It hasn't taken Obama long, has it?

Barack Obama is exemplifying the political axiom that candidates in American elections run to the flanks in the primaries and run to the center in the general election. Obama got much of his momentum in this race running on the speech against the Iraq war that he gave in 2002. This was a particular standout because of Hilary Clinton's vote for the Iraq war resolution and her refusal to recant it during the campaign.

Now there's this item in yesterday's NYTimes where Obama has said that he would be open to "refine his policies" regarding withdrawal from Iraq depending on the feedback he got from American military commanders in Iraq later this month. Although he later reiterated his intention to stick with his 16-month withdrawal plan, the initial response represents an unfortunately trimming tendency. Further, he mentioned a training mission for the residual force, not something he had hitherto consider part of its mission.

There is Obama's disturbing stand on the FISA legislation that passed the House and is now before the Senate. This bill would immunize the telecoms from civil suits and would limit the FISA court's review of warrant applications to the general procedure used, with no look at the level of proof provided in the individual cases. Although Obama has undertaken to try to have the immunity provisions stripped from the bill, he has indicated approval of the rest of the legislation, hasn't promised to vote against the bill if telecom immunity is retained and has backtracked on his promise to filibuster the bill under those circumstances.

Finally, there is his statement in opposition to the SCOTUS opinion that barred the death penalty for non-homicides. Although the child rape in that case was an act that rightly evoked a desire for violent retribution, the death penalty in this country is problematic enough in the capital cases where it applies. It certainly doesn't merit expansion.

Fortunately, the bottom-up approach to political organization that marks the Obama campaign has meant that his followers can signal disapproval. Obama's social networking site's largest group is now the one that is opposing his waffling on FISA. Perhaps Obama isn't as different as we originally thought, but he may be different enough.