Deflecting Criticism

I posted before and many people have written about Obama's seemingly hard turn to the right. From not raising taxes to keeping Robert Gates as Defense Secretary, Obama seems to have forsaken the hard left. As Victor Davis Hanson points out:

Obama himself on matters as diverse as the Patriot Act, FISA, NAFTA, Iran, Iraq, missile defense, and the surge seems to have gravitated away from his early Moveon.org/ANSWR campaign rhetoric to positions almost indistinguishable from those of the present Bush administration — as the appointments of centrists like Bush veteran Robert Gates at Defense and Gen. Jones as National Security Advisor attest.

It's a curious thing. I had a good friend (conservative) over Christmas tell me that if he had known Obama would seem to govern in such a centrist fashion he would have voted for him.

Those of us on the right are grateful for the things that Obama seems to be promising to do that pleases us. The left is not so pleased. But what will they do? Nothing. This is their guy. Their historical beloved savior. The media and the left have dropped all their whining rhetoric about wire tapping, shredding of the constitution, torture, ect... You probably won't hear these criticisms except from a few hard left bloggers.

If Obama does send in more troops to Afghanistan and continues to support Israel in the Gaza conflict, how exactly will he be different from Pres. Bush? Not very.

But, as I told my friend, Obama isn't President yet. We actually don't know how he will govern. But the interesting thing about Obama's more conservative ways is that he is deflecting so much criticism. I mean, we on the right can't exactly complain about things like tax cuts and continuing the policies that have kept us safe here in the war on terror, can we? And the left can't complain because Obama is their love muffin. They have put so much energy into electing "The One", they will stay quiet. Of that, I have no doubt. So Obama is sitting in the catbird seat, isn't he?