Ennervating his base

Greenwald on the Obama campaign's last couple of weeks.

It is worrisome that after taking on and defeating the Democratic wise men that supported Sen. Clinton, Obama seems now to be taking the sage advice of those same wise men and abruptly tacking rightward. I'm not sure, exactly, how much this is true -- though often labeled as "the most liberal Senator," there isn't huge evidence that he is. Still, on a number of fronts -- mainly FISA -- his words and actions have been dispiriting.

But Obama is a shrewd politician who weighs his words and actions carefully. He's consolidating, I think, now, and building a narrative for the fall to protect him from attacks on the right and from a pro-McCain narrative in the media that will be hard, otherwise, to overcome.

We'll see. I've been disappointed by politicians before.

All that said, is Greenwald correct? Is it wrong for Democratic presidential candidates to assume they need to move to the center to get elected? I dunno. I do know this. Bill Clinton was the most conservative Democratic candidate to win the presidency since Carter, who was the most conservative that preceded him.

Just a coincidence? Beltway bullshit? Stay tuned.

UPDATE: On one of the "dispiriting" decisions on Obama's part, Steve Benen says, "cool it."