Obama has to close the deal...
As of this writing, Obama has presented his plan before the American people and a joint session of Congress - A Congress that graciously begrudgingly gave him a time slot at their convenience.
The Republicans are probably somewhat chastened by a brutal August among their constituents. I know for our part - New Yorkers gave Nan Hayworth little peace. The heckling started the minute she returned home and she was shadowed by angry constituents every day of her recess. One even stripped off her shirt (she was wearing a bathing suit) saying that she was losing her shirt to tea party policies. Ironic, since she was a "job creator" with her own (now outsourced) business. It appears to have been a similar period of purgatory in other districts throughout the county. Sooooooo - doing nothing is probably not an option. But giving Obama a victory is also NOT an option.
So what's a President to do?
Beat the republicans at their own game. Use the bully pulpit - take to the road. Become the latter-day Teddy Roosevelt, FDR, or JFK. Target republican districts where incumbents are in trouble and work it. Have photo ops in front of bridges and schools that are crumbling. Tell them how many people fixing "this" (whatever it is that needs fixing) will employ. Tell them how much money this will bring into the community and how much will be spent in the local community and so on. Have photo ops with unemployed public workers who would be rehired if Congress passed his bill. Tell people how much money these unemployed people are wroth to the local community when they have money to spend. Peel off the vulnerable Congressional votes by putting relentless pressure on them by doing what the tea party does so well - lathering up their constituents.
It's not the proposal - its the execution stupid!
The trouble Barack Obama has had in the past is that he makes valid proposals that in a sane world would pass without a problem. He wants to make good policy - but is not so keen on selling it. As a real estate agent, I feel his pain. I put out a good product, but I HATE selling it. I see agents selling total crap every day beating me in the market. But I have learned that YOU HAVE TO SELL WHAT YOU PRODUCE - or you are out of business. This is particularly true when a faction like the tea party has managed to take over policymaking in the most powerful nation of the world. In short, are not dealing with sanity.
Obama has to take a hammer and beat people over the head until they see reason. After all, that's how the republicans gained such sway. They relentlessly repeated lies that became "truth" simply by being repeated often enough. Since Obama is actually peddling facts and truth - it should be easier for him than the tea party. For you can be sure of one thing. The Republicans will be out in force using their pretzel logic to convince the less savvy among us that the policy that could be their financial salvation is really a satanic plot that will turn our Marlboro Man economy into a communist gulag. t It's frustrating, ridiculous and exhausting, but sadly, its necessary.
© 2011 - RMGHicks - http://www.therobberbaroneconomy.com - All rights reserved.
Great post. I think the Pres will respond but will his supporters (like me) believe he isn't simply campaigning again? Fairly depressing when our choices, outside of Barack, are nil.
ReplyDeleteWe may not understand the man behind the offic ...I think he is a bit like me. I was a scholar forced into sales. I HATE prospecting, schoomzing, and massaging people for business - which is why my situation is so tenuous. Obama is like me, he thinks what he has to sell should sell itself and he wants to concentrate on making good policy. Unfortunately, like me, he has to network. He can't go home after a long day and relax and work on marketing for his business (which is what I want to do). I figure all the time I waste procuring business (its about 80% of my work day) takes away from what I can offer the consumer. But like real estate - politics is SELLING - and he has to sell his policy.
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