Obama to abandon 16 month pull out.

[UtahDan]

This is a good piece by Krauthammer. His credibility has obviously taken a hit but is analysis in this case is exactly right.

Obama is systematically reversing himself on every issue so that by the election there will be no meaningful policy distinctions between him and McCain. It will there for be an election about personality; "no contest" as Krauthammer says.

This trip to Iraq will be the moment he uses to say that he now understands that 16 months is only a goal and may not be feasible. He will thus abandon the very thing that got him nominated. It is, of course, very cynical but it is a brilliant election strategy.

At the end, Krauthammer asks what I think is a very interesting question. Once elected, will be be the populist who has the most liberal voting record in the Senate or will he be the centrist that he will have morphed into by the election? Does he even know that answer to that.

I personally think an Obama presidency would be very interesting, so don't misunderstand this post as a slam on him. I think the observations being made are factual.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...d=opinionsbox1

[ute4ever]

I watched the interview with Obama. The point that he tried to stress was that he was not guaranteeing a 16 month plan as though it were absolute and non-adjustable, because circumstances often change. Although 16 months is the starting goal, complications may arise during the process, and if so, he will adjust the timeframe by doing what is best for the soldiers in Iraq, the safety of our nation, and the Iraqi people as a whole.

Every football team has a gameplan, but they always make halftime adjustments.

[UtahDan]

Originally Posted by ute4ever

I watched the interview with Obama. The point that he tried to stress was that he was not guaranteeing a 16 month plan as though it were absolute and non-adjustable, because circumstances often change. Although 16 months is the starting goal, complications may arise during the process, and if so, he will adjust the timeframe by doing what is best for the soldiers in Iraq, the safety of our nation, and the Iraqi people as a whole.

Every football team has a gameplan, but they always make halftime adjustments.

Sure, and I think that is wise. It is just not what his platform has hitherto been. Bush says that his goal is to get the troops out under the right conditions which is exactly the nebulous position Obama will take.

[Cali Coug]

Originally Posted by UtahDan

Sure, and I think that is wise. It is just not what his platform has hitherto been. Bush says that his goal is to get the troops out under the right conditions which is exactly the nebulous position Obama will take.

Obama has said exactly the same thing in the past. I have posted on just this in the past. This most certainly isn't the first time he has said he may need to adjust his plan depending on facts on the ground and input from the military. He started off too hard line (in my opinion) early on in the nomination process and very quickly thereafter he hedged his statements to provide that he may need adjustments throughout the process. That is exactly right.

It is also disingenuous to say that his "modified" position is the functional equivalent of McCain's (you suggest there won't be any differences between him and McCain come November, which I find to be far from the mark).

[UtahDan]

Originally Posted by Cali Coug

Obama has said exactly the same thing in the past. I have posted on just this in the past. This most certainly isn't the first time he has said he may need to adjust his plan depending on facts on the ground and input from the military. He started off too hard line (in my opinion) early on in the nomination process and very quickly thereafter he hedged his statements to provide that he may need adjustments throughout the process. That is exactly right.

It is also disingenuous to say that his "modified" position is the functional equivalent of McCain's (you suggest there won't be any differences between him and McCain come November, which I find to be far from the mark).

I don't really think there are striking differences now other than on the Iraq issue. That is Krauthammer's point.

[BlueK]

Originally Posted by UtahDan

This is a good piece by Krauthammer. His credibility has obviously taken a hit but is analysis in this case is exactly right.

Obama is systematically reversing himself on every issue so that by the election there will be no meaningful policy distinctions between him and McCain. It will there for be an election about personality; "no contest" as Krauthammer says.

This trip to Iraq will be the moment he uses to say that he now understands that 16 months is only a goal and may not be feasible. He will thus abandon the very thing that got him nominated. It is, of course, very cynical but it is a brilliant election strategy.

At the end, Krauthammer asks what I think is a very interesting question. Once elected, will be be the populist who has the most liberal voting record in the Senate or will he be the centrist that he will have morphed into by the election? Does he even know that answer to that.

I personally think an Obama presidency would be very interesting, so don't misunderstand this post as a slam on him. I think the observations being made are factual.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...d=opinionsbox1

Or does he do a repeat of Clinton and get elected by the middle and then immediately shift to the far left for his first two years until his party gets trounced in the elections, forcing him to move back to the middle?