Change? Did I Say "Change?"
A few links covering much of the non-change the Obama administration is giving us.
* The Audacity of Patience on RedState, noting status quo in cabinet appointments, the Bush tax cuts, but mostly the closing (or not) of Gitmo.
* The Washington Times: "Don’t ask, don’t tell"? Don’t hold your breath.
* The New York Times (yes, that New York Times): Reality rears its ugly head regarding Iraqi forces. I like this line:
“I said that I would remove our combat troops from Iraq in 16 months, with the understanding that it might be necessary — likely to be necessary — to maintain a residual force to provide potential training, logistical support, to protect our civilians in Iraq,” Mr. Obama said this week as he introduced his national security team.
Yes, I’m sure that’s the catchy way he said it in all his speeches.
Filed under: Doug • Economics & Taxes • Government • Military
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Wow. So, now it seems that after months of demonizing Obama as a socialist who is going to change our nation into a godless communist hellhole, NOW it seems that the Right is criticizing him for not bringing that change on? And they’re gleefully awaiting the uprising on the Left for his abandonment of his socialist agenda?
Really?
Well, the “uprising” is already happening, with some notable bloggers wondering if (I’m paraphrasing) “we can ever get a real Democratic administration”. They’re worried they may have been lied to. Can’t blame them, or conservatives for that matter, for believing that perhaps Obama would socialize the wealth, spreading it around.
So one explanation for all this is that Democrats were sold a bill of goods, which they, in their excitement, swallowed hook, line and sinker (to mix metaphors).
The other explanation is that the more centrist cabinet will provide him cover for the actual leftist things he will propose. When they go to bat for Obama’s policies, they bring some centrist cred with them, which may mute resistance. Could be a good political move, though I’ll be concerned about the results.
OR, could it possibly be that he was never as radical Left as he was made out to be by the Right? AND, further, could it be that most of us more to the Left realized this, but honored the choice as a much better alternative than we normally get (a fella who comes closer to agreeing with us maybe 50% of the time, rather than a Bush-type with whom we disagree maybe 90% of the time)?
Speaking at least for myself and my community, we didn’t expect nor want a socialist, we didn’t even expect a far Left progressive. We expected a moderate whom we would have to prod at times to come closer to our views – knowing that in some cases, that just won’t happen – and yet a reasonable moderate who can at least be reasoned with and who will actually hear our voices, even if he ultimately goes down a more centrist road.
The truth is, Obama campaigned as a reasonable moderate and we were glad to get that, at least speaking for myself.
Now, bail out the car companies? No way! say me and my so-called Leftist compatriots. Off shore drilling? Heaven forbid! Extend our stay in Iraq? NO, no, no!
But I expected this much and he is at least in the ballpark of considering all of these matters with our view in mind, or so it seems.
“We expected a moderate”
“and yet a reasonable moderate”
“campaigned as a reasonable moderate”
With apologies to Inigo Montoya, “you keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”
FOCA being a top priority, spreading the wealth around, and what record he did have to run on all pointed to a far-left ideology. Much of Obama’s positions right now are, wisely actually, are presenting somewhat of a united front to the world (and I’m with you on the auto bailouts). But that’s not what he campaigned on, and if you get a look at the left side of the blogosphere, you’ll find a lot of disappointment early on.
A few executive orders could change all that, but in the meantime that bill of goods is pretty thin gruel (to mix yet another metaphor).