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
Billybob
October 15th, 2010
10:16 am
Reality, 10:09
Earth to Reality, come in, come in Reality? Wow!
Joseph
October 15th, 2010
10:17 am
The title of this article is one of the most absurd comments I have ever seen in all my years on this planet! The Obama administration has done whatever they wanted, but all this is about to change in a few weeks!
The Political puddin stick
October 15th, 2010
10:17 am
Way to go “DemStink”. Blacks blindly support Obama. White liberals are not much better. Get your lazy asses out and work. I’m 52, I found a part time job (already have a full time job) last year (still have it)in 2 days!! An extra $75 per week for a few hours at night.
Oops...another hater
October 15th, 2010
10:18 am
The tolerant left is sure showing their ugly side.
CYNT U MUST KEEP UR JOB
October 15th, 2010
10:18 am
THIS IS WHAT’S WRONG WITH THE DEMOCRAPS,THEY ALWAYS TRY TO WORK WITH THE RETHUGLICANS,BUT THE EVIL GOP NEVERS WORKS WITH THEM!
Greenwood
October 15th, 2010
10:19 am
Gosh, I must have been asleep the day Obama wooed the Republicans. Ms. Tucker do you have any idea how hard it is to generate lockstep opposition in the GOP to anything, with how many milktoast/establishment Republicans we have in Washington DC? You couldn’t get a single Republican senator to back your healthcare monstrosity? Not even Olympia Snowe or Susan Collins?
Obama had historic majorities in both chambers and never acted like he needed GOP support, which he didn’t. Remember what he told Republicans at that Jan ‘09 meeting on the stimulus, when they raised objections about the amount of money? “I won.” And that defines his attitude for the last 2 years. He won, they lost. Bipartisan cooperation would only occur if the GOP surrendered their principles and joined him.
Guess what Ms. Tucker, there was bipartisanship in Washington DC over the last 2 years. That bipartisanship was in opposition to Obama’s policies… from the Stimulus, to Cap & Trade, to Health Care and the rest of his disgusting agenda. Many Democrats now join Republicans in rejecting him, and the current Congressional leadership– the true partisans named Obama, Reid & Pelosi. Write a column on that, instead of this laughable dribble.
spoofproof
October 15th, 2010
10:19 am
Did this column appear in the hardcopy AJC? If so, then think about this:
Cythia Tucker’s boss/editor had to approve this piece of work before publication. That means there is at least ONE more person who either agrees what Ms. Tucker writes is “factual” or knows it’s all a pack of lies but approves it anyway because it is “for the good of the Democrat Political Party.” This particular column is pure DemocratMarxistLeftistSocialistProgressiveCommunist propaganda. I don’t think I’m right. I KNOW I’m right.
Richard Ledbetter
October 15th, 2010
10:20 am
Wow. Is she a legitimate journalist?
Vance Wade
October 15th, 2010
10:20 am
Cynthia, how much crack did you smoke before writing this garbage?
Obama tried too hard to work with Republicans? Maybe I should ask what parallel universe you live in.
Chapman
October 15th, 2010
10:20 am
Put down the crack pipe Cindy. Obama is the most partisan Pres. in history. And get ready to say hello toSspeaker Boehner
pjwg
October 15th, 2010
10:20 am
The scope of self-delusion exhibited in this article is breathtaking!
Harry
October 15th, 2010
10:20 am
You did it again Cynthia. Wrote another crap column and got a lot of responses to impress your massa.
You would be a disgrace to the journalistic community if you were really a journalist, which you are not. Your biased and racist comments make Jackson and Sharpton look like bashful conservatives.
grpetty
October 15th, 2010
10:21 am
Obama tried too hard to work with Republicans
Cynthia Tucker
Surely this article must be some sort of joke, even a parody maybe. It could not possible be serious.
And you wonder why you’re losing customers. Goodness, does idiocy ever end?
dnm
October 15th, 2010
10:21 am
After reading CT’s ignorant diatribe, I have gladly cancelled my AJC subscription. I suggest others follow and send a message to AJC’s leadership.
Nothing Is Free
October 15th, 2010
10:21 am
Reality
- -I was making a point about how the programs put in place by Obama (not promises) were towards HELPING AMERICAN PEOPLE. Get it?- -
No. That’s where you are gullible. THEY WERE NOT put in place to help the American People. They were put in place to help the people that paid for Obama’s election.
They never help the American People. This is exactly what I am talking about. They lie to you, you believe it, the programs never do what they say they will and here you are yet again defending their lies.
How gullible are you?
