The New York Times on Sunday reported on dismay among Obama supporters upset over what Times columnist Bob Herbert calls “lurching with abandon.” But the Times did so in a way that marginalizes those supporters. Start with the headline: “Obama Supporters on the Far Left Cry Foul.”
Those upset with Obama are hardly restricted to the “far left.”
The Times continues with references to “left-wing bloggers” and “purists,” as if those stunned by Obama’s reversals are starry-eyed idealists (never mind that that’s how Obama the hopemonger has portrayed himself) who aren’t pragmatic (cynical?) enough to know how to win elections.
Memo to the Times: All those folks giving those $5 donations that impress you so much? That’s them!
But there’s no question that the most conservative of Obama’s supporters are upset too.
(Interesting aside: Those voting against the FISA bill include not just Hillary Clinton, but John Kerry, Dick Durbin and Harry Reid, among others. And in the veep watch, Joe Biden and Chris Dodd – neither of whom has a chance to be put on the ticket in my view – voted Nay. Evan Bayh, who I think has a very good chance, voted Yea.)
The Times story is instructive in other ways, though. For example, one Obama supporter tells the paper: “He’s doing it so he can get into office and do the things he believes in.”
Like not changing your views to get elected.
After all, what does he believe in? His campaign has hardly been based on his fairly standard centrist platform, but instead on (somehow) changing the culture of politics and behavior of politicians.
Another supporter says, “It’s self-evident that he’s a different kind of candidate.”
Watch what he says, not what he does?
Yet another poor Obamaphile says, “We want to win. Moving to the center is not a crime in this country.”
It’s just the height of hypocrisy for a candidate who accused his main primary opponent of acting expediently to win while he would stand fast . . . a candidate whose very slogan is “Change We Can Believe In,” as opposed to change you can’t believe in.
Obama is the Dems nominee – well, presumably there won’t be a floor fight in Denver – and they’re stuck with him. But his supporters might as well start seeing him for who he is, not who they believed he was or who he pretended to be. That doesn’t do anybody any good.
Division Street 
When will the American public learn that there is a total disconnect from what the candidates say, what the candidates believe and what the candidates actually do.The only campaign promise I can remember that was kept was Bush’s promise not to get involved in nation building.He’s done an excellent job of doing the exact opposite.