Why is it that I'm beginning to think that Obama politicized the Peace Prize, by directing his remarks primarily to his American audience, with the intention of doing exactly what he did, which is to get the conservatives on board with him? Remember back, right after the election, when he met with a group of conservative intellectuals at George Will's home in Washington?
This may be the 2009 version of Clintonian triangulation, cozying up to the conservatives so as to gain electoral advantage, because his liberal base is beginning to sour on him.
But I don't mean to be cynical about it, or to imply that he's changing his stripes. As William Blum put it here, this is who Obama is. He speaks with liberal tones and accents, but he governs conservatively, like most Democratic Presidents over the years. In Obama's case, he even seduced some on the left, like Gerry Wills, but liberals fell head over heels in love.
But disenchantment is growing in leaps and bounds to his left, which is probably why Obama is reaching out like crazy to his right. He must be praying that some mad loon like Sarah Palin gets nominated to run against him in 2012, so that the Republicans will be split and the David Brooks and Kathleen Parkers will support him.
But guess what, 44% of Americans now have a favorable opinion of Sarah Palin. 44%. That's just a little below Obama. She could actually be elected, if Afghanistan doesn't go well and the economy doesn't turn around. President Sarah Palin. Ah, yes. Compared to her, Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush were policy wonks.
No comments:
Post a Comment