Drug Counselor
October 15th, 2010
10:22 am
Please put down the crack pipe.
gliderdrive
October 15th, 2010
10:22 am
Boy this just getting old.
NEWS FLASH!!!!! All Presidents, Except for President George Washington have had to deal with both the good and bad decisions of all of their predecessors! What a shock.
And guess what else? Poor President G.W. Bush had to deal with huge budget problems that were caused primarily by Liberal Social programs enacted during both the Johnson and Carter administration.
But when you run for the office and win, it’s all yours. That’s the deal. You can’t pick the parts you want and ignore the rest. You might be able to do that as a Community Organizer, but you just don’t get that choice as President.
So when is President Obama going to “Buck up” and understand that whole deal is his for the next 2 years?
mickeymat
October 15th, 2010
10:23 am
Cynthia Tucker is a one woman circulation killer for the AJC. Nit wit.
Rewriting history already
October 15th, 2010
10:23 am
Obama’s version of bipartisanship was telling Republicans, “I won, deal with it.” That’s not bipartisanship, that’s arrogance. Obama refused to deal with Republicans, he refused to reach out, his meaning of bipartisanship is for everyone to do what he says. Now we have Ms. Tucker lying about what happened to place the blame all on the Republicans. Sad. Just a little note. Republicans aren’t responsible for our bad economy. Republicans AND Democrats are responsible for our bad economy. Both parties equally share in the blame.
Nothing Is Free
October 15th, 2010
10:23 am
granny
I fear for your grandchild.
Why don’t you?
granny godzilla
October 15th, 2010
10:23 am
i be willing to bet a bag of milky way mini’s that over half the ugly
right wing posts here today have been done by the same guy….
isn’t that a hoot
Richard
October 15th, 2010
10:24 am
There are two comments made by the president that undermine your position. The first is a comment he made while meeting with Republican leadership shortly after the election. He said something to the effect that I won, get used to it. Within the past week he also said that if the Republicans take control of Congress they will have to work with him. Those statements, among many others, clearly demonstrate that President Obama is one of the most partisan and arrogant presidents to hold the office.
john
October 15th, 2010
10:24 am
The Obama not blaming Bush line almost made me fall out of my chair…
The bottome line is Democrats have controlled Congress since 2006 and the Democrats haven’t even considered any Republican ideas. Now this happens on both sides. But the Democrats absolutely with back room deals slammed the Health Care down our throats even though the majority of Americans disagreed with it.
Democrats rammed extending unemployment benefits as well. Other than the carbon tax, Democrats have practically rammed and gotten everything they want. Republicans are virtually powerless right now… But hey, lets not let facts get in the way of a great smear campaign.
The longer Obama and the libs control things, the worse are economy will continue to fall
JDW
October 15th, 2010
10:24 am
@Nothing is Free
I support fiscal responsibility and the only administration that has delivered that in the last 50 years was Clinton. The Republicans have lied to us on this issue for years and have lost my trust.
I support strong defense and coherent foreign policy and starting with Duhbya the Republicans have taken and turn for the worse.
I support individual freedom, why in the world should I care if two gay guys want to marry.
I support reducing abortion so it makes all the sense in the world to teach sex ed in schools.
I have enough sense to understand the theory of evolution and don’t need our children’s mind cluttered with religious nonsense.
I support qualified candidates and Sarah Palin’s nomination cost John McCain my vote. I will not support anyone with her perspective.
When voting I support the lesser of two evils and at this time that seems to be the Democrats but it might change.
Getting a better idea?
Nothing Is Free
October 15th, 2010
10:25 am
Granny
And thanks for the name calling.
I have work to do. There are some kids wanting a better education. I’ve got a union meeting this afternoon so I need to get these damn kids out of the way.
Have a great day, granny.
Obvious Note
October 15th, 2010
10:25 am
This isn’t even an editorial it is pure absurdity. I guess on a slow mental day this passes for something controversial, but when it is entirely inane …
Kamchak
October 15th, 2010
10:25 am
i be willing to bet a bag of milky way mini’s that over half the ugly
right wing posts here today have been done by the same guy….
Without a doubt.
granny godzilla
October 15th, 2010
10:26 am
NIF
I don’t live in fear, I live in courage.
Why don’t you?
WTF Of The Day | Black & Right
October 15th, 2010
10:26 am
[...] smokin’ something in the wake of their looming midterm ass-whuppin’? Barack Obama has gone out of his way to reach out to Republicans? Did we miss something…? A naïve expectation of bipartisan [...]
bb63
October 15th, 2010
10:26 am
What a moronic article!!! Obama doesn’t have any bipartisanship in his body. He is an ideologue within and without. If there had been any bipartisanship exhibited on his health care travesty, it would have been evident in fewer insurance mandates, greater free market influence on interstate insurance availability or something like that. The fact that none of these sensible things made it into the legislation is indicative of the lack of bipartisanship. Ms. Tucker is a “true believer” hooked on the Democratic Left’s Kool-Aid.
