The Real Obama

As Obama nears his Presidency, it is slowly being revealed that the job of President is a bit tougher than those on the left imagined for all their hooting and hollering over Bush, and Obama may be more competent than the right imagined. (Yes, I did just say that.)

Because of the complicated foreign and economic policy situations, Obama may *gasp* even be in alignment with some (read: most) of George W. Bush's policies (which should not be a shock as Bush is a Democrat in many respects). But the growing discontent on the left is because of feelings Obama is abandoning some of the policies they had pegged their dreams on. So, who is right and who is wrong? Was Obama ever the left extremist people made him out to be? Or did he just play along, happy enough to get the votes? Is he a plain-vanilla politician after all?

Obama's top advisor sends the message the President-Elect is not too interested in pleasing all of the left all of the time and, he is making difficult decisions, keeping in mind what is best for the entire constituency, not just Progressives. Imagine that.

Advisor Steve Hildebrand says,

‘This is not a time for the left wing of our Party to draw conclusions about the Cabinet and White House appointments that President-Elect Obama is making,” Hildebrand wrote. “Some believe the appointments generally aren't progressive enough. Having worked with former Senator Obama for the last two years, I can tell you, that isn't the way he thinks and it's not likely the way he will lead. The problems I mentioned above and the many I didn't, suggest that our president surround himself with the most qualified people to address these challenges.”

I have to admit, for all my previous ranting and raving about Obama, I'm left even more befuddled as to where he stands on issues. He's unusually difficult to peg down when it comes to where he stands on topics. That does not mean I don't have strong hunches about his beliefs, it's just that he never comes out and says them. Garden variety politician stuff, which is another reason Obama is just like everyone else, there is nothing new about him.

The Wall Street Journal's Gerald Seib offered his take,

The team the U.S. president-elect is assembling around him is strikingly centrist in nature, a group of people known more for its competence than for its ideology.

That seems to reflect what the nation ordered up in this year’s election. The campaign that brought Mr. Obama to power wasn’t one that was dominated by policy positions or ideological debates, though both surely were present.

Instead, it was one that focused more on governing ability—that is, who could best pull Washington out of the partisan ruts and ideological gridlock that seem to so frustrate voters. As that suggests, the mood in the country wasn’t—and isn’t—highly ideological.

Indeed, the “change” impulse that Mr. Obama tapped into so effectively was rooted at least as much in a desire for forward movement in Washington as a call for movement in a particular direction. After all, Mr. Obama identified himself explicitly as a post-partisan figure rather than as a highly partisan figure.

An Obama voter I know, who I won't reveal by name, told me that she was banking on Obama "being a liar" and was certain he wouldn't enact most of the proposed policies he had in mind. She just liked him. I am wondering if she was right?

Politco.com indicated liberal party members are miffed,

Liberals are growing increasingly nervous – and some just flat-out angry – that President-elect Barack Obama seems to be stiffing them on Cabinet jobs and policy choices.

Obama has reversed pledges to immediately repeal tax cuts for the wealthy and take on Big Oil. He’s hedged his call for a quick drawdown in Iraq. And he’s stocking his White House with anything but stalwarts of the left.

Now some are shedding a reluctance to puncture the liberal euphoria at being rid of President George W. Bush to say, in effect, that the new boss looks like the old boss.

“He has confirmed what our suspicions were by surrounding himself with a centrist to right cabinet. But we do hope that before it's all over we can get at least one authentic progressive appointment,” said Tim Carpenter, national director of the Progressive Democrats of America.

While I'm mildly pleased it appears Obama is more of a centrist, I'm not going to put on my happy face just yet because:

1. He's not President yet, and as far as I'm concerned he's still a wild card despite his lip-service to transparency and change, I'd like to see him take some substantive action and then I'll make my decision.

2. Adopting more Bush-esque policies is not something to do victory laps over, for certain. But perhaps it would slow some of the discriminatory and stifling Progress I feared we'd see.

Basically, it seems that with Barack Obama, we may be getting someone more like John McCain after all.