Of Brer Rabbit, rightward drift and the dynamics of appeasement

The other day I was listening to Chris Hayes filling in for Rachel Maddow. He started out talking about how the Right Wing is attacking Obama with their talking points about how Obama hates business. That he is the most anti-business administration, etc. Chris Hayes expressed disbelief and outrage that Obama could be attacked for such a thing when in fact, he is quite pro-business

Hayes then went on to show precisely how wrong this "anti-business" fallacy is, about how corporate profits are higher as a percentage and in real numbers than they have been since 1966 or something... and he was gushing about it, boasting about it. He went on and on about how Obama has OUT-REPUBLICANED republicans in his policies. The same thing is true about how he has shrunk government, fought terrorism, drilled for oil, etc. etc.

And all I could think in listening to this was "Is it not yet clear that this is a case of 'Don't throw me in the briar patch'"?

Have the Democrats have been deftly maneuvered into accepting Right wing policies or is it actually something deeper and more insidious at work? Just listen to Rachel talk about Cap and Trade or other former Republican policies that Obama has adopted and then, as thanks, been vilified by the Right anyway and called a socialist?

The Right moves right, the Left moves right. Then the Right accuses the left of being too far left and so the Left moves even FURTHER to the right to try to shake off that criticism. Is this intentional or just dumb?

And furthermore, given this trend, what are the implications for the Democratic voters and the semi-annual cry of the "Less of two evil" harpies?