In our two Americas we seem to have two Obamas. Which am I supposed to believe in?

Loud Barack has been publicly pronouncing all sorts of collectivist, leftist, brother gonna bill me $$$$ progressive, Barack-tacular proposals, some from behind the cover of his alternate universe presidential seal. Should he be believed?

Or should I believe quiet Barack, who appears to be making soothing noise to assorted right-wing mouth-breathers and blood-sucking Canadian ankle-biters... Quiet Barack (or his staff minion) is whispering, hinting "I didn't really mean that thing I said about Abortion/Guns/NAFTA/Bowling...­"

As a moderate libertarian who watched one too many John Wayne movies growing up, I find myself in the uncomfortable position of hoping that our likely next president is just a typical politician and doesn't really intend to go through with most of his grandiose base-pleasing policy promises.

In short, I don't want him to flop... but a little flip-flop would just fine.

Thank you. Someone is finally putting America on notice of the "Blood-sucking Canadian ankle-biter" menace. If we leave it to these guys, Obama's socialist handlers will turn this country into a Stalinist police state like Norway or Finland or Austria. Don't we have enough problems dealing with the tide of Swedish refugees fleeing the oppressive levels of health care, education and livable wages in their home country? Wake up, America!

I've never heard of Norway described as a Stalinist police state. They keep that Oslo gulag pretty secret I guess.

I'm just guessing, but I think he was being facetious.

We're all facetious... mostly... watch out for those sneaky Canadians. They'll take your job and you'll be working minimum wage at a Norwegian taco stand.

I hear Canada is just one big CIA secret prison.

In short, I don't want him to flop... but a little flip-flop would just fine.

This, believe it or not..is where most American's are at.

5% lefties

5% rightwingers

90% normal (ish) people in the middle, who don't want our rights infringed upon..don't want to be in a perennial war..do want an economy that works..do want sensible education..etc. etc. etc.

And sure, under the myopic lens of "strict partisanship" you can call things flip-flops..

or you can assume that the number of people who have a purely black and white view of complex issues are stupid and extremist.

But I'm a liberal save-the-whales, polar bears, baby seals kinda girl, and I'm happy about the Supreme Courts ruling on guns.

(Just in case..Canadians..they're wily..)

I like muscle cars AND latte's.

I want out of Iraq..and Bin Laden HANGED..publicly.

'I want out of Iraq..and Bin Laden HANGED..publicly.'

obama sez osama should get a fair trial in the courts even if he has to nuke pakistan to do it.

given northern pakistan's complicity is shielding, harboring, and provisioning the Taliban I'm more or less totally comfortable with that.

This, believe it or not..is where most American's are at.

5% lefties

5% rightwingers

90% normal (ish) people in the middle

Actually, I think the country is more polarized than that. Certainly the Congress is. Nothing seems to get through there unless there's a 60 vote Senate margin to prevent a filibuster. Pretty sad.

deebee:

Actually, I think the country is more polarized than that. Certainly the Congress is. Nothing seems to get through there unless there's a 60 vote Senate margin to prevent a filibuster. Pretty sad.

It's really more have to do with our two-party & "first past the post" system. I suspect our Congress would look very different if our choices aren't just limited to Democrats or Republicans (choices that matter in any case).

90% normal (ish) people in the middle

I think our country THINKS its more polarized than that. I have friends that are life long Republicans, and friends that are lifelong democrats, and even one guy who (for whatever reason) votes for Nader every time.

I think most of us fall along that continuum somewhere, either slightly more right or slighty more left.

But really, the issue seems to be that since "flip-flopping" and "departure from party line" became the bugaboos of the 21st century, politicians feel like the can't take even a minor step away from strict adherence to pary line. And they are NEVER allowed to change their mind, or have a centrist view of anything, or they won't be able to get elected, or re-elected.

It's the worst sort of pandering to extremists, and in the case of what Bush has done, yes, even appeasement of the extremes at the expense of the majority.

We're the ones who have to put a stop to it. A politician who never got elected is a politician who never got to be a factor.

this obamo fellow strikes me as the type that would walk stickly and carry a big soft.

Thevail,

As great as that would be you aren't going to find any politicians to break from the pack this election. According to the Washington Post in the current session of Congress Obama has voted along party lines something like 98% of the time, while McCain isn't much better with 82% or something like that. And on the major issues Obama has voted in a non-partisan manner only 27% or so of the time, while McCain has only voted in a non-partisan manner something like 50% of the time.

As fun as breaking the party discipline would be and allowing politicians to vote in a moderate manner, I don't think its going to happen just all of a sudden.

I agree that neither of them can really do it..at this time. And Americans are going to have to become more informed and less "sound byte" driven before it can change.