The candidate that never was

by Don Wheeler

fake consultant's most recent contribution presents a view that, though currently popular, doesn't match well with the information we have- though I agree with the conclusion for the most part.

For one thing, there is built into it the premise that recent actions and utterings by Barack Obama represents some sort of shift in (fill in the blank), and or that this is driven by campaign consultants. For any casual observer of the the campaign thus far, this is just a logical extension of the Obama effort. And it's a bit sloppy to point out McCain's opposition to the Martin Luther King holiday without noting McCain's later repudiation and apology for that stance.

M. consultant was an advocate for John Edwards, as was I, and my guess is that the friend he refers to was as well. It's not hard to understand an Edwards supporter's misgivings about Obama.

John Edwards and his supporters recognized a unique opportunity to radically shift government policy towards Progressivism. To that end, bold proposals addressing serious, entrenched problems were offered. As Edwards stated at the 2007 DNC Winter Meeting, "We are at the point in our history where we have to leave behind half measures, broken promises and sweet rhetoric".

The Obama candidacy was presented by his fierce supporters as a second coming of one kind or another. Kennedy, Lincoln and others were offered as possibilities. Through the Iowa caucuses (where I worked) this seemed like a bit of a stretch - but somewhat understandable.

But after that, the candidate himself courted a major Las Vegas newspaper editorial board by admiring Ronald Reagan's leadership, dispatched campaign officials to Canada to assure their leaders not to take his expressed desire to reopen the NAFTA too seriously. He later spoke approvingly of the Republicans' success in de-regulating many industries in the 1980s - though that action seems to have caused the public interest great damage and expense.

More recently, he reversed his promise to participate in the public campaign financing system (if his opponent participated) and his promise to filibuster the FISA legislation if it contained immunity for the telecom industry.

And to further disappoint progressives, he applauded the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Washington, D.C.'s handgun ban.

Throw in the most expensive (per person) and incomplete health care proposal of any Democratic candidate and you have...

"half measures, broken promises and sweet rhetoric".

But we have to be grownups about this. The opportunity has been lost, now we have to shift to damage control.

He's still better than the other guy.

Reminds me of 2004