Great post, although I'd argue that we saw his inclination towards this "quasi centrist" mentality almost from the beginning. Mind you, his rhetoric is always very leftist, but his actions are oftentimes diametrically opposed to the sort of ideology he put forth during the 08 campaign. I've said for the past few years that this sort of "centrism" cannot work nowadays since hard decisions have to be made. This is no 1990's Clinton economy or society. He can't simply get away with his theatrics in front of the camera.
Will he build a Presidential library? There will be nothing in it. Just a cardboard cutout of Osama Bin Laden and visitors can shoot a squirt gun at it.
And he also wants someone who is even further Left than Obama, so he either wants someone who is extreme far right, or extreme far left. If Ron Paul and Bernie Sanders fail, i heard his next choice would be Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to lead the country.
By your logic then it is safe to say that Bush was a democrat. No free market conservative would ever have went along with most of bushes ideas, so i guess bush was a democrat if Obama is a republican.
What about Obamacare? Nancy Pelosi said it was "historic". Surely there will be a wing dedicated to it.
There is a well scripted agenda put forward and it makes no difference whether a Republican or a Democrat holds office. Sure, the ideology and talking points will differ during campaigning, but when push comes to shove, the lobbyists get exactly what they want.