As Senator Obama continues to moderate his positions on many issues:

Today's installment is the declaration that "mental health" issues should not be used in the "health exceptions" to late-term abortions.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires 20080703/obama-abortion/http://www.huff ingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20080703/obama -abortion

BTW:  This is a rare example where I have disagreed with Obama's move to the center.   Also, with the talk yesterday about the war and maybe curtailing his withdrawal strategy, the Senator may want to take a break from this strategy for awhile.

But anyway,...

I realize Senator Obama is no where near the line, but
I got to thinking, at what point am I or anyone no longer a Democrat to the extreme ideologues here at mydd?
---------------------
Here's my list of important issues and what people generally consider them to represent on the political spectrum:

1.  abortion rights:      far left
 I support without qualification

2.  gun control:          far left
 I support strict gun licensing, registration and ability of govts to enact strict gun control where it makes sense.  Sometimes the overall safety of the community can be improved with gun control bans even though it harms an individual's personal right to protect themselves in particular situations.

3.  death penalty:        moderate right
Against it in the current system where the justice system is clearly broken, and not fair.   But would support a well-defined system that worked both in terms of correct id and quick resolutions.

4.   education:    extreme right wing
totally against our centrally planned public school systems and favor numerous choices including vouchers, charter schools, home schools, church schools, and ensuring parents control as much as possible rather than a govt. board

5.   trade:   moderate left wing
Support fair trade that includes labor and environmental standards that seek to raise the standards, spread the prosperity and prevent a race downward even though this would raise prices and lower our projected standard of living.

6.  tort reform:  moderate right wing
Support reform that protects companies and individuals who are making a good-faith effort at their jobs from being sued when something goes wrong. So for instance, if a doctor does everything they can, yet something happens to the patient, the standard to sue should be whether they knowingly did something wrong.  This goes also for medicines that wind up having bad side effects.  As long as there wasn't any fraud or deception, there shouldn't be any lawsuits.

7.  taxes:      

I think taxes should be kept as low as possible and replaced with more progressive ways to collect revenue that is needed. We can use auctions, lotteries, and other ways that involve people volunteering their funds rather than forcing them to pay.  For instance, the Super Bowl sells out every year, the govt. could auction off special tickets and use that money for tax revenue.

I reject the notion that people who make more money should pay a higher percentage of taxes.  The key should be everyone shouldering the benefits they receive from society.

8.   gay rights:  extreme right wing

I'm in support of traditional moral values, and believe we as a society need to promote strong healthy normal marriage, strong role models and a civil society on t.v., and good values throughout society.

I am in general against the gay rights lobby except when they talk about protecting people from violence and discrimination in the workplace.  They are right in those cases.

9.   social security:    right wing

I support every American have a personal account that can be passed on to the next generation.  It should include a guaranteed part that is used for the individual and than passed on to the next generation, and a part that can be invested in numerous legitimate vehicles.

I believe social security should continue to be mandatory, but updated to fit a more modern world.

10.  foreign policy:   moderate left

I believe in having a big military budget that helps us maintain the strongest military on earth.  We should use it to promote good around the world, but mainly to find adversaries before they find us.  We need to be realistic about what we get into in terms of the longer term implications of what we do.  I supported Afganistan, against Iraq, against Iran.  All, based on what was/is in our best interests.

My point is there are a few issues that seem to be litmus test:

pro choice
gay rights
against vouchers

while others aren't

gun control
faith based policies
supporting a strong military
death penality

I think both parties need to included honest people who generally agree with them.  Since neither side has a coherent philosophy, I don't see how more people here and elsewhere aren't constantly challenge our party leaders.  

Our failure to do so harms us all as a nation and I hope we start taking inventory of our positions and advocating for them regardless of who we take on as allies on a particular issue.

I am a proud democrat who is fighting for change in my party.

Yesterday, Senator Obama returned to an effective criticism of the Bush administration and a proposal to "offer" national service to Americans as an opportunity to serve their country.
The context includes the ridiculous position of the Bush admin. that Americans can fight the terrorists by going shopping and continuing their normal lives.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/2008/0 7/obama_issues_new_call_for_nati.php

This is an accurate critique of Bush since 9/11.  The failure of the President to galvanize the American people to fight the terrorists in real and important ways should be highlighted and rectified.

