David Brooks is shocked, shocked I tell you, that Barack Obama is a leftist.

Those of us who consider ourselves moderates — moderate-conservative, in my case — are forced to confront the reality that Barack Obama is not who we thought he was. His words are responsible; his character is inspiring. But his actions betray a transformational liberalism that should put every centrist on notice. As Clive Crook, an Obama admirer, wrote in The Financial Times, the Obama budget “contains no trace of compromise. It makes no gesture, however small, however costless to its larger agenda, of a bipartisan approach to the great questions it addresses. It is a liberal’s dream of a new New Deal.”

David Brooks, you are an idiot. You should be disqualified from voting ever again. Why? Any reasonably objective person who bothered to actually look at what Obama did, instead of what he said, would have reached the conclusion he is a leftist radical at heart.

David, you’re just stupid. It was obvious. Hell, if you’d paid any attention at all, Obama’s willingness to take the New Party’s pledge to seek their endorsement should have told you Obama is a leftist. His speaking out against the Born Alive Infant Protection Act should have told you he is a leftist. His surrounding himself with people like Bill Ayers should have told you he is a leftist.

But you wanted to believe. You wanted to believe because you stand for nothing.

All moderates stand for nothing. That is why moderates do not lead movements.

In Brooks’ column today, he calls out for a new movement of moderates. He wants a real “Moderate Manifesto”, which sounds about as exciting as three square meals a day followed by a nightly bowel movement.

Moderates stand for nothing. That is why they are parts of coalitions. Liberals and conservatives pick off moderates issue by issue because moderates do not have a prevailing set of principles to guide their choices. Each issue is up for debate with a moderate. Each position can be infinitely nuanced to get a moderate aroused enough to support that position.

Conservatives and liberals lead. Moderates cry in the New York Times that they’ve been tricked again. And again. And again.