Doggone It, Obama's Better Than I Thought

The president showed respect for a war he opposed

(NEWSER) - Even the staunchest Iraq war supporters had to be happy with the speech Barack Obama delivered last night to mark the end of combat operations, writes William Kristol of the Weekly Standard . “President Obama opposed the war in Iraq. He still thinks it was a mistake,” he reasons. It’s unrealistic “to expect the president to give the speech John McCain would have given.” More»

Reports of a great liberal realignment are greatly exaggerated

(NEWSER) - The outcome of Tuesday's elections dispel the myth of a great political re-alignment supposedly heralded by the election of Barack Obama last year, writes Charles Krauthammer . Believers swore young and minority voters would establish a new liberal majority and bury the GOP. But Republican victories in Virginia and New Jersey show that Obama’s victory had more to do with his personal appeal, and the dissatisfaction with George Bush, than any great political shift. More»

Claims he has an anti-US agenda go well beyond Bush-loathing

(NEWSER) - Liberals questioned George W Bush's legitimacy and wanted him to fail, writes Michael Tomasky, so what's the difference between those Bush haters and the birthers, teabaggers, and "paranoid" “committed conservatives” who Tomasky writes are way “off the continuum” of political debate over Barack Obama’s presidency? No one thought “he was secretly out to destroy the US.” More»

(NEWSER) - It turns out race isn't what's fueling the conservative opposition to Barack Obama, at least according to focus groups conducted by a Democratic organization. It found that white, self-identified conservatives believe Obama is harboring a "secret agenda" intended to destroy America's founding principles and turn it into a socialist country. More»

Opponents' ability to criticize with impunity hinders the president's effectiveness

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama has been praised for bringing a more conciliatory tone to the presidency after the with-us-or-against-us swagger of George W. Bush. But Obama’s preference for gentle negotiation and compromise leaves him less able to use an effective presidential tool: fear, writes Ben Smith for Politico. Obama has failed to make the impression, among conservative Democrats and Republicans alike, that openly criticizing him will have any long-term consequences. More»