Obama and the ‘L’ word
Peter Wehner writes in today’s Wall Street Journal that despite his denials, Barack Obama is a liberal.
Mr. Obama has criticized the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold a partial birth abortion ban, and he wants to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act. He voted against John Roberts and Samuel Alito for the Supreme Court. In Illinois, Mr. Obama supported banning the manufacture, sale and possession of handguns. And he supports granting driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants.
Wehner’s piece contains little new information, but is a good recap of what we already know about Obama’s leftist beliefs. I think conservatives must make this case every day until the election, though, because most young people have no clue what Obama actually thinks. They are simply enamored with him because he is young and a good speaker. Wehner’s strongest paragraph is the following, which outlines why we need to define Obama as a liberal.
Mr. McCain needs to present a compelling case on the foundational beliefs that divide liberalism and conservatism – on matters like the size and role of government, competition and accountability in education, health care, and whether higher taxes encourage or retard economic growth. Mr. McCain also needs to force a debate on the proper role of the judiciary, the protection owed to unborn children and the rights owed to unlawful enemy combatants, and whether promoting liberty should be a central aim of American foreign policy in combating militant Islam.
Exactly. Telling voters that Obama is a liberal is not enough. McCain and his supporters must explain why liberalism has failed in the past and why it could not come at a worse time than the present.
Tags: 2008 election, Barack Obama, liberalism