I'm not a Socialist. I am, what I think you were referring to in your quote to me, 'middle of the road'. Neither Right or Left Wing. The days of 'middle of the road' Politicians like Keating, Blair (and even Howard) have gone. Obama is 'middle of the road' only because the U.S.'s non-compulsory voting system favours Republican's (as Studies show the poor and less educated are more likely to not vote unless forced to - thats why Conservative parties always want non-compulsory voting). Therefore Democrats in the U.S. have to sit further to the Right than our Labor party does.
Keating had a great philosophy, freedom of the market but a helping hand for the disadvantaged. Sadly, he couldn't keep it all together. Howard was similair, but he did have Abbott pushing a right wing agenda.
Change in America will take generations. Firstly they need to introduce compulsory voting, but it 'ain't gunna happen!'. The U.S. is sadly a very unfair society.