Floyd
October 15th, 2010
10:26 am
Cynthia, was this column intended as satire?
Nothing Is Free
October 15th, 2010
10:26 am
JDW
Cinton was the first president to reside over a republican Congress since 1952.
So who has been lying to you all those years?
John
October 15th, 2010
10:26 am
Simply amazing. Another fine example from Cynthia to remind us why no one reads the AJC anymore.
Joe in the Left Coast
October 15th, 2010
10:27 am
Cynthia, You have been drinking that same purple ‘kool-aid’ as that FOOL in the white House. Tried to work together? maybe the best part is that he and all his liberal friends like Boxer, Reid, Peolosi will all be gone after this and the up-coming election. AMFYOYO.
RGB
October 15th, 2010
10:27 am
Ideas for future columns:
“Obama Tried Too Hard to Reduce Unemployment.”
“Obama Tried Too Hard to Reduce Spending.”
“Obama Tried Too Hard to Prevent a Nuclear Iran.”
“Obama Tried Too Hard to Spur Domestic Oil Production.”
“Obama Tried Too Hard to Protect U.S. Border.”
Kamchak
October 15th, 2010
10:27 am
The bottome[sic] line is Democrats have controlled Congress since 2006…
Someone just told a whopper of a lie.
granny godzilla
October 15th, 2010
10:27 am
NIF
Sweetie, you are welcome.
I’ll try and be more sensitive to your delicate feelings in the future.
Head in Sand
October 15th, 2010
10:29 am
More great news. I have just been advised by my company, my health insurance cost deductions out of my pay check will increase $200 a month for family coverage beginning Jan 1. Thanks Mr President.
middleton
October 15th, 2010
10:29 am
On what planet does Cynthia live? Remember the famous quote by Obama to the republicans…”I won” as his reason for doing it his way and not taking into consideration their suggestions. Reality has a way of coming back around.
Steve Spurrier
October 15th, 2010
10:30 am
Question:
Who is dumber CT or granny?
Answer:
They are the same person.
Nothing Is Free
October 15th, 2010
10:30 am
Granny
I see that I hit a nerve. that’s good.
you should face reality about what you are voting for when you vote for bureaucrats to control you life.
I’m done with you for today. Rant on.
But any day that I can make you think for just a second or two is a great accomplishment for me.
Enjoy that grandbaby that you will be givin over to the bureaucrats. Enjoy them while you still can.
Jonathan Wood
October 15th, 2010
10:30 am
Purely Delusional.
JDW
October 15th, 2010
10:30 am
@Nothing For Free
“Cinton was the first president to reside over a republican Congress since 1952.”
The key components of Clinton’s success were Pay as You Go and appropriate tax levels. Both were implemented prior to Republican control of Congress. The Republican congress did NOTHING to further fiscal responsibility.
Kamchak's gerbil
October 15th, 2010
10:31 am
Kamy – STFU
Paul
October 15th, 2010
10:31 am
DemsStink
“supporting whatever that idiot muslim does.”
Ummmm….. what’s a Muslim doing attending an Episcopalian church? And what’s a Muslim doing thanking Christians for prayer circles and clean spirits?!!?
granny godzilla
October 15th, 2010
10:32 am
If you really want to make it up to me then FedEx me a case of Spam and a case of Manwich. Spamwich…mmmmm!!!
Steven Best
October 15th, 2010
10:32 am
Cynthia, you are in a different world than most. Obama made no effort at any time to work with the Republicans, even reminding McCain who won the election on live TV. He had super majorities yet still failed completely in every thing he forced through.
Anon
October 15th, 2010
10:33 am
This article is simply delusional.
Nothing Is Free
October 15th, 2010
10:34 am
JDW
Sarah Palin’s Perspective?
In your rant claiming what you believe, you stated about 90% of what she believes.
Sounds like you have been quite gullible as to what the media has told you.
George W
October 15th, 2010
10:34 am
Cynthia continues to amaze me with her left wing biggotry. Tried to hard? How? By shoving healthcare down our throats? Refusing to protect our borders? Allowing a mosque to be built near ground zero? Possibly letting the Bush tax cuts expire? WHERE in the world did he try too hard to work with the Republicans? THANK GOD NOVEMBER IS ALMOST HERE!