It isn't that Obama flip-flops, he's actually been rather consistent in his short political career. But when situations arise in which he must change or face ridicule, he's very good at spinning the situation to make his calculated political maneuvers look like self improvement. Take the Reverend Wright story for example. Obama never actually repudiated Wright for his racist sermons, instead he used the hypothetical article 'if' to describe situations that would make him embarrassed to be associated with that bigot. His association with Wright hasn't changed in any way, but Obama has successfully quashed all the negative connotations of that association. To observers it looks like he has changed, but he manages to maintain his image of consistency while undergoing those changes, something few politicians can pull off. Obama's true strength is accentuating the positive sides of his inconsistencies. He is, in fact, a new breed of politician, one who is able to pander without looking like he's pandering. I wonder if our government would be better or worse off if more politicians were like him.
|