Senator Obama is on the right track concerning National Service except the proposal should go further to being either mandatory or highly incentivized in some way.

For example:

In order to qualify for Federal student loans, pell grants, tax exemptions and deductions on your taxes, or other public benefits, people should have to Serve their nation in a defined manner that can be quanified.

We live in the best nation ever created, and to keep it that way we need sacrifice, not just from those who volunteer for the military, but also we need various types of assistance from numerous people.

I have no idea whether this is popular with anyone, but I do know it is the right thing.  We are all used to 100's of t.v. channels, cellphones for the whole family, a wide variety of choices for every meal, and practically no limits on our energy use.  As Americans, 9/11 should have been a wake-up call in a big way that "nothing is free" especially not freedom.

I believe Obama knows for this proposal to really matter there needs to be some mandates somehow.

Once again though, Obama is on the right track and is showing he has the right instincts to be POTUS.

Senator Obama,

You were on a roll.  For the last 8 - 10 major decisions of your campaign you were making sense.  You were defining yourself with the best of America.  You were being a leader of the Democratic Party with a vision for a lasting Majority.

Then you lapsed back into left-wing land:

There is now way to square this circle:

You believe marriage should remain an institution between 1 man and 1 woman. (really radical, by the way!)

but... you announced in a letter to a gay rights group:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cg i?f=/c/a/2008/07/01/MN8J11I731.DTL

that you oppose the "gay marriage ban"?

What does that mean?

The courts --who aren't the people.  Who aren't elected by the people.  Who aren't appointed by the current people elected by the people necessarily--- said that California must recognize same sex unions.

This was a horrible decision because it is not their place to tell the people of California what their cultural mores and subsequent laws should be except for very narrow constitutional issues.  This isn't one of them.

I would say that even if the court said, the state was forbidden to offer same-sex marriage licenses.

This is a political issue.  Now the people in California get to speak.

Obama calls them voices HIS OPINION: divisive?

We the people through our government have a right to define right-wrong, good-bad.  That is democracy.  Sometimes we win and othertimes we lose.

I support vouchers, others don't.  They win, I lose.  It's not a constitutional issue for a court to decide.

The people should decide, and politicians should offer leadership.

Obama should have restated his position against these same sex marriages if that is his position, and moved on to another topic.

If Obama supports SSM like Arnold, then state that and move on.

But don't out Clinton the Clintons'.  I supported Hillary because I felt she and Bill would find ways to deal with issues like this.

obama's way, this time makes no sense.
It is wrong.

Though, I'm still happy overall that he is our nominee and was making sense until today.

Where are the apologies from the Primary Obama supporters who decried my politcs as rightwing, republican sounding, and worse?

I ask because as this march towards an Obama landslide keeps building momentum, Obama is sounding much more like me than his supporters throughout all these months.

His recent statements about:

patriotism
faith-based policies

are just the latest.

Had I wrote diaries expressing the same sentiment and saying that we democrats should move that way, (which would be in line with my policy ideas presented here), the attacks would have/are brutal.

I hope obama continues on this path and pushes the left-wing from this and other internet sites into a small corner.

I love the politics of not going to the DLC meeting, yet promoting policies that everyone here would identify with the DLC for the past month or so.

Obama has shown that he is qualified to become President, because he is willing to do whatever it takes to win and what's in the best interest of the country.  

That was the main reason I supported Hillary Clinton because I thought she would say or do anything to win.

It turned out that she had her limits against Obama and let him off the hook.

And it turned out that the Obama campaign in the primary and now were the camp that wanted to win the most.  They have done shameless things (in the Primary), and appear ready to move to any position necessary to win.

These are all positives to me.
When I trumpeted Hillary's propensity to play hardball, people thought it was odd.

I never thought Obama could/would be this good of a candidate so quickly.  If he was this guy in the Primary's I would have been way more predisposed to support him.  

But then again those here, probably wouldn't have.

