Why Obama won't condemn Acorn

'STEPHANOPOULOS: How about the funding for ACORN?

OBAMA: You know, if -- frankly, it's not really something I've followed closely. I didn't even know that ACORN was getting a whole lot of federal money.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Both the Senate and the House have voted to cut it off.

OBAMA: You know, what I know is, is that what I saw on that video was certainly inappropriate and deserves to be investigated.

STEPHANOPOULOS: So you're not committing to -- to cut off the federal funding?

OBAMA: George, this is not the biggest issue facing the country. It's not something I'm paying a lot of attention to.'

http://blogs.abcnews.com/george/2009/09/obama-on-acorn-not-something-ive-followed-closely.html

There is nothing intrinsically wrong with the 'I have more important things to do' defence. Quite often, it is the appropriate response. But you can't keep on going back to the well indefinitely. Not only that, the public tends to judge high profile public figures via the soundbites they hear from them- rightly or wrongly. Here was a perfect opportunity for Obama to dish out a soundbite placing himself squarely on the side of goodness and truth.

There is absolutely no way to get around those Acorn videos- people getting federal funds colluding with child prostitution is just NEVER going to be something the vast mass of people will shrug their shoulders at. Here was an easy win for Obama- how often do you get the opportunity to side with 95% of the population? Its an absolute no-brainer. So why come over all 'too busy to have an opinion' about it? How long do you have to think about something THAT obvious?

There is NO political gain to being luke-warm about the Acorn self-immolation. Obama already has the job he coveted. He isn't going to EVER win another Presidential election- I am willing to bet $1,000,000 with anyone on that. You can't fool the rubes twice like that. Everybody knows now what and who Obama is- a far left ideologue. But if Obama wants any kind of success for his legislative program, he will need to be as right-wing on as many trivial issues as he can find. That way, he might just retain enough support to get reluctant centrist Dems and moderate Repubs to vote his way on upcoming bills.

But Obama seems to be the worst of all possible worlds- a cynical ideological purist. I don't believe he will do what I'm recommending because he is too fastidious about his lefty tropes. He just can't criticise his people in Acorn. They are emotionally too important to him. He would rather take the political hit, and refuse to denounce them.

Oh well, its his funeral.