Vacuum

Today Thomas Friedman complains that Barack Obama is not passionate enough about his own ideas.

But in recent weeks, I feel as though he has lost that gut connection. I thought his convention speech contained no memorable lines or uplifting visions. It never got me out of my seat. Forget trashing McCain’s ideas. If Obama wants to rally his base, he has to be more passionate about his own ideas. I have long felt that what propelled Obama early was the fact that many Americans understand in their guts that we need a change, but the change we need is to focus on nation-building at home. We’re in decline. We need to get back to work on our country. And that is going to require strong, smart government.

The problem for Obama is this.  His ideas for which he must show great passion are transient.  It was his great idea to end the war in Iraq immediately.  That position has been refined.

On Thursday in North Dakota, Obama said that "I'll ... continue to refine my policy" on Iraq after an upcoming trip there. With a promise to end the war the central premise of his candidacy, the Obama campaign has struggled over the past two days to push back against Republicans and others who say his recent statement could be a softening.

In two news conferences on Thursday, Obama said any refinement of his position on Iraq wouldn't be related to his promise to remove combat forces within 16 months of taking office, but rather to the number of troops needed to train Iraqis and fight al-Qaida. But he also acknowledged that the 16-month timeline could indeed slip if removing troops risked their safety or Iraqi stability.

Nobody knows what that means.  Obama promised to withdraw remove combat forces within 16 months, except for the ones who will remain to "train Iraqis and fight al-Qaida."  So we can't say for sure how many troops will come home, and oh by the way it may take longer than 16 months.  Mr. Friedman can't understand why he's not more passionate about that. 

You may recall that Obama once opposed the change in strategy that quelled violence in Iraq. 

On January 10, 2007, the night the surge was announced, Obama declared, "I am not persuaded that 20,000 additional troops in Iraq are going to solve the sectarian violence there. In fact, I think it will do the reverse." A week later, he insisted the surge strategy would "not prove to be one that changes the dynamics significantly."

Since then, he has had an epiphany.

On Thursday, Obama acknowledged the 2007 increase in U.S. troops has benefited the Iraqi people.

“I think that the surge has succeeded in ways that nobody anticipated,” Obama said while refusing to retract his initial opposition to the surge. “I’ve already said it’s succeeded beyond our wildest dreams.”

Let's be fair, now.  The surge has succeeded beyond his wildest dreams. 

As it turns out Obama is exactly the candidate for Thomas Friedman.  Obama should follow his gut, says Friedman.  What doesn't seem to click with him is that Obama has done exactly that all along.  Says Friedman,

This race has a long way to go. It is still Obama’s election to lose. But Obama got where he is today by defining himself as the agent of change and by defining change as the issue in this election.

Unfortunately for Friedman, Obama is truly the candidate of change.  He changes right before our very eyes.  As usual Friedman assembles a collection of facts and then proceeds to misinterpret what they mean.  Listen to how he closes his column.

Because, while the pollsters tell us it is still really close, my own totally unscientific, seat of the pants poll tells me this: When you say Obama’s name today and ask people for their first impression — a quick, flash, gut, first impression — no single word or phrase or policy comes to mind. His opponents will fill that vacuum if he doesn’t. They already are.

Maybe Friedman is so focused on gut because his brain isn't always firing on all cylinders.  Could he have summed up his candidate any more perfectly?  A vacuum.  Think about it, Tom.  Maybe it'll come to you.