TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

A Shift In Direction

ADVERTISEMENT

By PAUL WALDMAN

The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 16, 2008

It's a familiar pattern: When Republicans win dramatic victories, as they did in 1994 or 2004, we are told that the election results prove the country has "moved to the right." When Democrats win, however, we are told that the election revealed no ideological shift whatsoever or even that the public was somehow rejecting progressive ideology as it voted for progressive candidates.

So commentators have rushed to the airwaves and op-ed pages to insist that despite all evidence to the contrary, America remains a "center-right" country, and President-elect Barack Obama had better not "overreach" by pursuing a progressive agenda. This message is even coming from non-ideological figures like NBC's Tom Brokaw and Newsweek editor Jon Meacham.

The truth is that while Obama works hard to show respect toward those who disagree with him, the policies he put forth during the campaign were extremely progressive, and he made no attempt to hide them. He proposed rolling back the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest earners, while giving tax cuts to the middle class. He proposed a plan to move toward universal health care. He proposed new investments in renewable energy. He proposed an expeditious exit from Iraq. None of these proposals were secret, and all of them have overwhelming support from the public.

Nonetheless, many people are now advising Barack Obama to "govern from the center." It may seem like a reasonable request. But just where is the "center?"

Today, most Americans vote for Democrats, want to get out of Iraq, want Supreme Court justices who will maintain Roe, hope for universal health care, support stronger environmental protections, want to address global warming, favor sensible restrictions on gun sales, and think labor unions are necessary to protect workers. It may not be this way forever, but at this point in history, the center of American politics looks a lot like the left.

Paul Waldman is a senior fellow with Media Matters for America and a columnist for the American Prospect magazine.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT