Indeed ...
Facing all these challenges at once, Obama did what seemed natural. He turned to his outsized Democratic majorities in Congress and said essentially, "Folks, I need you to fix this."The Democrats on Capitol Hill were eager to respond, but they did so in the way that they always will. Instead of acting promptly and with discipline, they dallied and used the delays to bargain for better benefits for their constituents and contributors.
What began as a sound economic stimulus, along with health-care and energy bills, became a swollen, expensive and ineffective legislative monstrosity.
Somewhere along the way, Obama lost sight of his campaign pledge to enlist Republican ideas and votes. Maybe they were never there to be had, but he never truly tested it. And the deeper he became enmeshed in the Democratic politics of Capitol Hill, the less incentive there was for any Republican to contribute to his success.
The president's worst mistake may have been avoiding even a single one-on-one meeting with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell until he had been in office for a year and a half. To make up, the outreach to McConnell and likely House Speaker John Boehner should begin at once and continue as a high priority.Obama tried governing on the model preferred by congressional Democrats and the result was the loss of Democratic seats and his own reputation. Now he should try governing his own way. It cannot work worse, and it might yield much better results.
For more, see Goals Worth Fighting for by , November 4, 2010 at The Washington Post.
1 comment:
This article perhaps sums up best what went wrong. Unhappily for Obama, he gets tagged for the lack of leadership the article suggests without saying so. Seemed like a primary element of his election was to change the way DC worked. Then once elected he seemed to operate as though he embraced the DC norm. The result was a loss of credibility and the public withdrew the mandate. Now we may have stalemate. Just what we don't need.
Post a Comment