Yesterday, the NY Times discussed Senator Obama’s penchant for using a quirk of the Illinois Statehouse to sidestep contentious issues that might jeopardize his reelection chances. Or, it’s simply a device that allows legislators there to voice legitimate concerns with a bill without voting either for or against it. You decide. It’s called voting “present,” as opposed to yea or nay, and it’s pretty confusing to figure out. Is it a dirty trick or a proof that he’s a smart cookie who simply knows how to be an effective politician?
Obama got a pass when going after her on Kyl-Lieberman, even though he voted for similar legislation earlier in the year, but more importantly, skipped the vote that would have put him on the record. He also has the exact same votes as Clinton on Iraq, and when Senators Kerry and Feingold offered legislation on the floor to redeploy, Mr. Obama made a speech against it. Not to mention that he never held a hearing on his own foreign relations subcommittee. He also skipped the MoveOn.org vote too. How convenient it is just not to show up and be counted. It’s a lot easier. But it’s not more principled, no matter your excuse. It’s triangulating. It is also quite calculating. Because what better way to hit your opponent than to duck a tough vote where she was counted, and you’d been counted months earlier, then rail against her because no one is paying attention to the facts.
So far, the issue hasn’t got much traction (though Senator Clinton’s team has bought attack sites with names like votingpresent.com) but these are slow news days. Come January, I’ll bet the Obama folks will have spent their holidays coming up with plausible justifications for why he voted “present” rather than “no” on trying black kids as young as 15 as adults. A tough spot for any politician but this is a major part of his whole appeal – the earnest, young straight-talker versus the jaded old school Dems. Bravo for admitting to your drug use and wastrel days, now tell us why you voted “present” if you’re going to keep talking about how your opponent voted for the Iraq war. I’m willing to believe he had his reasons – and that maybe they’re reasons he regrets now – just tell me what they are.