After the State of the Union – Obama – looked at the others with Love and even as constituents and supporters. He treated them as friends – not as enemies.
I think He believes what I also believe and value in the art of Consensus Politics: Your enemies are your best teachers and at the end of the day they are just like your other friends – only they are your ”Misguided Friends”.
Following up on this, Obama made all his efforts to rally the American public around his presidential agenda via his first State of the Union address on Capitol Hill. But immediately after, Obama took on the Republican Party meeting of GOP on Baltimore two days later. Friday, and in ancient Balti was where Republican House leaders have gathered for their party’s annual retreat and were eager to vent their anger…
As the GOP lawmakers convened around a weekend dedicated to plotting their recapture of the White House, the President engaged them in what became a lively sparring match, a good listening session for the President and a way to make new friends. A bit like a tennis match was a lot more give and take without any polish… nor lipstick.
The Republicans were civil as was the president. The whole level of the retreat was raised a few notches. And this higher bar shut out the extremists and Obama also took the opportunity to be really the Good Leader and to impart some fatherly advise.
Obama unplugged – was a joy to behold.
The tension made him deliver a far more relaxed and vastly better performance than the one a bit earlier at the State of the Union address.
Really.
This is like the “question time” for British prime ministers. This time honoured tradition happens always in the House of Commons where the PM has to participate and interact with the others and opponents in the Parliament on a weekly basis.
Things in London get loud , boisterous, funny, pub like and testy, but Obama faced a particularly partisan crowd that he blames for deadlocking his legislative agenda.
He went and faced the enemy head on in their own territory.
Obama has addressed Republican leaders before, but what made Friday’s encounter so unique is that it was almost entirely unscripted, a rarity in presidential politics.
Among the gems uttered during the 90-minute question-and-answer session was Obama’s complaint to the audience that their party regularly caricatures him as a radical “ideologue” whose health care plan is actually “a Bolshevik plot” to take over America. In turn, GOP leaders told the president that he and other Democrats are wrong to paint Republicans as “The Party of No.”
In acknowledgment, Obama reiterated what he said in his State of the Union speech, that he is partly to blame for the highly partisan divisions in Washington. What made the encounter so interesting is that it was televised after a request made by the White House and which the GOP leadership seems to have grudgingly acquiesced to. Even the last minute, agreement to share with the people, through Congressional TV, was done in order to deflect attacks about transparency and open government.
Presidents always address the opposing party at these annual retreats, with a prepared speech broadcast to the entire nation, but the Q&A portion is normally conducted behind closed doors. The rare openness has allowed the mainstream media to coalesce around the idea that Obama was the winner today, rather than writing about a prepared speech like almost any other the president gives.
Indicative of this, the New York Times wrote: Mr. Obama did show a strong command of the issues and deflect some of the Republican criticisms of his handling of them. He pointedly noted that while Republicans have assailed his economic stimulus package, “some of you have been at the ribbon-cuttings for some of these important projects in your communities.” Already, GOP members in attendance have voiced concern over the decision to televise the event. Rep. Tom Cole, R-Oklahoma, said that Obama “scored many points. He did really well.”
Another Republican said, “It was a mistake that we allowed the cameras to roll like that. We should not have done that.” Tucker Carlson’s new right-wing portal, The Daily Caller, ran this headline: ”Obama blasts House GOP in tense meeting.”
Even the Weekly Standard, a bastion of right-wing media wrote: I worry about what a tradition such as this one would beget in the standards for future presidential candidates. It would certainly greatly favor a professorial, debate-centric president, perhaps at the expense of other leaderships skills.
Of course, some right-wingers think the fact that Obama addressed the GOP in such a way is evidence of what’s being called the “Scott Brown effect,” whereby Obama foresees further disaster for his party in the midterm elections this November, and must make amends with Republicans as soon as possible.
Regardless of who came out a victor out of this community bridge building, there is consensus that the back-and-forth in Baltimore did not bring any consensus to the log jammed issues that have consumed Congress since Obama was sworn into office.
Instead, there appear to be glimmers of hope throughout the political spectrum that today’s exchange could be a harbinger for a more exciting, engaging mode of political discourse, particularly as the country braces itself for the midterm ballot.
Perhaps more real Politics in this time of Geopolitical changes and Climate Change we need to reach across parochial divides and across nations to find common solutions for common problems on a global scale.
Reaching out to the others and the small minded parochial states like Obama did in Copenhagen and banged together some heads to get a last minute agreement and build a Copenhagen Accord out of the claws of the intransigent Climate Denialist. He banged together the heads of the short term Indians and willy fox politicians acting as hyenas or Chinese negotiators. Maybe then He was completely on his own when He barged into their secret meeting and turned things around….
Maybe He can do the same to the Republican Senate gridlock for the interest of the world and the US political and economic but most importantly human future.
No less than survival is what’s at stake here. Can’t let parochial short term interests and blind corporate energy induced local politics sway people out on the limb of an uncertain future.
Fear and pork barrel demands along the corrupt politicians through the oil-coal-tar interests dictate Asian as well as American interests and energy policy for far too long. Time for Change. The Asian and American people want it.
Just let them see the light. The Green Light. A bit of talking to and talk with can only help. Listening is paramount too. Look at how good grandpa Freud has been for the extremists. Soothes the nerves and lets them embrace Change.
Maybe his natural leadership skills and with fewer prepared press releases and fewer closed doors and more public Town Hall like meetings will sort this out.
“Accepting the invitation to speak at the House GOP retreat may turn out to be the smartest decision the White House has made in months,” writes Marc Ambinder on the Atlantic.
“Debating a law professor is kind of foolish for the Republican House Caucus has managed to turn Obama’s weakness into a strength. Plenty of Republicans asked good and probing questions, found their arguments simply demolished by the president” said Mike Pence a participating Republican.
A new spirit of SangFroid descending on America? Compliments to both sides.
The friendly banter will make consensus politics possible so we can negotiate out of this mess. Keep it up. After all supporting your leader – you are supporting your country.
Simple as that.
Yours,
Pano
PS:
Will You do it again?
Please
Pretty please.
And a bit of Freud into the Remix – please.