There is less talk about "new politics", and "change", and more clear direction of his values.

Obama is a really good conventional politicians riding a wave that he created.

I hope he keeps sticking it to the left, and do what's right for the Democratic Party and this country.

The worst thing that any politician can do is to  get and stay on defense on an important issue.  Trying to avoid a topic, or answering it in a legalistic way can lead to disaster. Not always, but the potential is there.

I suggest as democrats we should have an agenda on each policy item that is right for the nation and also good politics.

This week's SC decision to ban the use of the death penalty in heinous child rape cases was the wrong decision and demands that candidates state their position both substanitively and legally.

Here's what I suggest for our nominee:

1.  Propose and advocate a nationwide, 50 state moriatorium on the death penalty.  Try to get the governors of all 50 states to agree, and work to try to get national standards.

2.  Propose all 1st degree murder convictions be submitted to the jury as death penalty cases.  Also, leave the discretion to the proscecutors to seek the death penalty in non 1st degree murder cases, including any other crime that truly shocks the community's conscience.

3.  Ensure that every death penalty case's defense is fully funded from day 1.  That means the state and federal government should pay for an "o.j." type defense where no reasonable person could argue that there wasn't a fair trial and the defendant got every possible constitutional right.

4.   If convicted and sentenced under the above scenario, the sentence should be carried out quickly. The appeals should be exhausted in less than 3 months. This fits the definition of effective punishment: immediate, sufficient in force, and consistently applied.

In order to secure our values as a country, and define morality and goodness, our society has to establish limits of what is intolerable under any circumstance.  That is why the death penalty is needed.  The problem with the system today is that is not fairly applied, it is not applied enough throughout our society, and when it is applied it is done in such an inefficient way its' effect is minimized.

Democrats have a chance to develop a system that both supporters and detractors of the death penalty can at least agree that the process was fair and at least met its' purpose.  What we have right now allows reasonable people like me to be anti-capital punishment for reasons that have nothing to do with the facts in the case.

In reality, the 50 states will probably not agree to even a 1 day moriatorium, and much of the rest will run into political snafu's.  But in this process, obama can establish a new way of doing business as a democrat.  Addressing civil liberties and constitutional rights in a world that demands tough choices.

Much of what I propose is gospel on the left:

more money for defense
equal standards for everyone

while many on the right would love:
the death penalty for anyone who intentionally with malice kills someone (1st degree murder)--

the death penalty expanded to cases like these child rape examples.

the process being curtailed so it can actually work.

This is my take on what really is right and could work.  It is the opposite of being a moderate.  It is what I call a "newliberal", making an honest effort to do what's right based on facts and logic.  Every aspect can be defended on the merits, rather than a compromised position trying to please everyone.

I hope the Obama of June 2008 is the President Obama we get.  He's reminding me of the Bill Clinton that was elected in 1992.  Problem was with a democratic majority, Bill Clinton moved left after the election and became a different President until after the 1994 elections forced him back in order to survive.  

I hope Obama is being honest, and I suspect he is.  We here online should help him by demanding that he keep focusing on what's best for the country, which (overall) will be best for Democrats sweeping.

As the election gets closer, the Republicans will make the same argument they made in 1996 which is: "Don't give Clinton a blank check".  They will write off John McCain and try to salvage as many seats in Congress as possible.  However, we are in an ascendency for the Democratic wave so their efforts won't work: until 2010 (?).

Obama can be the reason Democrats run this country for at least 4 political cycles.  That is if he can consistently stand up for American values both in politics and policy.

Here's my list of the good he's done recently.   It seems a new one comes everyday.  He should keep it up.  (Also below are "liberal positions" that he should take that will stand with the American people and actually be good for the country):

(no order)
1. criticized the Supreme Court decision to prohibit the DP for child rapists.  Obama was tepid but correct.  I would wish he would have made a moral appeal that our nation is stronger if we send a Death Penalty message to all who commit or contemplate  such  evil on earth.  I share the logistic and political concerns of the critics about how the system is flawed and often arbitrary, but I think that means we should use our intellect and energy to make it better and foolproof.

