Washington Post Examines Lack of ‘Signature Domestic Issue’ for Democratic Presidential Candidate Obama

The Washington Post on Thursday examined how Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) has not "emphasized any signature domestic issue or signaled that he would take his party in a new direction."

According to the Post, Obama has announced a number of policy proposals -- such as his plan to expand health insurance coverage -- that "differ little" from those announced by Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) and others during the primaries. However, Obama aides maintain that "their approach will work because most voters are not looking for a new vision for expanding health care but rather for a reformed political system such as the one Obama calls for," according to the Post.

James Galbraith, a University of Texas economist, said that the Obama campaign is "clearly politically transformative" but has "clearly from a policy standpoint been cautious." William Galston, a domestic policy adviser to former President Bill Clinton and a supporter of Hillary Clinton, said, "The change that Senator Obama has promised is one of tone and leadership style," adding, "He has not dissented from party orthodoxy in the way Bill Clinton did on the way to the presidency in 1992" (Bacon, Washington Post, 5/29).

First 100 Days
In related news, Obama this week in Denver said that during the first 100 days of his presidency, his administration would focus on three main issues -- expansion of health insurance to more residents, the withdrawal of troops from Iraq, and efforts to address issues related to energy and climate change. Obama said that "we need" legislation "by March or April to get going before the political season sets in" (Dorning, "The Swamp," Chicago Tribune, 5/28).