was it a vote to protect wiretapping - or was it a vote designed to defuse the "Obama is weak on nation defense" attacks that the McCain camp would most likely have employed?
i think it is clear that Obama is attempting to move to the center, for political reasons. he needs middle america that STILL plays into the hands of the fear mongers - and who can be manipulated into thinking Obama is some weak liberal that wants to surrender.
Clinton played the same game - cozying up to Rush Limbaugh. its politics my friends.
now - we could debate whether compromising your ideals by voting for wiretapping - just to recast yourself in an election - is moral and justified. but - lets face it - if he does NOT win the White House wiretapping will not only become the norm - it will probably get even worse.
Obama - as president - COULD get rid of wiretapping with one stroke of a pen.
so which is more likely:
1 - Obama who is considered one of the most liberal senators in congress, who's background is in community organizing and social justice, who has always had a record of championing liberal causes is REALLY running a clever charade - a ruse - and has always been a secret right wing hard-liner waiting for the right moment to seize the white house and empower the power elite?
or
2 - Obama knows that politics is, by its nature, an extremely dirty game in which ideologues like Cynthia McKinney and Nader and Kuccinich are IMMEDIATELY marginalized and have no chance of seizing power - so - he is playing the game and taking centrist positions as a means towards an end. He is taking pro-corporate positions as a way towards and end.
Did you know that when Abraham Lincoln stumped in the south he sounded veeeery pro-slavery? and when he stumped in the North he sounded veeeery abolitionist?
its politics. you may not like it - but it is how the game is played.
i personally believe that Obama and his wife have a record that is in sharp contrast to his recent centrist positions. again - we could debate the morals of him voting for wiretapping - as a means towards a political end - but - in my opinion that is what we are seeing here. i do NOT think he ideologically supports wiretapping. i believe he wants to win this election.
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