Will the Clintons and DLC Centists win if Hillary loses and Obama wins?

[Armstead]

Heard something sobering from Jonathan Alter on Charlie Rose just now.

Alter said that if Obama wins the nomination, they will be able to take solace in the fact that Obama is a Clinton Democrat, a centrist who is campaigning on the same "third way" strategy that Bill Clinton devised. He said Obama is not a populist liberal Democrat.

Ugh I hope this doesn't hold true, although I suspect it might be.

We don't need more of the same old shit in a new bottle.

I hope (a favorite word of both Obama and Clinton) that Obama breaks that stale old mold and at least moves more to the liberal side of the spectrum.

[Proud2BAmurkin]

1. All three of the top Dems are moderates and centrists. nt

nt

[VarnettaTuckpocket]

14. I think Edwards is a reformed moderate, there's no question he's running as a populist

n/t

[Armstead]

23. Edwards is a moderate liberal...Which today is branded as "far left"

What's so sad about today's political compass is that candidates who are basically in the mold of past mainstream liberals like Hubert Humphrey are today considered the "far left."

What's really needed, IMO, is to get back to a more rational environment in which someone like Edwards is considered a mainstream Democrat.

(P.S. I'm referring to domestic policies. Hubert had his war problem too back in the day.)

[Cleita]

2. So if Hillary wins, will Obama be tapped for VP or vice versa?

I looks like it could go that way.

[Kucinich4America]

3. There will be a NHL franchise in Hell first

Look at the animosity between the two camps. And it ain't just on DU.

[Armstead]

5. I'm talking aside from the personal factors

[Cleita]

12. Oh, it's happened in the past.

JFK took LBJ as his VP after a heated primary.

[ChiciB1]

4. I Find It Hard To Believe That Most Here Don't Know that Obama

is DLC! Very DLC! Oh well, here we go again... letting MSM tell Democrats WHO will be the winner and most other Democrats say, okay I'm following, just tell me where to go!

Even though Edwards has so many supporters here, MSM has the POWER and it usually works just like THEY want it too. Obama, our new "rock star" because Hillary blew out too many light bulbs!

Anyone remember that guy, a long time ago... I can't remember his name, but I think he decided to run for President way way back. Paulson, maybe? He had this saying... "The fickle finger of fate" or words to that affect, seems like Deja vu all over again!!

Sock It To Me, Sock It To Me, Sock It To Me!!

[Kucinich4America]

11. Obama is NOT a member of the DLC

Believe me, I'm no defender of the Dumbass Little Cowards, and I'll agree that Obama's not exactly a Liberal. But he is not a member of Al From's Republican Infiltration Scheme To Bring Down The Democratic Party.

[Cha]

6. Yeah, I wonder if Jonathan

knows everything?

[mtnsnake]

7. Hasn't Obama been hinting all along that his presidency will be of the most centrist variety?

with his theme of reaching out to Republicans, stressing how he wants them in his Cabinet, and working hand in hand with them across the isle? Sounds right of center to me.

[Armstead]

8. Cross-party doesn't have to be centrist

It's possible to reach out to (reasonable) Republicans by convincing them of the merits of liberal policies, without selling out those policies.

Centrist, on the other hand, is diluting -- or even refuting -- liberal principles to pander to conservatives. (See Bill Clinton's welfare reform, his pushing of deregulation, etc.)

So far, I'm trying to give Obama the benefit of the doubt that he is trying to be open to bipartisanship without being a "centrist."

[mtnsnake]

10. cool

Thanks for the explanaton.

[sandnsea]

9. No, that is not true at all

When they added Obama's name to the New Democrat column, he insisted it be taken off.

Check his Illinois record. It is in no way Clintonian.

[killbotfactory]

13. That's not true at all

He has a progressive record, people just choose to ignore it, cherry picking a few votes that they usually represent dishonestly, and then bash him for his inclusive rhetoric.

[OHdem10]

15. According Jonathan Alter, Obama is running as Centrist, New

Democrat in order to get GOP votes. I had this reported
other times also. If you read and listen carefully
to what he says, DLC, New Democrat and Third Way are
so similar it is hard to distinguish one from the other.

Another reporter told Beck on CNN that because Obama is
running as a Centrist, this diminishes the need for
Bloomberg to run .

[Armstead]

16. I know...and He said that last nite too about the three

They are basically one and the same.

Personally, I don't like that approach.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

17. Matt Bai Wrote A Nice Piece In The Sunday New York Times A Couple Of Weeks Ago

His thesis was that Obama, Hillary, and Edwards are all Clintonian centrists even if they don't actually profess it...Make out of it what you will...

It reminds me of the saying that all economists are Keynesians now even if they don't know it...

[Armstead]

18. I think Edwards has stepped out of that mold

I may be wrong, but IMO Edwards was a basic centrist with liberal leanings when he was in the Senate.

Since then, I think he broke with that mold, partially because of his experiences in DC.

What made Edwards resonate with me as to his difference is that I heard him in an interview say he remembers what it was like growing up in the 60's, before the Corporate Takeover, and his goal is to basically move the Democrats and the country back towards having a more balance like there was then. In other words, on domestic policies, a liberal Democrat.

On that I agree with him 100 percent. That is a main point I disagree with Hillary and (maybe) Obama on.

[MethuenProgressive]

19. Triangulating Obama's a DCLer in every way but the membership card

Independants and Republicans swayed the caucus, and will sway the NH Primary in his favor.
Which sucks if you'd rather have a candidate selected by Democrats.

[sendero]

20. I think Obama ...

... is "centrist", but not to the extent that HRC is.

I don't see Edwards as centrist at all, and don't know how anyone could see him that way now.

[sendero]

21. dup

browser froze.

[NashVegas]

22. A Couple of Months Ago

I'd decided that Obama was going to be the lightning rod to keep the press from knocking Hillary down early.

Maybe not.