Redstate

Posted at 1:29am on Mar. 16, 2008 "The Conservative Case For Obama"?

By Pejman Yousefzadeh

University of Chicago--but not for long--law professor Cass Sunstein makes the case for conservatives appreciating Barack Obama. He does so by writing, in part, the following:

He is strongly committed to helping the disadvantaged, but his University of Chicago background shows he appreciates the virtues and power of free markets. He is not only focused on details but is also a uniter, both by inclination and on principle.

You know, anyone who genuinely "appreciates the virtues and power of free markets" would be a supporter of NAFTA rather than one who unfairly trashes it at every opportunity. I realize that it is important for candidates to broaden their appeal and one can easily see how Sunstein works and labors to ensure that Obama looks as appealing as possible to conservatives (note the portion of Sunstein's editorial in which he states that "[s]ome local Reagan enthusiasts are Obama supporters," without identifying who those "local Reagan enthusiasts" might be. But saying that Obama "appreciates the virtues and power of free markets" doesn't pass the giggle test when he misses the boat on an issue as easy and uncontroversial as the issue of whether free trade has been good for America.

I have said before and will say again that I find Barack Obama to be quite intelligent, quite gifted at speaking and politicking and a formidable force in every respect. That does not mean, however, that he is the kind of politician to whom genuine conservatives and right-of-center libertarians can gravitate. I have no problem with the contention that Obama will be a respectable opponent--certainly, more respectable than any of the Clintons--but the post-partisan messiah, he ain't.

A hearty "nice try" to Professor Sunstein. Unfortunately for him, he fails to persuade.

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