Why did progressives support Howard Dean??

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

55. Polifact is full of shit. Go look at the actual record. I think what helped me understand Obama

was reading Audacity of Hope, which helped me understand his pragmatism and how he had to maneuver in the IL Senate on policy positions. How the Republicans would attach non-germane riders to bills and force Democrats to vote for entire bills that had these horrible riders added to them that they didn't agree with, but they had to vote for the bill because not voting for them would be worse. The battle between the liberals, moderates and conservative Democrats in the state legislature--no one could ever agree on anything. Republicans knew this, so they would interject abortion issues into debates and exploit people's votes. So when Obama took "Absent" votes (remember that controversy?), it was to avoid seeming as though he was anti-choice or anti-gun regulation or whatever.

He had to be pragmatic. But in his book, he complained that liberals were never satisfied with a liberal position that was never "liberal" enough. And conservatives was never satisfied with a position that was never conservative enough. So he was often more attractive to the "pragmatist center," and often that was more liberal depending on the issue because it was more reasonable of a position. But sometimes, he believed that the more pragmatic answer was more moderate, even conservative.

Obama was and is for charter schools, for example. I am not and never will be. But he believes that's the pragmatic alternative to a faltering public school or voucher system.

He also wavered on free trade and was never clear in debates with Hillary. I think he and she were closer on that issue than they were apart.

And really, the only issue that she seemed more liberal than he was is on the issue of the individual mandate, where again, he wavered or vacillated, which drove me crazy.

Had it done been for her running on her husband's record and resorting to racist rhetoric, I would not have support Obama, either.

But other than his stance on the Iraq war--and remember, he told us over and over again that he was going to Afghanistan, he never presented himself as a liberal. And when liberals assert that he did, I'm sorry, but that's just not true. I think they wanted to believe something so much that they forced themselves to believe it without listening to the content of what the man was saying or paying attention to his platform.

There's nothing at all liberal about supporting charter schools, not supporting gay marriage, invading Iraq, free trade/NAFTA-like agreements, and health care mandates. That liberals didn't listen should not be blamed on Obama. They ought to assume some responsibility in that.