Flippity-Flop To The Barber Shop
The Washington Post names Barack Obama's top five flip-flops on his trip through the primaries. The list is impressive:
1. Special interests In January, the Obama campaign described union contributions to the campaigns of Clinton and John Edwards as "special interest" money. Obama changed his tune as he began gathering his own union endorsements. He now refers respectfully to unions as the representatives of "working people" and says he is "thrilled" by their support.
2. Public financing Obama replied "yes" in September 2007 when asked if he would agree to public financing of the presidential election if his GOP opponent did the same. Obama has now attached several conditions to such an agreement, including regulating spending by outside groups. His spokesman says the candidate never committed himself on the matter.
3. The Cuba embargo In January 2004, Obama said it was time "to end the embargo with Cuba" because it had "utterly failed in the effort to overthrow Castro." Speaking to a Cuban American audience in Miami in August 2007, he said he would not "take off the embargo" as president because it is "an important inducement for change."
The rest of the list is at the link, as are the top ten Hillary Clinton flipperoos. (She's been doing this longer than Obama, so there's more history.) I think the first Obama flip-flop, especially reinforces my earlier comment that Barack Obama is a stone opportunist . He will make a rapid about-face on some pretty strongly stated points if it benefits him. It's not easy being everything to everyone all the time, is it?
By feeblemind, Monday, 25 February , 2008 @ 2:38 pm
Spengler, over at Asian Times has an interesting analysis of Obama in his latest column, "Obama’s women reveal his secret".
By Mockinbird, Monday, 25 February , 2008 @ 2:47 pm
Obama-I don’t trust him.
By martian, Wednesday, 27 February , 2008 @ 1:31 pm
"He will make a rapid about-face on some pretty strongly stated points if it benefits him."
No! A democrat opportunist? Say it isn’t so! Just don’t say it too loud. The specters of Bobby Kennedy (and several other Kennedys), Hillary Clinton’s Senate campaigns, etc. might just rear their ugly heads to haunt you. Of course Obama is a flap in the wind opportunist - that has become the very definition of Democrats over the last few decades. And let’s not let all Republicans off the hook there are a few on that side of the aisle, as well (though not as many).