Obama tried too hard to work with Republicans
WASHINGTON — Amplified by the right-wing message machine, Republicans paint President Obama as an unyielding left-winger, an unreconstructed liberal who refuses to compromise. The president’s critics have turned the truth inside out: One of Obama’s greatest political weaknesses has been his stubborn — and unrequited — love for bipartisanship.
The president has made some of his biggest mistakes trying to woo a GOP opposition that has committed itself to frustrating him at every turn. If he had ignored recalcitrant Republicans, for example, his health care legislation might have become law without months of damaging political drama.
In an interview last week in his West Wing office, David Axelrod, one of Obama’s closest advisers, acknowledged that the administration had been surprised by the unified Republican resistance to the president’s agenda.
“Well, I think we miscalculated,” Axelrod said. “We had the idea that, particularly in a time of national crisis, there would be more of an inclination to work together.
“One of the bracing moments was when the president was on his way over . . to Capitol Hill to talk to the Republican House caucus about the Recovery Act. They issued a press release while he was on his way over to say that they were going to vote en masse against it. And that was a signal . . of things to come.”
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed in February 2009 without a single vote from a Republican in the House and the backing of just three in the Senate, even though nearly a third of it came in the form of tax cuts — usually a GOP tool for fixing anything. Most economists have credited the stimulus package with creating jobs and helping to end the recession, but Republicans continue to denounce it as boondoggle that blew a hole in the federal budget.
“I think the Republicans have been diabolically clever about how they’ve portrayed this,” Axelrod conceded. “They stood on the sidelines and made a decision that ‘we’re going to let him wrestle with this mess that we created. And then in two years we can try and hang him with it.’ “
After the stimulus, Obama and his Democratic allies tried to negotiate with GOP leaders on health insurance reform — a decision that gave critics time to mischaracterize the proposal and gin up opposition. Remember death panels? Government-funded abortions? Rationing?
Still, Obama kept going back with proposals meant to lure a few Republican votes for his agenda. That led to his disastrous announcement, just weeks before the Deepwater Horizon explosion, to expand off-shore drilling.
While Alexrod denied that the announcement amounted to a “quid pro quo,” Obama clearly believed that Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and a couple of other GOP senators would, in exchange, support groundbreaking energy legislation that included a price on carbon emissions.
Obama didn’t get what he bargained for. The months-long environmental disaster dominated news coverage, obscured the president’s work on the economy and gave his critics more fodder to claim his administration is incompetent. And, since the accident forced the White House to tiptoe away from its eager embrace of off-shore drilling, it also provided Graham an excuse to back away from energy legislation.
A naïve expectation of bipartisan cooperation hasn’t been Obama’s only mistake. He waited until the last possible moment to try to inspire his base for the mid-term elections. Unlike Ronald Reagan, whose poll ratings were slightly lower than Obama’s just before the 1982 mid-term elections, Obama didn’t take every possible opportunity to pin the economic mess on his predecessor.
Nor did the president tamp down the huge expectations generated by his historic election. That has proved costly, as was clear during the president’s encounter with the “exhausted” Velma Hart, a supporter who questioned him during a recent town hall-style meeting.
“There’s no doubt that part of what we’ve encountered is the mismatch between very, very high expectations and the magnitude of the problems that we’ve been called upon to solve,” Alexrod said.
But the expected Republican gains in the coming mid-term elections may solve one of Obama’s problems: his misplaced faith in logic, persuasion and cooperation in the national interest. Tea-party-fueled anger has produced a wave of GOP candidates for whom the word “compromise” is akin to treason. There can be no miscalculation about their intentions.
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1,244 comments Add your comment
ken
October 15th, 2010
9:17 am
My laugh for the day
stands for decibels
October 15th, 2010
9:17 am
you have witnessed elected officials destroying their country for many years, not just since Obama.
Johnny, based on some more thoughtful things you’ve posted, I think you know full well that “destroy” is an imbecilic word to use.
There’ve been unfortunate decisions, missed opportunities, stuff we’d do differently in a do-over. No question. But this nation is not falling apart. It’s hit a nasty patch to be sure, but it still has historically unprecedented wealth and power.
To hear the Teahadists scream and carry on, you’d think we were at risk of being overrun by (fill i the name of some comically tiny nation).
