* Identifying Traces

I find this poll from the Rasmunssen Report rather telling. Particularly this portion.

Ninety-five percent (95%) of political conservatives see Obama as politically liberal. Seventy-one percent (71%) of liberals see the President-elect as one of their own.

However, political moderates are more likely to see Obama as closer to the political center. Forty-four percent (44%) of moderates see Obama as moderate while 46% see him as liberal

It is not surprising that conservatives would view Obama as a liberal and that liberals in such large numbers would identify him as one of their own, but what is surprising is how few moderates recognize him as being liberal. This may explain why he won the election, the fact that he could portray himself as a moderate to a large portion of those who identify themselves as being moderate probably played a large part in his ability to carry independents and therefore the election. If even a small percentage more of self described moderates had identified him as liberal rather than moderate that very well could have changed the election.

What is even more interesting is determining whom was correct about Obama. If 68% of the electorate see him as liberal, that pretty much should sum it up. However the fact that a wide majority of people on the two political extremes see him as such is even more revealing. The reason is that the people who identify themselves on the extremes are more likely to be more politically involved and aware than those in the middle. In other words people who find ideology important recognized Obama's true ideological beliefs.

If this is true and I very much believe it is, then the idea that Obama will ultimately govern from the middle is unlikely. A person, particularly a person under stress tends to make decisions based on their core beliefs. Unless Obama allows more moderate advisers to influence him towards the center, it is more likely that he will swing left as time goes on. Unlike Clinton or Bush or most presidents this is even more probable now that he has very little legislative or media checks on his power.

It could be very interesting, indeed.