When Doves Cry

What does this woman have in common with the religious right? More than you might think.

Speaking of the change between Obama’s campaign speeches and his governing style, we wonder how long it will take for the scales to fall from the eyes of his antiwar supporters. These were the people who got him elected after all. And he rewards them by … retaining George W. Bush’s secretary of defense? Ouch. That’s not all. His new national security adviser has also opposed withdrawal from Iraq. And of course, there’s the big one: Hillary. Obama spent years hammering at her judgment and temperament because of her support for the Iraq war. But now she’s suddenly fit to be our country’s top diplomat?

Let’s not forget, these same voters helped make Nancy Pelosi Madame Speaker. But it didn’t take long for them to turn on her after she and other Democrats in Congress reneged on their campaign promises to end the war. By the time the 110th Congress limps to an end, it will be dragging a 19% approval rating along with it. Even President Bush thinks that’s low. Obama has a bit of a longer leash, we suspect. But it’s only a matter of time before the partisan gloating gets old and the “anybody but Bush” euphoria fades.

Here’s a thought: For years, GOP candidates have fired up religious voters by denouncing legalized abortion and pledging to break down the wall between church and state. But after those voters work and sweat to put them into office, they rarely follow through on their promises. Perhaps we’re seeing a similar dynamic developing on the left now when it comes to national defense. Democratic politicians preach pacifism on the stump and work their antiwar constituents into a Pentocostal fervor, but after election day, they sit back and let the military-industrial complex roll right along.