As Charles Krauthammer said in his column today, Obama's transformation from most liberal senator to centrist-to-the-right of John McCain is nearly complete.
Obama's strategy is obvious. The country is in a deep malaise and eager for change. He and his party already have the advantage on economic and domestic issues. Obama, therefore, aims to clear the deck by moving rapidly to the center in those areas where he and his party are weakest, namely national security and the broader cultural issues. With these -- and, most important, his war-losing Iraq policy -- out of the way, the election will be decided on charisma and persona. In this corner: the young sleek cool hip elegant challenger. In the other corner: the old guy. No contest.
There are some Obamaniacs who insist that Obama is all substance, but his latest round of flips belies that position. No, Obama is all style, no substance. His change of positions over the course of the last 2 weeks has been astonishing. From campaign finance reform to FISA to gun control and crime, Barack Obama is starting to look positively hawkish.
Yesterday, I said Obama would change his position on Iraq after his upcoming visit to our "lost war," but I really wasn't expecting him to telegraph the change so soon. But there it is: he's discussing "refining" his policy, of "slowing down withdrawal." That's just another--shall we say it?--inartful way of saying he's changed his mind. Again.
But now comes the most striking flip so far for the man who didn't support life-saving measures for babies who survived abortions. He's actually saying there may be abortions he doesn't like.
In an interview this week with "Relevant," a Christian magazine, Obama said prohibitions on late-term abortions must contain "a strict, well defined exception for the health of the mother."
Obama then added: "Now, I don't think that 'mental distress' qualifies as the health of the mother. I think it has to be a serious physical issue that arises in pregnancy, where there are real, significant problems to the mother carrying that child to term."
Last year, after the Supreme Court upheld a federal ban on late-term abortions, Obama said he "strongly disagreed" with the ruling because it "dramatically departs form previous precedents safeguarding the health of pregnant women."
So, he was against the ban before he was for it? And can't mental distress cause physical distress, thereby getting around the Obama rule?
Krauthammer is right that Obama is successfully erasing all distinctions between himself and John McCain, leaving only his youthful appeal to differentiate the candidates. At that point, it will be no contest. But which Obama will govern as president?
|