Barack Obama's Makeover

Real Clear Politics ran an interesting analytical piece on its blog disecting President Obama's new found sense of populism.

Naturally, its forecast for the experiment's success is far from optimistic.

Politician's try to reinvent themselves all the time, and some find success. But it only works if there's some credibility behind the shift - some truth in advertising, if you will. That's why its' hard to see the public buying into Obama's impersonation of William Jennings Bryan. It's simply not who he is.

[Link]

Really, the President's 'reinvention' is simply the latest iteration in a saga of half-truths. For whatever reason, in its dealings with voters, the left seems to place a premium on deception rather than honesty. (See the health care debacle as proof of purchase).

As a political strategy, this approach simply defies rational thought. Voters are far too smart to be deceived by a bad plan. A much better course is to engage the public, and persuade the electorate that yours is the better vision for the body politic.

The irony of the President's makeover is that it is neither engaging, nor persuasive. Obama is no populist and everyone knows this. As a result, the new Obama simply smacks of opportunism, and political survival.

Meanwhile, the people starve for actual leadership and vision - things that the President remains unable to deliver.


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