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/06/25 obama-condemns-supreme-court-decision-i n-child-rape-case?mod=googlenews_wsj

2. Endorsed a conservative democrat who supported Iraq War over leftwing challenger.

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/shared- blogs/ajc/politicalinsider/entries/2008/ 06/18/obama_cuts_an_ad_to_help_john.html

This shows that Obama is doing what's best for the party and the country.  It also shows that the Iraq War is not a "litmus test".  It also adds to the evidence that I think he would have voted for the War resolution just like all over democrats with realistic national aspirations.

3. supported Fisa compromise that got 80 votes to end cloture
http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-06-2 6-voa2.cfm

4.  obama decision to opt out of public financing.  He has shown that freedom is better than govt. rules, and that Democrats can win the votes and move of the voters with the right message.

5.  Changed his "dovish" rhetoric about meeting with foreign leaders from "no preconditions" to a more reasonable one:

In his remarks, Sen. Obama said a possible meeting with Mr. Ahmadinejad would take place "at a time and place of my choosing, if and only if it can advance the interests of the United States" -- and only after earlier talks between lower-ranking American and Iranian officials. He also vowed to "do everything in my power to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon -- everything."

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008 06/25/9883

6.  He's been wearing the "American Flag" pin.  This is symbolic and I could care less personally but, in the primaries Obama allowed himself to be alligned with people who generally find fault with our country, burn our flag, and use our goodness against us to demand rights for others who hate us.  By wearing the lapel Obama is sending a message that he stands with the crowd that no matter what loves this country first and is proud to say it.

-----------------------------

There are plenty of issues where he can go Left and stand with the American people, and I hope he does:

1. against free trade and stand firm for fair trade agreements. The Business groups are wrong on this, and labor is more right.

2.  advocate a death penalty reform/criminal justice reform where the goal is to have the accused  treated just the like the rich.  This way the innocent will be found so, and the guilty will deserve their punishment.  This will get the people's support because it would cut down on the endless appeals and delays.

3.  advocate a smoking ban outdoors if anyone around objects.  This is a small issue that will resonate with many people.  You're sitting at a ballgame or some event outside, and all of sudden you are inhaling the poison of someone else.

4.  work to repeal the electoral college system.  We run national campaigns nowadays where whatever is said in one place is instantly broadcasted to the whole world.  The EC now only serves as a potential disaster.

5.  Stand firm against drugs by using the bully pulpit, by using public money to counteract their use, but end the war on drugs in areas where it is clearly a waste of resources: on marijuana and some other drugs.  We could actually lower drug use by reallocating the same amount of money.

6.  Change the laws so that prescription drug companies have to give up their patents sooner once they've reaped a profit.  Right now they can game the system to get extra profits and hurt the public, even though often public funds were used in the basic research.  There needs to be a balance between the profit motive and public good.  The pendelum right now is too far in terms of profit motives.

I'll stop there.  I could go on with good ideas that are from the Left.

The Key is for Obama to promote good ideas from the left without going out into the leftwing.  

My point is that being a true liberal is not really on "the left".  It can be, but not necessarily so.  It means honestly trying to do what's right.  You might argue all people do that, but clearly that's not true.

I can name numerous people who have an emotional zeal for an issue and won't be deterred from it regardless of the facts.  They start out there, and their goal is to end up defending where they started out.

Obama is headed in the right direction.

Obama needs to be encouraged to continue this June streak here on the Internet.

(updated) Just found out that Obama is supported a Conservative Dem over a leftwinger in Georgia. This shows that he is leading the people here rather than following. Good for him. http://www.barackobama.com/2006/06/28/call_to_renewal_keynote_address.php

I think it is fair to say that my policy ideas have been attacked here as being "republican" and that I'm really posting on the wrong site.

Yet ever since Obama defeated Hillary, he has been saying and doing things that I would agree with rather than the masses here.

When I offer proof from the news or using arguments people dismiss it one way or another.  So I decided for the first time to actually go to Obama's website and prove, Obama is either closer to me a "newliberal" who tries to do what's right on each issue than the leftwingers on these sites that love him so much.

