When Obama WINS - Going to the left, right, or center?

[warrprayer]

After Obama wins this election, do D.U.ers think he will go to the left and get some things done he couldn't in the first term due to reelection worries? Will he stay pretty much on course in the middle as he has been? Or will he become more conservative without the base pushing him? I would like to know what D.U. thinks.

[Speck Tater]

1. My guess is they will go left, right AND center, as three different splinter parties. nt

[warrprayer]

6. pandemonium ensues! n/t :)

[Marr]

2. I honestly expect he'll push a Third Way agenda HARD.

[warrprayer]

8. there are those democrats

who dig in their heels to move the party ever further to the right, it seems. A lot of the "blue dogs" lost seats in 2010, however...

[1-Old-Man]

3. Left - there's no where left for him to go

Particularly if the House can be delivered in November and out position in the Senate strenghtens. I say that because the excessive use of the Filibuster is at its end.

[barbtries]

4. he goes to the left

A, he doesn't have a reelection to worry about and
B, it's the best course for the country.

[JaneyVee]

5. I think he's already set the stage to go Left.

I haven't heard this much trickle-down bashing since....Ever.

[warrprayer]

11. I think we can thank Occupy

... for setting the tone of this election. Had they not taken it to the street, we might still be hearing about austerity... there are those who will vociferously dispute this. I think they are wrong, but that's just my unvorciferous opinion

[Agnosticsherbet]

7. I think he will stay where he is, unless there is a radical change in Congess...

President Obama, from the POV of legislation, is a centrist. His signature achievement, the Affordable Care Act, uses free market forces to try and achieve wider participation in Health Care. This is no leftist bill. He signed what Congress passed.

He bailed out big auto manufacturers, and big banks. Though his automobile bailouts could be considered center left, saving the bacon of the banks was not.

If Republicans maintain control of the Congress, there will be zero change, or a slow slide to the right. If Democrats take control, it will be a slow move to the left. We Democrats, sadly, are not a radical left party, we are a center left party (at best) at this time in history. this is 2012 not 1964.

[warrprayer]

13. A lot of Union workers in Ohio

positively love Obama for saving their jobs. I believe in this man and believe he will go down as one of the greatest Presidents. A man who walked in at the darkest hour and steered the ship of state to safe waters. Despite the mutiny in the House from the obstructionists.

We didn't go anywhere near where I wish we did, but considering where we started and the bullshit he had to deal with, I have to give the man credit.

[Agnosticsherbet]

16. I give him all the credit, but the question was which way will he move.

Movement is determined by the legislative body. Since 2010, legislation has moved a bit to the right.

I did not mention ending Don't Ask Don't Tell, and his support of gay marriage. These are very much left ideas, but it took him 2 years to get fully on board. He acts and moves deliberately when there is an opportunity. Unless there is a change of control of the House, I don't think he will get a lot of opportunity.

He widened the use of drones and expanded the war on terror to many countries, these are a move to the right.

[warrprayer]

19. And Bin Laden is dead

... and there has not been another attack on U.S. soil. I myself am to the left of Abby Hoffman, but I feel far safer with this man in office.

[Agnosticsherbet]

24. Bin Laden dead, an achievement, but no change in the war on terror...

and it has expanded in scope with Drone strikes across the middle east and Obama's decision to kill an American Citizen.

I never felt in danger from the War on Terror, so I feel no more safe now. Driving on the highway in California is the greatest danger to my life. Being offed by a terrorist is rarer than being struck by lightning.

Killing Bin Laden wasn't a movement to the left as, say, capturing him and bringing him back to stand trial would have been. Certainly, stretching the definition of war to allow drone strikes anywhere isn't left, but a rightward nationalist move. But U.S. national policy is almost always center right from a world perspective.

[limpyhobbler]

9. He will approve the tar sands pipeline and then pretend he was powerless to stop it.

[Warren Stupidity]

10. split congress, not 60 votes in senate - going nowhere fast.

The disgusting republican rejectionist party will continue to obstruct everything.

[lpbk2713]

12. He tried a conciliatory approach and found that didn't work.

And now I hope it's time for payback big time. He must remember, these are the assholes who
vowed to make him a one term President, even at the cost of doing great harm to our country.


This time we'll be able to put Pelosi back where she belongs and then watch what fun results.

[warrprayer]

15. I would love

... to see a dem congress, both house and senate. And then fight a hell of a lot harder than they did after 2008.

[GreenPartyVoter]

14. Don't see him heading hard to the left. I think he sees himself as a Uniter, and in that

case I guess he would think being a moderate is the best way to gain the broadest appeal?

Hard to say, though. He won't be trying to run for the office again, and that can be very freeing. Also, it depends on what kind of Congress we give him.

[warrprayer]

17. long coattails

are what I'm dreaming of.... all the way down to the state level, put the baggers back in their place here in Pa.! Only reason they got as far as they did here was Citizens united money. Checked my registration, ready to let it rip all the way downticket.

[GreenPartyVoter]

18. Yes, coattails are very important here.

[warrprayer]

20. gotta split people

... will be back to check out more replies tomorrow, and thanks!

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

21. He's going to have to turn hard left just to get to the center.

[ieoeja]

22. He will continue with RW economics and LW social issues. n/t

[Arkana]

23. I believe he goes left.

Campaign Obama will get full reign.

[McCamy Taylor]

25. He is a Leo. What you see is what you get. Like Bill Clinton.

He will be exactly the way he was his first four years.

[catbyte]

26. I hope he says fuck it & goes left, but it will most likely depend on down ballot results

[MotherPetrie]

27. Frankly, I can't think let myself think that far ahead.

If I did I'd probably have to end my current truce with him.

[Aerows]

28. Right now

I'm a one woman man for the Presidency. Mitt Romney scares the shit out of me with his fumbling, and it is an imperative that President Obama remains in office.

[Skidmore]

29. It depends on the Congress and state legislators we give him to work with.

[jmowreader]

30. If they can't solve the filibuster problem he's going golfing

Center left is where he needs to be. If the GOP continues on with its practice of filibustering every bill that makes it to the Senate, I would recommend he start governing by signing statement and executive order, announcing to the R's he'll stop acting like a unitary executive the minute they stop acting like a stone wall.

[warrprayer]

31. bingo

I think you win the thread!