The perils of triangulation: Majority Says Obama Flip-Flopped

from Newsweek:

Obama's reversal on FISA legislation, his support of faith-based initiatives and his decision to opt out of the campaign public-financing system left him open to charges he was a flip-flopper. In the new poll, 53 percent of voters (and 50 percent of former Hillary Clinton supporters) believe that Obama has changed his position on key issues in order to gain political advantage.

from TPM:

That Obama is a typical politican/flip-flopper, of course, is the GOP/McCain message, just as it was in the past two presidential elections, and it's again being amplified by the national media, like last time and the time before. One has to hope that this doesn't mean it's gaining traction. On the other hand, the internals don't show any previous numbers for comparison, so it's hard to see whether there's been movement on this question.

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/07/poll_race_tightens_majority_sa.php

they have failed to frame Obama.

plays right into their frame

If he had flanked himself to the left, they would've defined him as a liberal and that would have hurt him far more than what's happening now.

Obama did the right move, no pun intended.

i wonder, what's worse being called a liberal/progressive or a flipflopper?

the dirty secret that the MSM won't admit is that most Americans hold progressive values, see (Glenn Greenwald and Eric Alterman on this)

The flip-flop tag isn't going to impact Obama IF he's perceived to be more moderate. However, painting him a radical will.

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prison for media traitors beginning next year.

and to date, we have allowed it
in our FISA 20 day tirate against
Sen. Obama.

I'm sure some are quite satisfied
with this development,
but they may live to regret it.

I will always remember how Obama was made
responsible by his lonesome for a bill
that was going to pass no matter what.
I will hold those who were so determined
that 20 days of complaining about Obama
wasn't enough.

hate to kick this but your answer is too good not to.


peace~

their bullshit.

keeps controversy alive. Sells papers. Just as we will have "polls tightening" in late October. Good stories.

Who posted a link to a JavaScript-laden Rickroll?

Why are you here if you think so little of this board?

The news media's adoption of this terminology is really quite stunning. Could they be more of right wing tools?

It is a right wing/conservative characteristic to define everything in dichotomous terms. Everything is not black and white and the media (and progressives for that matter) should be able to view the world with enough nuance that the term "flip flop" should strike them as laughable on its face when you're discussing the issues this country faces.

It sickens me that they thought it was worth adopting. God will they ever grow up?

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McfrigginCain is way more of a flip-flopper than anybody in recent history.

This is such a non-story.

who would provide them with plenty of material, they should look no further than John Sidney McCain. I know it's tempting for them to use that tag on the Democrat since this is what they did during the '00 and '04 elections, but Obama can't even touch McCain when it comes to flip-flopping. If they're really going to try to apply this frame to Obama and not McCain it's simply going to brilliantly highlight just how clueless and/or biased far too many of them are.