Obama And The Crumbling Of A Liberal Fantasy Hero

[Douglas Carpenter]

160. “Obama talks like the president of the American Civil Liberties Union but he acts like Dick Cheney.”

When it comes to some but not all of his actual real live polices - as opposed to theoretical positions - there is a lot of truth to that statement. However, I never personally had a liberal hero fantasy about Barack Obama. I knew for a moral certainty and beyond a reasonable doubt that he would perform on the international stage like any other major mainstream Democratic Party contender since the landslide defeat of George McGovern in 1972 followed by the reelection defeat of Jimmy Carter in 1980. Recognizing that being labeled as being "weak on defense" was considered a political loser - he would embrace "pragmatic imperialism." Not only does it sell better to a public reared on the dogma of "peace through strength" - rather than challenging institutional power - it supports it and assures the very powerful forces that have long dominated the national security and foreign policy discussion that this is someone they can rely on to serve their interest. Avoiding direct military conflict favored by some - the pragmatic imperialist such as Clinton or Obama would seek to carry out the same imperial policies exemplified by Ronald Reagan or even to some extent the new generation of post-Reagan Neoconservatives - but without so many boots on the ground or such bellicose language. Let's face reality though. Hillary would have done more or less the same and will do more or less the same should she become President. ANY mainstream Democratic Party figure who is acceptable to the mainstream media and the mainstream establishment will do more or less the same. To change that we would have to completely change the Democratic Party such as did actually happen for one bright shining moment back in 1972 - but this time we would have to hold it together and still manage to actually win.