Obama needs to quit steering toward the middle and just push forward with hope and change

I would like to see Sen. Barack Obama be president. We argee on more issues than I do with Sen. John McCain. And change coupled with hope are the most dynamic forces in the universe for the people I love the most and respect.

But a lot of us who initially backed him have watched the change of his campaign come in a series of troubling flip-flops in his previous positions on issues. His initial comment on Russia's invasion of Georgia was more critical of Sen. John McCain than Vladamir Putin. And that was strange considering that he cited Russia in the primary race as the bigger danger in the world than Iran and Osama bin Laden.

All Democratic presidential nominees drift back toward the ideological middle after winning primaries dominated by more liberal members and special interests of their party. But Obama's drift has smacked more of inexperience and compromise of integrity. His failure to seriously consider Sen. Hillary Clinton as his vice president was more of a choice toward his ego than sealing the ascencion of Democratic compassion to the White House.

The final domino of disappointment fell when his convention this past week failed to cite immigration and the treatment of undocumented human beings as an issue during prime-time speeches. Instead, Obama devoted five seconds of a 50-minute speech to a generality of Republicans needing to find common ground with Democrats on immigration.

Former Reagan National Security Adviser Bud McFarlane -- during GOP platform committee meetings last week- -- made a much more lengthy and compassionate call for tolerance. His voice defeated an attempt by party extremists to put the GOP on record as against all comprehensive immigrations reform. Go figure.

Sen. Obama is making a big mistake in moving toward the middle in an election that has nothing to do with ideology -- but deeply personal issues such as surviving in a recession and in an increasingly volatile world. I hope someone close to him will help first encourage change in his campaign, before the nation.

Liberal vs. conservative is not going to matter most compared to most experienced and moat compassionate. By that measure, Obama wins by a landslide in November. Compromise those principles, including with universal health care, and the race remains close. And the opening ultimately is provided for McCain to win,, based on some new turn in national security happenings.

So that's my advice to Obama. I don't care if he is the frist African-American president or if he is a Democrat or liberal. I just want change and hope -- and the candidate who can deliver both.