Obama The Lefty
Some folks in education like Obama because he seems so reform-minded and centrist. But not everyone would put him out there at the brave leading edge of Democratic centrism:
"Whatever disappointments one has with Obama (and there are sure to be more to come) -- he unquestionably represents a leftward shift relative to the sort of national candidates the Democratic Party has been putting forward in recent cycles." --Matt Yglesias (To The Center)