Here's proof from barrackobama.com, Of course I'm choosing what benefits my point of view.  There is a lot there that is typical leftwing dem.  But the point is, the people there and obama himself believe it is more important to at least appear more like me than "you" at mydd. that is a good thing.  My hope is that we can keep the energy here at mydd and turn it towards making America better rather than what I think is a destructive agenda.

Imagine  if I wrote all of the following in a diary at mydd:

1.

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/econom y/

"I believe that America's free market has been the engine of America's great progress. It's created a prosperity that is the envy of the world. It's led to a standard of living unmatched in history. And it has provided great rewards to the innovators and risk-takers who have made America a beacon for science, and technology, and discovery...We are all in this together. From CEOs to shareholders, from financiers to factory workers, we all have a stake in each other's success because the more Americans prosper, the more America prospers."

2.
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/family #families-at-home

Barack Obama has re-introduced the Responsible Fatherhood and Healthy Families Act to remove some of the government penalties on married families, crack down on men avoiding child support payments, ensure that support payments go to families instead of state bureaucracies, fund support services for fathers and their families, and support domestic violence prevention efforts. As president, Obama will sign this bill into law and continue to implement innovative measures to strengthen families.

3.
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/foreig npolicy#onisrael

On Israel
Ensure a Strong U.S.-Israel Partnership: Barack Obama strongly supports the U.S.-Israel relationship, believes that our first and incontrovertible commitment in the Middle East must be to the security of Israel, America's strongest ally in the Middle East.

Obama supports this closeness, stating that that the United States would never distance itself from Israel.
Support Israel's Right to Self Defense: During the July 2006 Lebanon war, Barack Obama stood up strongly for Israel's right to defend itself from Hezbollah raids and rocket attacks, cosponsoring a Senate resolution against Iran and Syria's involvement in the war, and insisting that Israel should not be pressured into a ceasefire that did not deal with the threat of Hezbollah missiles. He believes strongly in Israel's right to protect its citizens.

Support Foreign Assistance to Israel: Barack Obama has consistently supported foreign assistance to Israel. He defends and supports the annual foreign aid package that involves both military and economic assistance to Israel and has advocated increased foreign aid budgets to ensure that these funding priorities are met. He has called for continuing U.S. cooperation with Israel in the development of missile defense systems.

4. Nothing on LGBT "issues"

Also note:

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/civilr ights/#strengthen-enforcement

nothing on LGBT "issues" on his site that I can find except 3 lines about expanding hate crimes legislation by passing the Matthew Shepard Act.  But you would have to know that means including sexual orientation  in the "protected groups".

This is so moderate, I agree with it.

5.  
http://www.barackobama.com/2006/06/28/ca ll_to_renewal_keynote_address.php

But what I am suggesting is this - secularists are wrong when they ask believers to leave their religion at the door before entering into the public square. Frederick Douglas, Abraham Lincoln, Williams Jennings Bryant, Dorothy Day, Martin Luther King - indeed, the majority of great reformers in American history - were not only motivated by faith, but repeatedly used religious language to argue for their cause. So to say that men and women should not inject their "personal morality" into public policy debates is a practical absurdity. Our law is by definition a codification of morality, much of it grounded in the Judeo-Christian tradition.

Not every mention of God in public is a breach to the wall of separation - context matters. It is doubtful that children reciting the Pledge of Allegiance feel oppressed or brainwashed as a consequence of muttering the phrase "under God." I didn't. Having voluntary student prayer groups use school property to meet should not be a threat, any more than its use by the High School Republicans should threaten Democrats. And one can envision certain faith-based programs - targeting ex-offenders or substance abusers - that offer a uniquely powerful way of solving problems.

------

Before someone asks, the point of the diary is to show that our candidate is a mainstream democrat who is at least presenting himself as closer to my views than the "netroots", and I hope people here stop attacking "trolls"  unless they are going to attack our own candidate.  

Also, if Obama keeps this up he will win in a LANDSLIDE.

If he runs as the candidate people here at mydd want, he will lose in a squeaker.

I regularly criticize Obama, yet state dialy that I'm voting for him, why?

