Photo: A colorful display in the Pines
Bill Clinton wrote the book on triangulation, the politics of positioning yourself sort of in the center but comfortably removed from either side in political debates. This electoral strategy is based upon the belief that real Democrats and Progressives have no where else to go, and that positioning yourself more or less in the center but above the fray appeals to independents.
This strategy worked for Clinton, but will it work for Obama in 2012? Maybe not. The problem is that Obama got elected on promises of real change that he made thereby energizing the Democratic Party base, particularly young voters. These young people were willing to put their bodies out there on the street canvassing to help turn out the vote. But Obama has severely disappointed these core supporters with his version of triangulation: giving away the store repeatedly in negotiations to Republicans and failing to take a strong stand for traditional Democratic Party values.
If I were Obama I'd be worried about his demoralized base. How does he plan to get elected this time? He certainly can't promise "change you can believe in" when what we got from him during his first term was capitulation to politics as usual Washington DC style.
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