"the political divisions of this country" is largely a myth. most people have nuanced positions on issues. moderates outnumber self-proclaimed liberals and conservatives combined. the thing is, we hear the screeching from the extremes.
It doesn't matter how "left" Obama is.
any Democrat is going to become a divisive figure. the Clintons were rather centrist in many respects, and look what happened to them. Hillary was regarded as too polarizing. why?
While the article attempts guilt-by-association, it's more illuminating to look at what the man actually did back then:
Quote:
Yet he emerged as a leader while still in his 30s by developing a style former colleagues describe as methodical, inclusive and pragmatic. He cobbled together legislation with Republicans and conservative Democrats, making overtures other progressive politicians might consider distasteful.
Along the way, he played an important role in drafting bipartisan ethics legislation and health-care reform. He overcame law enforcement objections to codify changes designed to curb racial profiling and to make capital punishment, which he favors, more equitable.
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