THE ONE THING KEEPING HIM FROM THE TIPPING POINT...:

Nuance Is a Fine Word Until It’s Pronounced Flip-Flop (SHERYL GAY STOLBERG, 5/24/09, NY Times)

It was the kind of careful, nuanced argument that is a hallmark of Mr. Obama’s communications style — a methodical laying-out of the facts by a president who seems convinced that if he simply explains himself to the American people, they will surely understand his position and forgive him for changing, or seeming to change, his mind.

It is a tactic Mr. Obama has employed repeatedly as president, as he has recalibrated his approach to positions on any number of issues. He told Planned Parenthood that his first act as president would be to sign an abortion rights bill into law; now he says it is “not my highest legislative priority.” He promised gay rights advocates that he would work for the repeal of the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, but he has pushed action into the future. A proponent of transparency, he released previously classified memos describing the C.I.A.’s harsh interrogation techniques. But then he moved to block the release of photos showing abuse of detainees — a 180-degree turn from his administration’s previous position.

On all these fronts, Mr. Obama and his aides have offered detailed explanations of the factors that shape his decision-making. So far, the public seems on board. But in a sound-bite culture, there are limits to how much nuance the public can absorb.

And that raises a question: at what point is President Thinker in danger of being perceived as President Flip-Flop?

...is that he's breaking promises that most voters didn't even realize he'd made to special interest groups and which they would have held against him had they known. He's dissing the Left and moving to the Center, which isn't likely to create a firestorm in the great American Middle. What would be dangerous politically would be to, like Bill Clinton, ditch his tax cut promise and raise them instead or to actually fulfill one of those promises.

Posted by Orrin Judd at May 24, 2009 7:16 AM