In any case, for those seeking a true measure of Obama’s judgment, on both policy and politics, the meeting between the president and Senate Democrats yesterday was much more instructive. Obama’s words made it clear that, notwithstanding his party’s recent election losses at the polls and its declining poll ratings, he has no intention of embarking on a Bill Clinton-style “triangulation” strategy.
The pivotal moment came when Sen. Blanche Lincoln of deep-red Arkansas, a centrist who’s on her way to defeat in November, practically begged the president to repudiate “extreme” liberals -- a clear reference to the Nancy Pelosi-led House -- and tack to the center. Arguing that the Democrats’ ambitious legislative agenda was sowing job-destroying “uncertainty” in the business community, she asked: “Are we willing as Democrats to push back on our own party?”
Obama’s reply, in a nutshell: Sorry, Blanche.
Like it or not, more people are towards the middle and not at either extreme end of the political spectrum. Not to mention it's hard to paint Obama as an extreme liberal, because on most issues he's not. Which makes this a labeling issue that could backfire.
3 comments:
What part of "Blanche is Right" didn't the WaPo understand? He said it twice, but that prologue was conspicuously absent from the beginnings of the quoted sections. That just lends more evidence to the idea that Lane had a preconceived notion and cherry picked material to fit his thesis.
It's not about ideology or triangulation in Obama's mind -- at least if you take him on his word. It's about what works and what doesn't work. You don't get out of the mess we're in by repeating the policies that got us here.
Getting stonewalled if you don't give the GOP 89% of what they want is not compromise. There is no center in that game upon which to triangulate. The GOP has consistently, without fail looked at whatever Obama supports and positioned themselves against it -- even when his idea was originally something from the GOP. Did you notice how much tax-cutting has been done this year -- without a single vote or note of support from the right?
Blanche wanted a Sista Solja moment to make her dying campaign for reelection have a chance, but there's no "there" there. There's doing the insane, repeating what got us here, or doing something different. The country, left, right, vocal teabagger and mythical center all want something different.
Blanche wants the status quo and a strategy that worked under a situation where the GOP and the White House were in different hands. That's stupid and she should rightly lose her seat because she's dumb. She and Nelson, Lieberman, Bayh and Landrieu have made the rest of the party look like fools because they can't control them and/or cave to their blackmail. Losing Arkansas to the GOP is a net sum gain. So, well, Sorry Blanche.
Come on. How is it a "legitimate concern" for Lincoln to want Obama to "stand up against the extremes" of the Democratic Party. Which extremes are those? The one's who gave up on single-payer for the compromised Public Option, further compromised to a triggered PO, further just given up on altogether so something could get through? Who the hell is she talking about. She's nutz and should be grateful Obama gave there the time of day let alone a thoughtful response.
The Ø!'s SOTU address can be fairly characterized as his STFU speech. The mass demonstrations by common folks who object to his policies? The common folk abused by thugs and congresscritters alike (OK, redundancy alert) at so-called "town hall meetings"? Rejection of HIS candidates at the polls three times in the last year?
His answer is that all those are simply the result that his more than 400 speeches and huge numbers of television appearances have simply not gotten the message through and so he needs to do more... campaigning (which is the only thing he apparently knows how to do).
As for the common folk who object to his policiies? STFU and just let him steamroll over 'em is his answer.
*feh*
Where should Obama 'tack back to the center from'? The right? So far Obama has made an admirable Bush III.
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