Nice Guy
October 15th, 2010
9:17 am
AmVet @ 9:12 –
I know you can’t stay, nor can I. But, based on the lecture you just gave, where are your facts and persuasive arguments? I know you have them….
Paul's Squirrel
October 15th, 2010
9:18 am
Sorry, Kamchak. I cheated on you.
doob
October 15th, 2010
9:18 am
wow. just…wow. CT’s lack or, most likely, unwillingness to see the truth of the matter is ASTOUNDING. We get it. Liberals didn’t like Bush. Noted. But this idea that he left the country in tatters just doesn’t ring true. Isn’t the democrat mantra that “W” was an idiot? But such devious destruction of the US economy could only be orchestrated by an evil genius. Which is it? I vote for C…none of the above.
No matter how you paint it, Barry has had 2 years to put his “ideas” into place. A Dem Prez with a Dem majority. Slam dunk. But two years in, trillions of dollars spent & the hole keeps getting deeper. I realize he thinks that since there are checks left in the checkbook…there’s more money to spend. WRONG! Also, it’s not that the Fearless Leader was trying to appease anyone. He was trying to recruit scapegoats. he could only fool the people for so long. Epic FAIL. We are less than a month away from the biggest revolt against the government in modern history. Then, we can put a cast on Ol’ Daffy as he waddles & quacks his last two years towards obscurity. However, I’m sure the Blame Bush drum will beaten a few zillion more times before it’s totally worn out. Once that’s done…fear not. There’s always the Race card….
Cynthia Is Sexy!!
October 15th, 2010
9:18 am
If Gm would get a job and get out of his mothers basement he may be less of a HATER!
JohnnyReb
October 15th, 2010
9:19 am
Reality@9:15 – the Nov elections will show rejection of Obama personally; rejection of his agenda; and that while the majority of Americans may not totally agree with Republicans, they prefer the Republican agenda over Progressives.
Andrew
October 15th, 2010
9:20 am
Reading all these posts just proves that GA and the SE in general is a pure Republican bastion and will always stay that way. And you wonder why this part of the US has always been the ‘BUTT’ of jokes? Y’all can’t seem to get over the fact that ‘the war of Northern aggresion’ started with a cannon shot from the South and y’all lost! ” A house divided” cannot stand..words to live by.
doob
October 15th, 2010
9:20 am
P.S.: Stands for Decibels…The U.S. is in danger of being overrun by a comically small country. It’s the self appointed nation of Washington DC.
8ironfrom160
October 15th, 2010
9:20 am
COOOOOLLLLL The opinion page is now my morning comic relief!!! This was so stupidly ignorant, it was funny!
Ed
October 15th, 2010
9:20 am
President Obama does not truly understand what “bipartisanship” means. During the campaign he said (paraphrasing) that he felt, that as President, he could be able to govern in a bipartisanship way because he had a gift for being able to bring the other side over to his way of thinking. THAT is not bipartisanship.
To work in a bipartisanship way, two sides each abandon their most extreme positions and move towards the common ground. On balance, the side with more power gets to shade the efforts their way. On issue after issue President Obama, enabled by the Demomcratic Majorities in the House and Sentate embraced his most extreme positions, hoping to lure Republicans into support by offering a few crumbs. This strategy could have been brilliant, IF, Republicans had gone along with it. He would have convinved Republicans to support the most extreme elements of his agenda, which, in turn, would have erroded support among the most “basic” of the Republican base.
As Republicans did not embrace legislation which would have been absolutely toxic, now President Obama and the rest of the Democratic party are left to be held solely accountable for moving so far to the left.
President Obama and the Democrats might well have been able to cement their long term majority – IF – they had resisted the opportunity to govern as if they helf a fillibuster-proof majority in the Senate. Just because you CAN do something doesn’t mean you SHOULD do it. In about three weeks the Democrats will receive their education into what this means. After that, with Republican control of – at least – the House, and likely a razor-thin majority in the Senate, the Democrat in the White House will be forced to work in a more traditional bipartisanship way. Ironically, that is the only way Obama sees a second term.
Keep It Real!
October 15th, 2010
9:20 am
Some folks on this blog need to join the hillbilly comedy tour. The country was spiraling downward very fast, the housing market had exploded, the financial market was exploding, the commercial market was imploding the DEMOCRATS should have push thru as much as they possibly could to stop the downward spiral.
