I am writing this as an ultra liberal Democrat who spent as much free time as possible being a volunteer for the Obama campaign; all the way from the Iowa caucus to November 4, 2008.
I thought I knew who he was. Now I'm not so sure.
The right wing is casting the President as everything from a Socialist to a Communist to a Nazi. After watching him in office for the past year I don't know what he is. He is certainly none of the above. In fact with health care, troop increases, don't ask, don't tell and Gitmo he's not even acting like a liberal Democrat. He's acting more like a moderate to conservative Democrat.
I personally believe in his heart of hearts, he is a liberal Democrat who is being pushed into the center-right by advisors, especially Rahm. I think that the right wing has gotten into their heads and they feel they have to disprove the right wing crazies by moving to the right.
For those of you who have watched West Wing, there is an episode entitled "Let Bartlet Be Bartlet." President Bartlet was being pushed into the center by advisors. He wasn't really happy with what he was accomplishing, nor was much of his staff. They decided to let Bartlet be Bartlet, and once they did that there was a new energy by the President and his staff. They took risks. They accomplished things and had fun doing it. Granted it was a fictionalized television show; but many of the similarities are strangly similar to now.
I say, President Obama; to thine own self be true. Let Obama be Obama. Don't be cautious. Don't get to 2016 and want to kick yourself for not being yourself and making the difference you can make.
Again, I believe there is a true liberal in there, being hidden by a public moderate. What do you think?