1. Obama will appoint truly liberal judges who ultimately are good for America.  People who are open-minded and make an honest effort to do what's right.  People like Souter, Breyer,Ginsburg,Stevens, and O 'Connor.   I think McCain would be forced to move to right-wingers, though his instincts are similar to Obama's.  While I disagree with them on a few issues, they are generally correct and I certainly can't fault their approach.

2. Obama is pro-choice, and we need a pro-choice President in a time where the Supreme Court is aging, and technology is moving against the pro-choice movement.

3. Obama supports the general idea of affirmative action and recognizing it needs to change to make allowances for class and other factors.  Again, I think his general approach is correct.

4. I expect Obama's foreign policy to be  rather hawkish ultimately because of the advisors he chooses. By election day, Obama will be shown to be a mainstream Democrat on foreign policy.  If he listens to Joe Biden (which I think he must because Biden gives him credibility), then his approach will be pretty good. However, it will be more realistic and fact-based than McCain and certainly Bush.

5.  The Democratic Party has been one of the major reasons that African Americans have prospered in this country.  By choosing to associate with equality and prosperity for African Americans the party has risked obliteration but has now prospered.  Now to take the ultimate step in nominating Obama is gigantic.  There is no way, I wouldn't get onboard with Obama and the Democrats in this historic elections, notwithstanding the actual facts surrounding Obama.

6.  I'm a democrat. This is my team.  I believe in loyalty.
----
That said, look at everyday issues and McCain is often on the right side of the issues as far as me and normal Americans are concerned:

Take energy for example:

I support drilling everywhere it is possible within the U.S.  I believe in technology and the goodness of America to deal with any problems that might occur.

McCain is closer to that position than obama.

obama's leftwing base either wants:

higher gas prices to discourage oil use
conservation
alternative technologies that might help in the future.

yet, nothing that would signal to the markets today.

McCain's plan for gas tax holiday, and drilling in the U.S. would knock the price down immediately because of speculation.

The dirty secret is that many dems support high gas prices, because it lowers demand for energy.

Not this dem.

I support more supply, more conservation, and new technology.

Right now, the media is helping our side by not showing how ridiculous dems look opposing drilling in the U.S.

We should use all the available leases now (as Biden said on MTP) and expand them.

Possible obama plan:

we should be given tax credits or some large discount to buy more fuel efficient vehicles.  This would cost alot but connect it to the cost of fighting wars in the middle east to keep oil flowing, it's really cheap; esp. in lives lost.

If we immediately gave people 25 - 30 % discounts on electric, hybrids and other better performing cars, it would incentivise manufacturers to make more, and people to buy right now.

It would spur the economy, clean up the environment, and make sense.

it would balloon the deficit, but:

1. who cares, it's going to be big anyway
2. it will be for a good reason, investing in a clean earth

there are numerous other issues where dems are catering to a leftwing base and McCain sounds more mainstream like:

taxes:  Obama's plans are too compliticated and wrongheaded including raising the cap on fica taxes. If he offered soemthing like a tax cut to anyone under 100,000, and tax increases to anyone over 200,000, and everyone in between held steady, that would be good.

But as it is, the "don't give tax breaks to people who don't need them" doesn't sound American.  It never sells, nor should it.

Fica:  though he will ultimately cave (which is good), but arguing an esoteric point about immunity for telecom countries who can argue they were helping stop a terrorist threat is dumb policy and politics.  I don't think these companies were up to evil, so why punish them.  Perhaps it was wrong, well fix it in the future.  Sometimes flip flop is good.

Immigration:  giving illegals d.l.'s is bad policy and politics.  McCain has backed off of his plans and is talking much more enforcement now.  Last i heard, obama was still supporting them.

All in all, this is a fun election because the signs show a blowout.  Close polls in Georgia, Virginia, and other red states, with Obama pulling ahead in the blue.

Please take the time to actually make this election matter by fighting for issues rather than empty slogans.  If not, we'll win without a clear direction, mess it up like after 1992 and be back in the wilderness really soon.

Remember Republicans really thought after 2002 that they were a permanent majority.
So did many dems.