Perhaps I'm reading him wrong.

Post #298,748 by Another Scott 11/1/08 10:44:23 PM Reply	Perhaps I'm reading him wrong. But he seems to have forgotten an awful lot of the history of the past 28 years or so. I don't understand the chutzpa of those who say that if Obama wins a landslide that he has to be magnanimous, yet when Bush won by 5:4 in 2000 he could rule almost as a king and run roughshod over the Democrats. Bipartisanship that only works one way isn't good for the country, and the Democrats shouldn't be cowed into surrendering their newly won power. Why should Obama or Pelosi or Reid start off in January begging for bipartisanship? Why shouldn't they be given the opportunity to implement their platform if they win an overwhelming victory? Isn't it time for the national Republicans to be humble, and to recognize that they're not going to get their policies implemented, for a change? Of course the Democrats should try to build as large a consensus as reasonably possible. But that's been one of Obama's MO's for the past 2 years of campaigning. He's not running as a "my way or the highway" candidate. Hasn't Schoen heard those speeches? He said it again in his interview with Rachel recently: (Starting at 3:22): http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/27464494#27464494 If he wins, Obama is going to be setting the agenda in Washington, not Pelosi or Reid. Tactics will be adjusted with input from the Congress, but he's going to be guiding the ship of state. Where reasonable common ground can be found, they should plant seeds of bipartisanship there. And Obama probably shouldn't attack controversial symbolic issues until he has demonstrated that he can get things done and built up some chits to call in later. (IOW, "gays in the military" shouldn't be one of his first subjects to address.) But, and it's a big but, ultimately if the Democrats win big, they're in the driver's seat. It will be up to them to get their agenda implemented. They will be criticized by the Republicans - it's the job of the opposition to oppose. They know that the Republicans are going to have their knives out in 2010 no matter what they do... The Democrats will have to be strong enough to tolerate criticism and willing to bend arms to get things passed. (They may need to read up on LBJ.) Preemptively begging the hard-core Republicans to "please play nice" is just silly. And I think Obama understands that it's more important at this point to invest in the future of the country than to worry about a few short years of rather high deficits. The country will never advance if it is held hostage to the Republicans wrecking the budget. The Democrats aren't elected to come in and say "Oh no! We can't do anything because the Republicans used up all the money!!!" They are being elected to be competent, to return to the rule of law, and to run the government in a way that makes the future better for the middle class (and the country as a whole). They need to keep their eyes on the prize... My $0.02. Cheers, Scott.
Post #298,753 by Ashton 11/2/08 3:44:11 AM Reply	Remember - it's the W.S.J. Emotionally, of course I'd like to see -- At Last -- some tit for tat, 8 years worth of TIT -- compressed into One TAT-tribunal. </ fantasy> W.T.F. wouldn't. Yes, of course this is WSJ-filtered 'advice' -- as if none of the above had quite happened the way it did, espcially in the sheltered enviro of the CIEIO crowd that is their lawful prey. Simply - BO doesn't want to emulate the prodigal and his Handler, for all good reasons not-to seem to be just as retarded a a stubborn brat. Still, given that it IS all a Play: It might well be a decent strategy to show some initial-forbearance (as you say, until a track record of sane, also effective decisions have occurred.) Let early hints be dropped though, of judicial proceedings being 'worked out' -- lest the perps experience some period of jubilation. I do not want them getting any free comfort; I want them to sweat, to remain in Doubt about just how meticulous and long -??- is to be the New Admin's memory of every detail of the Last Admin's corruption. Treason? are enough of the vox pop up to dusting off its definitions, some months down the pike? No one person can clean the Augean stables, of course -- the fantasy of these elections always is, that that bully-pulpit occupant has such magical powers. Nay s/he merely needs to Seem to have those, while the perps sweat. Congress will have to grow up and face the debacle, as parties to its creation maintenance and vacillation all-along. Strange things happen ... periodically, even here in Disneyland. This is, after all -- the 40th anniversary of the disastrous year from which our decline began its regular negative slope. Is 40 enough, to finally face the trend? (No Idea - here.) Will be waiting with the millions to see if the new crew is on any similar wavelength. Cthulhu knoze that the kid has been prepped for a range of methods, via all the pseudo-science of the law and during his actual in-the-streets up-close encounters with how our cities look, from the forgotten disaster zones. (Most previous millionaires who got to run -- only read about that stuff going down, in the bowels of our crumbling city centers.) I discern that B.O. is a patient, methodical sort. That's the best start I can conceive of. (Now if the current crop of State *AGs right-Now employing those familiar, 8 yo tactics to impede voting -- succeed sufficient to another manufactured squeaker? I don't think we'll have an Al Gore rushing to be humble This Time Around.) Like GA: http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/11/georgias_secretary_of_state_pr.php
Post #298,758 by Another Scott 11/2/08 8:35:41 AM Reply	Thanks. I agree that he seems to have the kind of temperament that we need right now. I hope that it serves him, and the country, well for many years to come. Cheers, Scott.

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