General Discussion

Jamaal510

(10,893 posts) Fri Mar 8, 2013, 01:01 AM Mar 2013

Why do some on the Left keep saying that Pres. Obama is "center-right"? [View all]

Personally, I see him as center-left. But every now and then, I see somebody online calling him center-right. Can somebody explain to me how exactly he is center-right? I understand there is the matter of his drone policy and the Drug War, but there are a number of progressive goals that he accomplished, as well. For instance, there was the auto bailout, the Fair Pay Act, drawing down both wars and ending one of them, overhauling Food and Safety, eliminating the Bush tax cuts on top income earners and pushing for tax hikes on them, expanding access to health care, ending DADT, and advancing women's rights in the workplace. I think his liberal positions vastly outweigh his conservative positions, and I have a difficult time imagining many people on the Right side of the political spectrum supporting those policies. I also have a hard time imagining a RWer appointing someone like Sotomayor to the SCOTUS, or stumping for Elizabeth Warren.

That's just my $0.02.

65 replies

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Why do some on the Left keep saying that Pres. Obama is "center-right"? [View all] Jamaal510 Mar 2013 OP

Our US History teacher, in the 70's, said that if you go far enough left then you're right. NYC_SKP Mar 2013 #1

Heard that in the 80's in a poly sci class The Straight Story Mar 2013 #6

give me an example. HiPointDem Mar 2013 #44

(crickets) n/t Moses2SandyKoufax Mar 2013 #65

Because everything has moved extreme right in the past 30 years. He is left of the most extreme BlueStreak Mar 2013 #2

Yeah. ananda Mar 2013 #39

That isn't exactly how I see it. The NRA thing has laid bare the state of our "democracy" BlueStreak Mar 2013 #51

You need to spend some time with Noam Chomsky. OffWithTheirHeads Mar 2013 #3

The left has been moving Go Vols Mar 2013 #4

because he IS center right... bowens43 Mar 2013 #5

I've called him center-right so I'll give my answer. white_wolf Mar 2013 #7

health care based on romney care is pretty much rightist nt msongs Mar 2013 #11

yes except for one thing DonCoquixote Mar 2013 #12

I never said she was right-wing scum. white_wolf Mar 2013 #18

You're confused. Congress passed Obamacare. It was Congress that told Honeycombe8 Mar 2013 #19

Not to mention the fact that he could end the wars and chooses not to. xtraxritical Mar 2013 #21

Banning private health insurance isn't left-wing, it's just authoritarian. Donald Ian Rankin Mar 2013 #36

The UK and other European countries don't allow private health insurance. white_wolf Mar 2013 #58

I think you're misinformed. Donald Ian Rankin Mar 2013 #60

Not to mention that France has a two tiered system where 80% of citizens buy private insurance to stevenleser Mar 2013 #61

Yeah I was going to say OwnedByCats Mar 2013 #63

maybe things like "...I would be considered a moderate Republican"- Obama green for victory Mar 2013 #8

You are from Oakland. Obviously too young to remember peoples park OffWithTheirHeads Mar 2013 #9

I remember the Barb. NYC_SKP Mar 2013 #10

Did you live in the bay area? OffWithTheirHeads Mar 2013 #13

49th street off Broadway near Rockridge/Broadway/College... Yes. (nt) NYC_SKP Mar 2013 #14

I grew up at 19th and Douglass. Almost dead center of S.F. OffWithTheirHeads Mar 2013 #17

Compared to todays republican hes far left. Notafraidtoo Mar 2013 #15

he has described himself KT2000 Mar 2013 #16

That's pretty decisive, imho. Marr Mar 2013 #32

I Don't think Notafraidtoo Mar 2013 #20

I've saved this link for just this occasion... AgainsttheCrown Mar 2013 #22

Yep. Because that's just what you want in a Democratic president... white_wolf Mar 2013 #24

you add those amongst us who view him as infallible Puzzledtraveller Mar 2013 #49

Here's a couple of great threads about that video bananas Mar 2013 #28

Word up. nt Poll_Blind Mar 2013 #46

Noam Chomsky: Obama Would Have Been Called a 'Moderate Republican' in Recent Decades bananas Mar 2013 #23

Two of our greatest Presidents were moderate republicans, Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt. bluestate10 Mar 2013 #42

The Political Compass: 2008 bananas Mar 2013 #25

The Political Compass: 2012 bananas Mar 2013 #26

Wow I'm considerably to the left and way less authoritarian dkf Mar 2013 #30

Ask a question, and then can't wait 10 minutes for an answer. Egalitarian Thug Mar 2013 #27

Center-right doesn't mean right wing other than in the loosest sense TheKentuckian Mar 2013 #29

Because, in so doing, they subtract "the Left" from his base, thusly forcing BO to the right, which patrice Mar 2013 #31

In a global context, he most certainly is center-right. David__77 Mar 2013 #33

Like Paul Wellstone used to say cyglet Mar 2013 #34

I defy you to find an issue where Obama is not MannyGoldstein Mar 2013 #35

he didn't eliminate Bush tax cuts for the top hfojvt Mar 2013 #37

That's because Obama actually governs from the corporate right. ananda Mar 2013 #38

He is centre-right; as was Bill Clinton, as is the Democratic Party, generally. Spider Jerusalem Mar 2013 #40

Compare him with Eisenhower, MadHound Mar 2013 #41

President Obama is most definitely center-right. democrank Mar 2013 #43

They are either falling for or propagating treestar Mar 2013 #45

Here's one explanation, LWolf Mar 2013 #47

Left vs right is really not relevant, Obama and the DNC are pragmatists not measured that way HereSince1628 Mar 2013 #48

economic policy - he follows the right wing philosophy and klyon Mar 2013 #50

rockerfeller republican at best--per robert riech??? dembotoz Mar 2013 #52

Silly statement. Consider your two cents returned. /nt Festivito Mar 2013 #53

Some of us have a long memory Tom Rinaldo Mar 2013 #54

In an objective sense, he is center-right Cal Carpenter Mar 2013 #55

I .. sendero Mar 2013 #56

I always saw the President as a moderate. Sunlei Mar 2013 #57

Because. Rex Mar 2013 #59

so what if he is? booley Mar 2013 #62

Because to some people, Ralph Nader is a RWer loyalsister Mar 2013 #64