An opportunistic embrace of a sharply right-wing stance
A critical piece at AlterNet on Obama’s recent position shift on matters such as the death penalty, Guantanámo, surveillance, free trade and others. Certainly worth a read.
A critical piece at AlterNet on Obama’s recent position shift on matters such as the death penalty, Guantanámo, surveillance, free trade and others. Certainly worth a read.
No shift on Guantanamo (that I know of), despite the author’s (intentionally?) confusing and ultimately meaningless assertion that Obama “has now aligned himself with the same aggressively conservative justices who would have had them remain in legal limbo”. But the central point is valid. We’re barely through the first month of GE campaigning, and Obama has already shown a surprising rush to triangulate, even where he doesn’t really need to.
Agreed, the article on AlterNet is not without its faults and — I dare say — gets quite excessive in its criticism at times. I do think, however, that the central point is valid and quite important: much of the support in favour of Obama came precisely because of his sharp difference between his and Clinton’s positions. That he chooses to deviate from them now, could — in theory — alienate both his core and independent voters (that may end up not voting).