What Stood Out This Week - 6/29-7/5

He flip-flopped! That's a flip-flop! Go get my flip-flops; we're going to the beach! Yes, it's summertime of an election year. Let's see What Stood Out This Week...

The Democrat

Barack Obama's lack of filibuster on the FISA bill (and vote in favor of it) caused quite a stir on his own community website. All those web activists sure are great until they turn on you. The single largest group on his site now are those who want him to filibuster FISA, i.e. those who disagree with him. Obama emailed a reply to the whole group (and posted it publicly), but I don't necessarily see it helping. Although sometimes people just want to know that they've been heard. I think Obama should filibuster that bullshit too, but he's been disappointing me for weeks already with his shifts to the center.

And in another creep to the middle this week, Barack Obama stated that he's opposed to late-term abortions. I find this upsetting since I think abortion should be legal at least through the terrible twos.

But seriously, folks, running to the center didn't work for Al Gore or John Kerry, so why is it that Democratic candidates, strategists, etc. still believe this is a winning strategy. "But it worked for Bill Clinton!" Did it? Bill ran against two opponents (remember wacky Ross Perot?) and actually was a centrist. He didn't have to run to the middle.

The Republican

John McCain shook up his campaign team this week, hiring an old Bush/Cheney veteran to help him hone his general election strategy. So he really is looking more and more like Bush every day. Will the Democrats pounce? I doubt it. Democrats are feckless and weak.

This Week's Argument

This running to the middle that Obama's doing has written the script for Republican attacks. "He can't be trusted! He's a flip-flopper!" And although I'm not convinced that Obama's actually shifted his stance on troop withdrawal, the McCain campaign is saying that he has. Obama's actually always said that he'd bring the troops home as soon as realistically possible depending on the situation "on the ground," that he'd work with generals to determine a proper time line.

So when Obama reiterated that position this week, the McCain campaign shouted, "We always knew he'd change his position on Iraq! And look! He did!" And the media's buying, because it's easier to believe the accusation than to figure out if it's true.

Meanwhile, John McCain has built an entire career on flip-flopping and somehow gets a free ride. "He's a maverick! He's trustworthy!" Yeah? Fucking prove it.

Oh, and both candidates offered up their definitions of patriotism this week, in honor of our nation's birthday. I didn't read either of them.

And that's What Stood Out This Week.