Let's discuss Obama's "bipartisanship"

[JNelson6563]

I'm of the mind that President Obama takes the long view to things. He's rather do something right than just get it done quickly (i.e. DADT).

I fully believe that when he came into office he had no delusions about the Republicans. He's not stupid, surely even those of you here who can never say anything good about him can concede the fact he's intelligent.

I think he came into office knowing full well the R's would be up to their usual tricks. And I know many here hate him for this but, when he's on the campaign trail this time around, he can point to consistent efforts to include listen to all sides & work with everybody. With each time he can point to of him being reasonable, there is an accompanying example of the R's being UNreasonable.

This movie will be shown repeatedly through the coming months. While Mittens is out there gaffing his heart out Obama's going to be out there presenting his ideas for progress and reminding all of how the R's have tried to block it every step of the way.

Not only has he set himself up perfectly as the reasonable and willing to listen to all comers, they have played into it perfectly by being the complete opposite.

I really think he knew it would play out like this, hell who here didn't?? I mean surely no one here was foolish enough to believe we were electing the Bush of the left, right? No one thought he'd come in, look right and say "fuck you guys" and ram whatever he wanted through, right?

No, I think he knew they'd be assholes through this four years, only the safest bet in the history of betting. And he knew how he wanted to look after four years and he's done it. He's reasonable, willing to listen, smart and personally like-able. The GOP has been and continues to be the complete opposite throughout it all.

Not only has the President set himself up perfectly for re-election, he has certainly set the stage to win back Congress. He can point to the asshole R's throughout the campaign and then point to the Dem candidate on the stage and say "And we need you to elect (insert name here) to help affect these changes the R's insist on blocking!"

I do believe we're set up for success, in large part, thanks to the President and the "bipartisanship" everyone seems to think he was stupid enough to believe would happen.

Julie

[joshcryer]

1. I kind of disagree, I think it was a miscalculation that made us lose the House in 2010.

OK, so, yeah, it does make sense from a Presidential elective point of view, but the country is not run solely by the Presidency. The bemoaning of Obama's policies throughout the past few years just underscores that fact.

I do think his reasonableness is going to get him reelected, but I can't say for sure if it will result in our gaining majorities again. If we do, then things can be done, of course, and as my sig says, he'll be "more flexible." To me though this was a wasted 2 years, which itself falls into a miscalculation territory.

I hope he amps up the partisanship because that's what the country needs right now. I do sense more populism than 2008 Obama (who, contrary to popular belief, did not run as a populist). And given his consistency, I think it'd be fine to expect him to make good on it.

[JNelson6563]

2. Interesting thought.

I do believe there was some miscalculation in regard to 2010 but I also believe it was a last, albeit giant, gasp of the zealots on the right flexing their deteriorating muscle. It was their first real chance, after 2 years of fermenting, to vent their anger and make a big thing about it (thanks in large part to the corporate media).

But look at what their "success" has played out to be. A huge fail. It is this very situation that will play perfectly into this election season.

We will see how it all plays out, of course, and it will be very interesting.

Thanks for the thoughtful reply,

Julie

[joshcryer]

3. Not saying it wasn't necessarily worth it, of course.

I think that if he does succeed then it will have been, retrospectively, a good move, and totally worth it (and everyone bemoaning the last two years of his first term will have expended so much wasted, pointless effort, doing so). Say we do get majorities again, and he does tick up the populist rhetoric, I know that he will hold good on them, and then I can easily see things like a public option getting passed, a bunch of laws being tweaked and fixed.

The Teabaggers did fail, miserably, though, and the Republican party is now on its way to dying, the question is whether or not we'll get those majorities we desperately need. Certainly it's not in the media's interest to allow that to happen, because they won't be able to trump up faux drama to pit everyone against each other. It'd be Democrats controlling everything and fixing stuff, and the Republicans would simply be marginalized. That doesn't sell well.

Interesting times ahead, for sure, though.