-By Warner Todd Huston
In 1996 a small handful of Democrats won election to the House of Representatives because they were supposedly “conservative” Democrats. They were termed the so-called “Blue Dog” Democrats. Of course, several stories have proven that none of them have lived up to their conservative claims and all have fallen lockstep into line behind the extreme left agenda headed by SanFran Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House. But, the ascendency of Barack Obama, the most leftist member in the entire Senate presents a new problem for the purportedly “conservative” Democrats of ’96 and that dilemma has been realized by Rep. Dan Boren (D, Okla.) who has announced that he cannot openly endorse the extremist, liberal Barack Obama for president.
The AP reported on Tuesday that Boren said that he needed to “reflect” his district, so he could not endorse the most liberal Senator.
“We’re much more conservative,” Boren said of district. “I’ve got to reflect my district. No one means more to me than the people who elected me. I have to listen them.” He called Obama “the most liberal senator in the U.S. Senate.”
Boren also made note of the outright lie that Obama will reach across the aisle, saying that the Senator from Illinois has never done so in the past casting doubt on his inclination to do so in the future. Boren told reporters, “unfortunately, his record does not reflect working in a bipartisan fashion.”
Unfortunately, Boren still said he would personally vote for Obama in the general. One wonders how that is “reflecting” his “more conservative” district?
Still, this reveals the major problem that Obama should present the claimed conservative, Blue dog Democrats. Obama is the most leftist politician we’ve had running for president since Eugene Debbs, yet these Democrats claim they and their district are “conservative” minded folks. How can these people support a heavily Marxist influenced Senator for the presidency and still “reflect” their conservative district? And if they do campaign for and support their Party nominee, Obama, how can they still claim to be conservative Democrats?
The truth is, they cannot support Obama and still hold true to their principles. And if they vote for the Party nominee anyway and go against their principles, they make the lie to their claims of being conservative Democrats. This leaves them open for GOP challengers who should be able to easily prove that these so-called conservative Democrats are no such thing.
Will the GOP use this easy path to at some point in the future regain seats from so-called Blue Dog Democrats? If they’re smart they will. But, does anyone think the GOP is smart enough?
____________
Warner Todd Huston is a Chicago based freelance writer, has been writing opinion editorials and social criticism since early 2001 and is featured on many websites such as newsbusters.org, townhall.com, New Media Journal, Men’s News Daily and the New Media Alliance among many, many others. Additionally, he has been a frequent guest on talk-radio programs to discuss his opinion editorials and current events. He has also written for several history magazines and appears in the new book “Americans on Politics, Policy and Pop Culture” which can be purchased on amazon.com. He is also the owner and operator of publiusforum.com. Feel free to contact him with any comments or questions : EMAIL Warner Todd Huston