Barack Obama has clearly moved his focus on some topics recently, and many are asking if he has moved his goals as well. This is a key question for any presidential candidate.

We know that the general election audience is different from the primaries' audience, so different points need to be addressed. A different focus in itself does not imply dishonesty.

Also, the military-industrial-media complex will do anything they can get away with to keep Obama from the Oval Office. Prominent corporate media voices are already obediently echoing RNC talking points, including false characterizations. Obama's response is on page 19 of the Los Angeles Times. They will eagerly pounce on any scrap that could be used to make him look soft on security. So now is a time he has to be particularly careful about what he says and doesn't say. (Thanks to the individual reporters and commentators who push the envelope and risk their jobs to serve the truth.)

The corporate fascist forces have repeatedly shown their utter disregard for human life, and are almost certainly looking for a way to eliminate Obama from the race before the election. This is very serious business.

A key to any long-range campaign is correctly assessing when to consolidate current gains and prepare for the next move forward. Trying to go too far at the wrong time can precipitate disaster for the whole campaign.

Does Obama's vote for the so-called "compromise" FISA reflect his long range goal for FISA legislation, or is it to keep a target off his back during the election? That is the question I find myself asking.

He did say he is not satisfied with the bill, and as president would thoroughly review it, with protecting civil liberties being a primary goal. Is this a meaningful statement, or a Bush-style cover?

How much of this ambiguity is an election defense move, and how much is it hiding a corporate fascist?

I notice that criminal prosecution of the telecom companies is still on the table. And Obama has said as president he would support investigating Bush administration members' actions where there is reasonable evidence justifying an investigation. And there is a ton of such evidence. In that vein, it may be that Pelosi kept impeachments off the table and held back investigations to avoid a round of Bush pardons, and to get a solid election majority for carrying criminal investigations forward.

President John Adams gave America the Alien and Sedition Act, which let him imprison his critics. President Thomas Jefferson then came in and let that law expire, and America has not had its like since. No law, including the current FISA law, is cast in concrete.

I find the theory that Obama is a closet corporate fascist uncompelling. Given the forces arrayed against him, the theory that he is trying to dodge general election bullets seems more likely to me.

So it seems to me the best move would be to put him in the Oval Office where he would have more freedom to speak candidly on all issues, and to exert a leadership role on a Democratic congress. Then citizen pressure can be applied to the president and congress to cut the influence of the military-industrial-media complex, and strengthen America's democracy. Obama has already said he believes in that pressure.

I just can't buy into this argument that keeps popping up, that the Obama we are seeing right now is not the real Obama, so we should just wait unitl he gets in office and then we'll really see progressive movement. My problem with it is this, there is always another election. I can see it now, we put him in the White House and wait for him to champion democratic ideals, but then the media elite will come along and school us that he really has his hands tied because he's got to appear centrist so he can get his second term where we'll really see some action. I would rather a candidate lose for standing behind his principles than win by denying them.

kiojn,

I completely understand your frustration.

But sometimes it's good strategy to settle for a field goal instead of going for a touchdown. There's a time for each play.

You are definitely right that there's always another election coming. The difference is that this one is a few months away, and the next one will be several years away. That's enough time to convince people through results rather than words.

Our minds naturally prefer simple, all-or-nothing situations. Complex cases with many conflicting factors can literally give us headaches. Especially in our already overloaded world.

Personally, I've tried to avoid a snap decision, give the various facts some time to sort out. Ultimately we each have to make our own estimate of the situation.

You're right. I agree that sometimes we have to settle for less than we would hope in order to gain more later. I've let myself get too caught up in the last few election cycles, and I think I'm just a little tired of watching the players in Washington. And in watching this election and the positions that Obama has taken lately, I can't help but be reminded of the Congressional elections. In 2004 the Democrats were running scared - taking positions all over the map just trying to hold off the Republican tide. The message seemed to be "just hold on - help us stay in office and we'll do what we can - but we will be the opposition party" But they weren't. They could have been a vocal minority, but they weren't. Wait til the next election. They were cowed. Then in 2006, feeling the wind at their backs the message seemed to be, "give us the majority and we'll fix this mess", so we gave them their majority, and they've nothing but dissappoint, the majority apparently isn't a large enough majority for them to do anything. Wait til this November they seem to be saying, give us an overwhelming majority if you want change. This is supposed to be the year. This is finally supposed to be the year everything changes, yet the candidate we have out in front seems to be to be running scared. I'm proud to be a progressive. I'm proud of the values I have. And I want the candidate that represents my side to stand up and be proud too. To articulate to the rest of the country why we beleive what we do. I think our position and our ideas and goals and values can win elections, and I'm already sick of Obama backing down on these things and the apologists who say just hold on, it will be different when he's in office. Why should I believe that when he's acting like our cowardly congressional contingent?