Hey President Bush pushed thru so many bad policies during his presidency that now it will take years to recover…
No Child left behind.
2 wars not paid for…
Financial deregulation in the financial industry,food industry, heck all industries…
Bush Open the borders so wide we added 10 millions illegal immigrants in 8 years.
Now the party of no is going to cut taxes and this will make companies hire because what?
Now GOP are no longer going to give incentives to companies who moved there businesses out of the country…
ken R
October 15th, 2010
9:20 am
What a delusional story. Did you fall on your head yesterday? or is this from your childbirth?
I can’t understand why this paper even lets you waste their ink.
Scout
October 15th, 2010
9:20 am
Ms. Tucker:
This thread subject and you comments therein are not a credit to your Pulitzer Prize award.
I agree with some others on here ………. just delete it and start with a new one.
Paul
October 15th, 2010
9:20 am
Peadawg
“No Democrat running for re-election wants anything to do with him and his agenda.”
If you’ve seen the highlights of the Reid-Angle debate you’ll see what Democrats DO want to be associated with.
Senate Majority Leader Reid referred to Pres Bush (not a typo) as ‘my friend.’
Asked to name a Supreme Court Justice he admired, he cited Justice Antonin Scalia.
Really. I’m not pulling your leg -
Tech Man
October 15th, 2010
9:21 am
doob
October 15th, 2010
9:18 am
Here is Ax-head’s blame Bush moment.
“They stood on the sidelines and made a decision that ‘we’re going to let him wrestle with this mess that we created. And then in two years we can try and hang him with it.’ “
Paul's Squirrel
October 15th, 2010
9:21 am
“” A house divided” cannot stand..words to live by.”
So, you expect all of us to do it the Democrat way?
Harley2002
October 15th, 2010
9:21 am
Lady I have no idea how you won a Pulitzer Prize you are in some other world. You are a racist and a liar.
granny godzilla
October 15th, 2010
9:21 am
HEY NAME JACKER
As Cynthia says, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Thanks for proving, you can’t handle the truth.
I win the argument every time you cheat.
I’m lovin’ it.
tee hee hee
Eddie Long, The Bishup of Pizza
October 15th, 2010
9:21 am
Why fret friends…come on down to Eddie Longs Brickhouse Christian Pizza Palace and relax with a slice of double pepperoni and cheese…AMAN?
Lets have some pizza and save some souls.
PS…Dayum, I hope the courts go easy on me.
JohnnyReb
October 15th, 2010
9:22 am
Based on the Conservative presence this morning; I say the Wave may be even bigger than projected. Gotta do some work. Regards
Plato
October 15th, 2010
9:22 am
Another ignorant diatribe of verbal diarrhea from Ms. Tucker.
Steve
October 15th, 2010
9:22 am
Is this the same David Axlerod who stated the Republicans were using campaign money donated from foreign interests; then indicated he didn’t need to prove anything; it was up to the Republicans to prove him wrong. I guess that’s about all the game he has left in his little bag of misinformation. His credibility is about as good as your’s CT.
crass realist
October 15th, 2010
9:22 am
It is truly a shame that you (and people like you) have the power to cancel the vote of thoughtful, informed people. I grieve for my country that you are so misinformed and have a platform to spew your vitriol to the great unwashed.
The divide is greater than ever and thanks to you (and people like you), the chasm just gets wider and wider.
To paraphrase The Reverend Wright, “not God Bless America, God HELP America!”
Gm
October 15th, 2010
9:22 am
Good Grief: What bill did the last Administration tried to pass for the people? Did anyone call you? no one call me, please save the fox news poll for the idiots.
Go tell that to a family that lost their job and has a sick child.
Kamchak
October 15th, 2010
9:23 am
wlw0911
October 15th, 2010
8:19 am
Your[sic] an idiot Cynthia…
You might wanna check your spelling before calling someone an idiot.
Just sayin’.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Just how many sock-puppets can one person create?
Geez.
Reality
October 15th, 2010
9:23 am
@Call It Right -
Huh???? Jobs were hemoraging way before Obama got into office. The federal deficit had ballooned way before Obama got into office. The financial/banking corruption was rampad before Obama got into office. For you to pin any of that on Obama is laughable!!!! Get a reality check there dude.
