This isn't meant to be a "bash Obama" post or a purity troll post or anything like that. It's simply my look back at what has been coming out of the Obama campaign since becoming the de facto Democratic nominee on June 3rd.
In a nutshell, my observations of the Obama campaing since June 3rd has been a sudden and almost complete conversion into a "traditional" Democratic campaign, a la Kerry 2004. On both substantive issues (FISA) and "process" (Clark's comments on McCain's foreign policy experience), it's as if the Obama campaign advisers names changed from Axelrod and Plouffe to Shrum and Penn. Seriously.
More below the fold.
They are not challenging Republican/Village narratives such as McCain's status as a "war hero" and POW makes him more qualified as CIC of the armed forces. They are not taking a tough stand on any principle such as standing up for the Constitution over retroactive immunity.
It's not just the last week, but really since June 3rd. I have not heard the Obama campaign take on a single issue in a progressive or "new politics" sort of way. Forget progressive for a moment, and tell me one issue where the Obama campaign has sounded different than Kerry did in 2004. At all. Even a little different. Gay marriage? That issue is a done deal, and the Village knows it, even if McCain doesn't. It's honestly not a courageuous move to support gay marriage in 2008.
Part of my frustration (and looking at the blogosphere, a lot of others' frustration as well) is that this is a complete shift away from the Obama campaign strategy during the primary. Imagine, for a moment if something like this had happened against the Clinton Campaign. Obama would have gone to bat for Clark, and nailed it perfectly so that the entire narrative shifted, and put the Clinton campaign on the defensive. Think Obama's speech about race after the Wright affair. A game changer.
It's that ability to push back and change the rules that the Village and the Republicans have set up against Democrats. When Democrats play by those rules (Gore and Kerry), we lose. When we challenge those rules, we win (Clinton 92). And that's part of what has created this firestorm of support, money, volunteers, and outright enthusiasm for Obama so far. During the primary, Obama was a game changer. But since June 3rd? Not so much.
It is as if Obama's campaign has come up with a strategy to depress that enthusiasm as completely as possible. Honestly, what could he do to leave the Democratic base more despondent and feel more betrayed than how the campaign has acted since June 3rd? Obviously, that's not the intent, but then, what exactly is the intent? To attract votes? To deflect Republican attacks? If so, at what cost?
In the past, I'd say that Democrats (wrongly but understandably) felt the need to move to the "center" in order to attract independents in order to win. But in today's environment, where Republican ideas are so toxic and the prospect of a Democratic win in November practically a certainty, it raises the question of whether Obama is moving to the right because the feel they "have to" to win more votes, or because they want to. If it's the former, Obama is getting terrible advice (see Glenn Greenwald's advice on that point). If it's the latter, God help us all.
Honestly, I'm not saying that anyone should not vote for Obama. This is not a judgment of Obama so much as it is a question for Obama. What is going on? I never believed Obama was a pure progressive. I'm not that naive and not that short-sighted. This isn't a disagreement about a pet issue. It's about recognizing, even if purely on an intuitive level, that the Obama campaign strategy has changed pretty drastically, and while the downsides are obvious, I can't see the upside. Maybe donations, volunteers, and enthusiasm are up, and polls will continue to climb in the next few weeks. But I doubt it.