Obamateurism of the Day

Barack Obama must be having one hell of an identity crisis. He campaigned for office as a post-partisan moderate, but has governed as a big government tax-and-spender. When talking to the New Democrat Coalition in March 2009 — just after his Keynesian plan to spend $800 billion for economic stimulus — Obama told them he was a New Democrat. Five weeks ago, Obama told liberal bloggers that he is really a progressiveTom Elia notes a passage in a New York Times article by Matt Bai reporting that Obama privately insists he’s a … don’t laugh … Blue Dog Democrat?

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The body of Mr. Obama’s writing and experiences before he became a presidential candidate would suggest that he is instinctively pragmatic, typical of an emerging generation that sees all political dogma — be it ’60s liberalism or ’80s conservatism — as anachronistic. Privately, Mr. Obama has described himself, at times, as essentially a Blue Dog Democrat, referring to the shrinking caucus of fiscally conservative members of the party.

Tom responds by congratulating Obama on keeping that observation private, because if he made it publicly, he’d get laughed off the dais.  Perhaps President Obama should have decided exactly what he wants to be when he grows up before running for President.

Got an Obamateurism of the Day? If you see a foul-up by Barack Obama, e-mail it to me at [email protected] with the quote and the link to the Obamateurism. I’ll post the best Obamateurisms on a daily basis, depending on how many I receive. Include a link to your blog, and I’ll give some link love as well. And unlike Slate, I promise to end the feature when Barack Obama leaves office.

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