The other day, Larry Kudlow pointed out here how down-the-line liberal Obama’s voting record is. Over at the New Republic, Isaac Chotiner mocks Kudlow: All he’s pointed out, he says, is the un-stunning news that Obama is a Democrat. “I look forward to complaints from the same circles that Mitt Romney has positions on taxes and judges and abortion similar to Bush I, Bush II, Dole, and Reagan.”

But the line on Obama has been how fresh and exciting he is. Pointing out that he is much less a maverick than, say, John McCain is in his party is a useful bit of deflation. And the extent to which McCain shares the views of other Republicans is being treated as a news story, and will continue to be, precisely because his unconventionality has been one of his selling points. I’m afraid that’s going to happen to Obama, too, no matter how protective TNR is of him. (Speaking of which, see this weird follow-up post.)