to have a problem with:
1. Border security/immigration reform
2. McCain-Feingold which many conservatives feel violates the 1st Amendment
3. Health care
4. Economic policies in general
5. Some are troubled with McCain’s ethical situations.
Personally, I don’t think Coulter cares a fig about abortion one way or the other. If she is a conservative, she is a secular/economic conservative–mostly she just likes to hear herself make bombastic statements. It is unfortunate that she is taken as a serious political commentator.
Democrats are in a unique “win-win” situation.
If Obama wins, they win.
If McCain wins, they win. Why? With the exception of McCain’s views on the War in Iraq and abortion, he’s a liberal. And even on those points he may change his mind. He claims he’ll select conservative judges. He will probably back down. He cares too much about being loved by everyone instead of being a leader. He’s already “back-tracked” on the illegl alien issue this past week at the National Council for La Raza.
The only positive aspect of McCain over Obama is experience.
IMHO the only people that are voting for Obama are the following:
1. Blacks because he’s black.
2. Guilt-ridden white folk.
3. Democrats who only vote Democrat.
4. The “Far Left” hoping to change the US into a socialist state.
5. College students who let their professors think for them.
6. Democrat leaders hoping for an inexperienced person to dictate their will to.
7. Really ignorant people who think he’s different than any other politician.
8. Folk who think dancing on Ellen De Generes qualifies one to be president.
Unfortunatley, Republicans have no other alternative but McCain. It appears that the Republican Party are the new Democrats and the Democratic Party are the new Communists.
Oh brother! How we lack leaders in this country!
David S: For the first time in many years, I am actually uncertain as to who I’m going to vote for. However, I think you underestimate Obama’s abilities. You might consider the following article by Larry Hunter:
James K,
Let’s start with Obama’s ability to think critically and make important decisions:
First he stated he would attack Pakistan to get terrorists. He later admitted that he had blundered. He rejected defending Israel until he went before AIPAC and “changed” his position. He first ran on immediate withdrawal of the troops from Iraq, period. No commander-in-chief makes such a statement without consulting his generals. Now, he’s reconsidering, hmmm.
Have you not seen what happens to him when he is not reading a script? Have you not wondered why will he not debate John McCain “any time, any place”, like he said before? Why is he especially opposed to town hall meetings?
Why does he just go on news shows that support him? Even Hillary Clinton’s top promoters said Fox was the most fair coverage.
Obama is a racist:
Although he denies that he ever heard Jeremiah Wright say the hateful, bigoted, anti-American filth that spewed from Wright’s mouth, Obama’s own audio book, The Audacity of Hope is based on a sermon of Wright’s. IN HIS OWN VOICE, Obama blamed the world’s problems on “white man’s greed.” Now where did he get that idea? Greed knows no race and is no “respecter of persons.”
Obama lacks experience:
A State senator(5 years?), a Senator(3 years?), no leadership experience. McCain a naval officer(10 years?), a Senator (since George Washington’s time).
With all due respect, Obama will simply be a “puppet.” IMHO, the plan for his promoters is that if he wins, they will set up more experienced people for his cabinet that will tell HIM what to do. He cannot think for himself.
As for Larry Hunter, I present Joe Lieberman, lifelong Democrat, with a lot more “gravitas” than Mr. Hunter, actively supporting and campaigning for John McCain. Now I ask you, “Do you trust a “behind the scenes” Republican unknown to the public as opposed to Joseph Lieberman, a Democrat, who retained his Senate seat as an independent in his State because he has the trust of the “people”?