The Liberalism of Barack Obama

I really really really need to stop reading articles about politics. It just keeps setting me off. The latest was this ^[1], based on Gallup polling which suggests the Democratic “brand” is down in the porcelain fixture:

George W. Bush drove Americans away from conservatism, but Barack Obama is even more rapidly driving Americans away from liberalism.

Liberalism? Liberalism? Really? As represented by David Swanson’s ^[2] little summary, for instance?

… tripling of weapons sales to foreign dictators last year, Obama’s willingness to cut Social Security and Medicare, the kill list, imprisonment without trial, warrantless spying, corporate trade agreements, the continued so-called “Bush” tax cuts, the war on Afghanistan, the drone wars, the increased military budget, the murder of Tariq Aziz and of Abdulrahman al Awlaki, the weak auto efficiency standards in the news that day, the refusal to prosecute torturers, Obama’s sabotaging of agreements to counter global warming, etc.

The “etc.” includes little things like dumping the civil rights of half the population so that the state can be seen as supporting religion.

If that’s a “liberal,” I have this nice bridge in Brooklyn to sell you (needs minor repairs but is an essential artery).

Here’s an alternate theory. Maybe people object to betrayal. He did not, after all, campaign on any of the stuff he’s done. And he’s done none of the stuff he campaigned on. Maybe they don’t like Obama.