Question of the Day: Placating the Base
Friday, April 02, 2010
Do Liberals Ever Listen to Campaign Promises?
When Obama ran for President he never promised to immediately end the war in Iraq and promised to increase efforts to win in Afghanistan. When he implemented this strategy, liberal seemed shocked.
When Obama ran for President he said he would consider opening up drilling off the coasts of the United States (He changed to this position mid campaign.) When he announced this policy, some liberals (not environmental groups who saw it coming) were shocked.
When Obama ran for President he promised to compromise and work in a bipartisan fashion, but when he does so, liberal get pissed.
Were all these hippies stoned or drunk during the euphoria of 2008? What gives?
9 comments:
Good question, but I honestly can't think of any president during my lifetime that didn't do something similar. Republicans that were fiscally conservative were never all that happy with the way Bush approached spending.
I don't think there is anything wrong with trying to hold a president to their campaign promises, nor is it wrong to ask for more.
I think people get excited when "their guy" wins and they feel let down when it is (to quote the Who) "meet the new boss, same as the old boss." No, I am not suggesting that Obama is just like Bush, but rather that he isn't as different as some would like.
On a positive note, from the standpoint of an independent, it is refreshing to see that many liberals won't sacrifice their beliefs and blindly support someone just because of party affiliation.
"...it is refreshing to see that many liberals won't sacrifice their beliefs and blindly support someone just because of party affiliation."
But they kinda did blindly support him up until the point of him gettign elected. Once he was governing liberlas then expected him to forego what he promised to do and swing to the left.
Maybe they thought he was the best choice to win. He was certainly a better choice than McCain/Palin.
"Maybe they thought he was the best choice to win."
No doubt, but did they really think he would swing to the left against his campaign promises?
My frustration comes from what appears to be pre-emptive compromise by Obama—not compromise as a matter of reaching an accord to close a deal, but by and large—like during the campaign—his tactics might seem frustrating or futile, but he ends up getting the job done.
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The whining on the left about this offshore drilling thing this week has been particularly annoying though.
It IS something that was previously discussed in the campaign, it DOES appear to have a decent political startegy underpinning it, but more importantly—it's actually a meaningless gesture!
All this does is open up what are still specific and limited areas to potential exploration in very specific ways. A process that will take years, might not actually occur, and even if it did, and someone found oil, they couldn't get it until after an environmental analysis, approval and a permit issued.
Part of this proposal actually recloses many sensitive areas that were released under the Bush Administration.
More than anything I see this as a purely political move by Obama to put Republicans in a box, and to get ahead of the imminent gas price hikes that'll come in a couple months...
Good point. I certainly thought that on Afghanistan. Seems like many liberals simply saw anyone who wasn't Bush or Cheney as someone in their camp on every point. I think many also simply internalized the right wing flipout that Obama was some radical.
He has always been more conservative than his critics or fans thought.
It is my understanding that offshore drilling, for the most part, is safe and the technology has been around a long time. I am glad he is supporting this. It shows that he is an intelligent and reasonable person that will listen to logic and evidence.
He has always been more conservative than his critics or fans thought.
But...but...he is a Marxist!?!??!
Yes, but he is like a blue dog Marxist.
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