Obama has made his name on the idea that he’ s a different kind of candidate. He’s someone who wants to move beyond the right versus left fights that have dominated the political landscape for last generation. He wants us to believe that he understands and appreciates the differences between liberals and conservatives and has what it takes to go beyond those differences and bring about real change.

Against that backdrop, Obama, responding to a woman in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, who pleaded with Sen. Obama to, “Stop these abortions,” Obama replied:

“This is a very difficult issue, and I understand sort of the passions on both sides of the issue,” he said. “I have two precious daughters — they are miracles.”

But politicians must trust women to make the right decisions for themselves, he said.

“This is an example where good people can disagree,” the Illinois senator said. “The question then is, are there areas that we can agree to that everybody can get behind? We can all agree that we want to reduce teen pregnancies. We can all agree that we want to make sure that adoption is a viable option.”

The exchange appeared to be prompted by Obama’s earlier comments that he does not favor abstinence-only education, but rather comprehensive sexual education that includes information on abstinence and birth control.

“Look, I got two daughters — 9 years old and 6 years old,” he said. “I am going to teach them first about values and morals, but if they make a mistake, I don’t want them punished with a baby. I don’t want them punished with an STD at age 16, so it doesn’t make sense to not give them information.”

Punished with a baby? Wow.

What’s more troublesome is that nowhere in Obama’s platform can I find any reference to the plans he has for reducing teen pregnancies or making adoption a more viable option.

I don’t think this is how the candidate for change endears himself to conservatives.