Oops...another hater
October 15th, 2010
9:23 am
“Some folks on this blog need to join the hillbilly comedy tour”
Yeppers. More hate filled bigoted comments from the loving tolerant left.
Timothy L. Pennell
October 15th, 2010
9:23 am
Is she retarded? I’m serious. Is she retarded? Are there any of these Affirmative Action “JournOlists” that have any sense? This Broad. Eugene – the Obama is God Infallible – Robinson. David Broders’ Black Counterpart – Clarence Page. Do these people have ANY IDEA how the world works? Do they have any idea what Entrepreneurship is? Or Capitalism? Have THEY ever Created a JOB. What about a Payroll? Have they ever had to make a Payroll? Have they ever RUN A BUSINESS? Where do they think everything at the store comes from? Do they have a Lawn Guy? A guy who cuts their lawn? Does anyone think that these ‘COMRADES’ pay him the prevailing UNION WAGE? Do they pay him a LIVING WAGE? What about his HEALTH CARE? Do they provide him, and whatever helpers he has, HEALTH CARE? RETIREMENT? Do they MATCH his 401K Payment?
NO. Of course they don’t. These things are for THEE and not for ME.
I began this by asking if she was Retarded. And, for that, I apologize. I apologize to all the Retarded people who are that way, through no fault of their own. These people, these Chocolate JournOlists, know exactly what they’re doing. They COMMUNISTS and SOCIALISTS, and they don’t like this Country. They think that the Good Guys LOST the Cold War, and if we’d only listen to the Jive Talking, Street Hustling, ex COKE HEAD, ex Bag Man for Richard Daley, in the White House, THEIR LIVES would be better, and the H*LL with you and me.
RGB
October 15th, 2010
9:24 am
Obama 2009:
“I don’t want the folks who created the mess to do a lot of talking,” the president said Thursday at a political rally in Virginia. “I want them to get out of the way so we can clean up the mess.”
granny godzilla
October 15th, 2010
9:24 am
kamchak
apparently asshattery and multitasking are not mutually exclusive.
ctucker
October 15th, 2010
9:24 am
Timothy@9:23, You’ve gone much too far. You don’t get to suggest I’m retarded or call me a “broad.” You have no manners, so I’m banning you.
stands for decibels
October 15th, 2010
9:24 am
So when 60% of the country disapproves of a bill
please. Polling shows that when you drill down a bit, the actual objections are to the stuff that entails paying for stuff–the private health insurance coverage mandate, in particular. It simply proves the point Cynthia was making–had the Dems just said “screw it, we’ll legislate single payer, or at least a strong public option, through reconciliation” they’d be in better political shape now. working with Goopers on HCR hurt them.
Americans are fine with what’s actually accomplished with the bill.
We can argue over how/if the White House/Congress messaging machine screwed that up, but your repeated bleating over how it was an “unpopular bill” is nonsense. For all the sound and fury we’re hearing now, I’ll boldly predict that no future Republican congress is gonna do dick to change it.
and with that charming phraseology, I’m outa here. Sorry that so many conservatives can’t cope with reality. sorrier still that their votes, apparently, can be purchased so cheaply.
One and Done
October 15th, 2010
9:25 am
Can you say “Repudiation” Ms Tucker? As in the statement “the voters are about to issue a REPUDIATION of the Obama presidency.” How big a landslide do the Republicans have to win in November for you to admit the President has lost the support of the American people?
Good Grief
October 15th, 2010
9:25 am
Reality @ 9:15 – “Obama and the Democrats at least are making decisions that they sincerely believe are in the best interest of the American people – primarily the middle class. That is in stark contrast to the Republicans ”
i seem to recall Bill Maher, the beacon of humanistic liberalism, as saying that while he disagreed with and dang-near hated George Bush, he at least respected the fact that Bush was doing what he thought was right and he had the cajones to stick with it.
Keep It Real!
October 15th, 2010
9:25 am
Actually I believe none of these political jokers know what they are doing or how to get out of this mess.
We needed financial regulations
We needed Healthcare
We need to get our troops out of Afghanistan
We need to drop no child left behind
We need parents to be parents
We need to drop Don’t ask don’t tell
We need to work together as a team
We need to stop cutting taxes… Hey Bridges, roads, schools need to be maintain.
