Quote Originally Posted by belgareth View Post
I think you are over-simplifying matters to some degree.

Political views can better be expressed on a grid rather than a simple line. Try this political compass test

yourself and you'll see what I mean. http://www.politicalcompass.org/index

The few actual promises he made, like transparency in government and bipartisanship, were quickly

forgotten, if he ever really meant them. I personally believe he was working off a script, saying the things he was

told to say based on public opinion polls. In all honesty, can you imagine Obama without a teleprompter in front of

him? Everything he says is carefully scripted for effect.

...he is

pushing hard to get a very flawed health care bill through before he loses the ability to do that and he is doing

the same with cap and trade, he knows that next year he'll have no ability to do anything and will essentially be a

lame duck.

My biggest concern though is the immigration reform

bills that are starting to drift in. The estimates vary but let's say its 20 million illegals that he can turn into

democratic voters. Do you think it improbable that he will legalize them simply for the votes? If that happens, with

the strong public sentiment against it, what is going to be the public reaction? Will enough people then turn

against him and fire him in 2012 or will he gain enough support through amnesty to get reelected? My guess is he is

betting on the latter.

Yes, I started a thread on the Political Compass

here, and am aware of how complex political

leanings are. I was trying to make a point about Moderates, and questioning their voting behavior and motivations.

I agree that Little Barry's election was mainly a result of dissatisfaction in the status quo, but that does not

excuse the lack of vetting on the part of Moderates before they went to the voting booth and tripped the lever.



One can understand a Liberal or a Conservative. Driven by principle and idea they are at least somewhat

predictable. What is a Moderate? And how do you explain them as a voting bloc? Is it a matter of changing with

the wind?

The defining issue in 08 was the economy. Are moderates primarily driven by money, leaving social

issues in the back seat? They were instrumental in electing a predictably authoritarian social liberal, with all

the economic baggage that comes with that. Did they give up anything meaningful from their bag 'o beliefs to cast

that vote? Or nothing? Was there anything even in that bag, did they even have a bag to begin with? They fell for

slogans and jingoism, now they're running the other way as they see their Hope and Change turning into a nightmare.

I just don't know who these people are. I know there's really no answer, I'm just wondering who the rats are on

this sinking ship.

My own cynical opinion is that O was swept to office by an uneducated and ignorant "Moderate"

swing electorate who just wanted to feel good. I understand his own party voting his way, but that would not be

enough for him to get elected. It was a pitiful showing for a country steeped in vigorous debate and informed

criticism. Its a sign of bad things to come.

The chart above should be expected, and I expect is in part a

result of lazy conservatives finally getting around to reading up on what's going on and getting their bearings. I

also expect that many self-named moderates are really liberals who think the majority of the country actually

believes in such things as global warming and eat-the-rich brand of social-justice-through-bigger-government.