Increasingly Centrist Obama Ruffles Left And Right Feathers

Joe Gandelman, a moderate-liberal blogger, writes about criticism from the Left and the Right on President-Elect Barack Obama: "There seems to be a notable parallel in what Obama is doing — not so much in American political history, but in the approach of Democratic forces following the long-awaited death of Spanish dictator Gen. Francisco Franco in 1975. Despite demands from the left for quick and dramatic transformation and a rear-guard fighting action from the right, Democratic forces of several parties and most post-Franco prime minsters chose an 'evolution without revolution' approach: sliding Spain’s system and hurting polity back into democracy rather than acting in ways that might cause political upheaval on the right or left. Now, during a time of unparalleled multi-fronted crises, Obama seems to be trying to do just that: transition America by putting it into a kind of political decompression chamber to ease it into a new era, rather than give the left what it demands and give the right the demons it seeks or the nightmare it claims it dreams."

Mr. Gandelman continues his commentary: "What’s REALLY going on now seems to be an attempt to gently ease America out of a political era that began under Richard Nixon — an era detailed in can’t-put-down-style in the new book Nixonland. Obama is moving less to highlight odd-man-and-woman-out in Rovian style 50 +1 power politics calculations (just get enough to pass what you need getting your base and a few more) than re-trying the 40s, 50s and 60s style political technique of coalition building by trying to construct a political consensus via bringing in in many opponents, rather than by targeting, demonizing and trying to discredit them. Many on the left feel they have suffered far too many years watching the right try and take out Bill Clinton on the pretext of Monica Lewinsky, and then watch George Bush govern as if his tepid election victories represented huge electoral landslides and mandates. They have [a] lot they want done, their way. And they feel Obama has an actual mandate…for change…their kind of change. Meanwhile, many on the right remain mired in the politics of definition where they stick labels and hurl derogatory names at officials, groups and write[r]s who dare see things differently. The question is which group in the end will be more willing to try consensus politics for a while. Take your bets on that now — but it’s a probably safe bet to assume that the vast majority of Americans crave to see change they can believe in rather than ideology that it’s easy to stick a political label on."