Obama and DLC Policy

Obama is not so far from the DLC in a number of ways. He has gone out of his way to convince people of his hawkish credibility. This includes his desire for escalation in Afghanistan and in his desire to move toward the inclusion of Georgia and Ukraine into Nato. The desire to include those two countries into Nato has the real Potential to get us into a shooting war with a nuclear power. Personally that is one of his positions that makes me very unhappy. The other big one was his FISA vote. He has also caved on off-shore drilling.

The importance of these things is that it prevents him from articulating a clear and definite choice without looking hypocritical. He can't attack Palin on her position regarding georgia and ukraine vis a vis Nato because they have the same position. One that could lead us into war. Obama has followed the DLC strategy of Republican light foriegn policy. He has tactical and not strategic differences with them. It is a real problem with some liberals. I suspect that this cautious centrist strategy is related to his over all electoral strategy that relies on base turnout. He knows he has a base that loathes the GOP and even if he disappoints them he can count on their votes.

The entire idea behind the DLC is that the Dems could steal certain issues from the GOP and effectively neutralize them. This was a failed plan because given the choice between real republicans and republican light people chose real republican. It is true that Obama has real differences with McCain on the economy and a number of Domestic issues. That is where the election is being fought now. However i would have liked to see him articulating clear and bold new idea on the foriegn policy front. The GOP has clearly screwed up our policy and Obama seems to only want to tinker around the edges.

What is lacking from Obama is a liberal foreign policy view clearly defined and enunciated that gives the voters a real choice and a real understanding of Obama's world view. Liberals and Dems are going to continue to lose on foreign policy as long as they seem timid and deferential to republican hawkishness.