We need to stop corruption in all areas
You live by the Dollar you will die by the Dollar…
granny godzilla
October 15th, 2010
9:25 am
communists, socialists and muslims oh my!
watch out for falling houses…..
ctucker
October 15th, 2010
9:26 am
Bubba@8:12, You are not dumb enough to believe those are all separate instances, are you?
Tech Man
October 15th, 2010
9:26 am
Boy, ole Scott Brown replacing Ted Kennedy caused the elitist, progressive, liberals all of this? WOOHOO!
Paul Thomas
October 15th, 2010
9:27 am
Obama doesn’t WORK with anyone. Golf and vacations aren’t work. But when he met with Republicans he danced and preened about how he won the election and Republicans needed to work with him (as in, do exactly as I say). Cynthia Tucker is a blatant liar. But that’s typical of all liberals. At least she’s not attempting to be a journalist, just the water carrier of a loser.
ctucker
October 15th, 2010
9:27 am
Peadawg@7:50, What has changed about your health insurance coverage? Nothing? I didn’t think so. BTW, I never said this would lower premiums.
Moderate Line
October 15th, 2010
9:27 am
” In just a year and half, he’s accomplished an ambitious agenda that many presidents would envy.”
from Obama adds Wall Street reform to his record of accomplishments
6:48 am July 16, 2010, by ctucker
One minute Obama has accomplish an ambitiuous agenda that presidents would envy the next minute he is being stop by diabolically clever Republicans.
You can’t have it both ways either he is accomplishing an ambitous agenda that most presidents envy or he is being held up by Republicans.
Good Grief
October 15th, 2010
9:28 am
Gm @ 9:22 – I’ve noticed that it is difficult to have reasonable discussion and debate with liberals, because the first thing they do is start ridiculing and name-calling. Try as I might, sometimes it’s just not worth the effort to keep debating on this blog.
So I’ll turn your question around on you: What has this administration done for you? Are you like the lady at the DNC two years ago who actually thought Obama was going to pay her mortgage and put gas in her car if she voted for him?
Mitzymy
October 15th, 2010
9:28 am
We should be thankful to have a president who really cares about people. But all racist can do is note everything from the wrong side. What has gone wrong is because of the republicans, who can’t see past the color of his skin. They feel that they were once on top of the black man when they were slaves, and now we have to help him succeed. No one knew that God would allow this man to be President of the United States, and be smarter than the average person, and be able to keep on going despite all the resistance in the country. No one said a thing about how we got to this point and if it hadn’t been for Obama jumping in and rolling up his sleeves to start the process of coming out of the recession, we would all be in the soup line. You people are the pits!!
Paul
October 15th, 2010
9:28 am
Ms Tucker
Good call. Thanks.
I Report :-) You Whine :-( mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
October 15th, 2010
9:28 am
“I think the Republicans have been diabolically clever about how they’ve portrayed this,” Axelrod conceded.
Yesterday we were knuckle dragging neanderthals, so I guess this diabolical deal is an improvement.
We’re not trogs anymore, yeah!
doob
October 15th, 2010
9:28 am
when in doubt…call someone stupid (Bush, Palin, O’Donnel). If that doesn’t work..call them racist (Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, The Tea Party Movement).
The Politics of Personal Destruction. Democrat strategy 101.
Is it so hard to understand that Obama is just not a good leader. I’m sure he’s a swell guy & perhaps I’d like to have a beer with him on a personal level. But something tells me that if I did…I’d have to pick up the check.
Peadawg
October 15th, 2010
9:28 am
ctucker @ 9:26
You’re not dumb enough to really believe what you wrote, are you?
ctucker
October 15th, 2010
9:28 am
Booger@7:52, One-third of the stimulus bill was tax cuts, the biggest one-year tax cut in US history. I thought that the GOP liked tax cuts. But only three Republicans in all of Congress voted for the bill.
Aubrey
October 15th, 2010
9:28 am
The Socialist Party of Deceit is running for cover. They will pay dearly for their irresponsibility, ineptness and deception. This Center Right Nation will express their displeasure Nov 2 and in 2012 when the White House is fumigated.