"What happens when these independent voters find that Obama is offering little more than rehashed liberalism and the 'post-partisan' fantasy is revealed as just that?" Asks Daniel Larison. "Post-partisan" doesn't actually mean anything substantive, save being willing to talk about post-partisanship. Insofar as Obama says he's post-partisan and seems sincere in wanting everyone to agree with and like him, he's basically proven his case. After all, what's the post-partisan position on health care? On the war? On Social Security? More likely is that, as time goes on, some of those independents will find out that they disagree with Barack Obama on various elements of his platform, while others will find that, lo and behold, his "post-partisan," traditionally liberal opinions closely match theirs! Some of those defections will be termed "post-partisan," but really, they're just people who disagree with Obama, but weren't paying enough attention to find that till fairly late in the process.
