Barack is not a politician first and foremost. He's a community activist exploring the viability of politics to make change.
- Michele Obama
I love that quote from Michelle because it so often captures what I see when I try to watch and understand what President Obama is doing. Today I am again watching and trying to learn as we see the process unfold about the negotiations on the debt ceiling.
Over the last couple of years, Obama has several times mentioned that his experience as a community organizer was the most critical in his career. What we know is that he used that experience to understand the dynamics of power and how to use it to address the very real needs of people who don't feel like they have any. As a matter of fact, at one point in his career, we know that Obama taught seminars on the concepts of power and change.
Today I'm thinking about how he's played these negotiations about the debt ceiling differently that he did the one's about the Bush tax cuts. There was one big difference in the power equation on this one. He's known from the start that the Republican leadership (ie, Boehner and McConnell) would have to eventually agree to raise the debt ceiling because the corporate and business community would demand it. That meant the power dynamics of this one were different than during the battle over the tax cuts. Obama knew what the final outcome would be.
So he used the power of that position to set up the Republicans to show their hand on two things:
1. They refuse to compromise
2. They don't really care about the deficit
Some people are starting to talk about this being a death blow to the Republicans.
Obama needs to quickly move to declare victory in this thirty-year debate on taxes. Do it now, with the biggest, wickedest grin he can muster while Republicans are in disarray fighting amongst themselves.
The curtain has been pulled back. The wizard has been revealed as a small insecure man. But in Washington no one will acknowledge even a seminal moment unless you grab ahold of it and declare it as such.
That would certainly feel good. But I'm still in the stage of watching and learning how this President operates. It will be interesting to see how he uses this moment. The truth is that the Republicans have probably lost this one - but it doesn't mean they're going to simply go away. In politics, the opposition is never completely vanquished. So we've still got many more battles to fight. And I can't help but think about the advice we get from the hostage negotiators. One of their strategies is:
Help your counterpart save face when you come out ahead.
So we know that Obama correctly read the power plays on this one. Now we'll see how he manages the win.
I enjoyed your analysis as always. And you right on the money when you say that the Republicans will never go away. Nixon was the master craftsman for so much of the Republican party's plays. He was the original trickster. The Republican party learned that they could say anything and spin it to fit a certain talking point to appeal to their followers and it would be bought hook line and sinker. He was the original victim in chief. Everyone was out to get him and it wasn't his fault! And he rose from the "dead" time after time.
ReplyDeleteI notice as you do that the President is careful in the way he talks about the Republicans. He is wise and is comfortable with his own feelings. That's why he is an adult in interactions. But I think he also recognizes the emotional dysfunction that has been at the heart of the Republican movement since Nixon. Maybe it was there before, but that's when I noticed it.
I always chuckle at people who write an op-ed and then "tell" Obama what he has to do to be successful. The President listens to his advisers, makes his own decisions and that's why he amazes those that don't understand him time after time.
Afternoon, SP! By now you are probably aware that I have great interest in the President's governing style AND an equal interest in the way you view each 'incident'! ;-) Consequently, I'm always eager to see the posts where you continue the analysis, because it feels like an ongoing dialogue, not just a post here and there. Thank you for the sense of continuity.
ReplyDelete" at one point in his career, we know that Obama taught seminars on the concepts of power and change."
This little piece of info seems new to ME, but it makes perfect sense and adds another dimension to my view of him.
Frankly, at this point, I would be surprised if the President does not help the Republicans to 'save face' if/when he comes out ahead in this scenario. I really don't believe he sees all these confrontations as battles, at least not in the sense that GOPers and pundits, etc do; so there's no need for him to stand on his opponents' necks with hoisted flags. My feeling about the President's approach is that he sees the need for the two parties, he just wants both sides to perform their duties with a sense of responsibility and empathy for the masses. I think he wants them to GOVERN, versus eternal politicking. Thus, I don't ever see him dancing on their graves in a vulgar way. I rather see him continuing to do what he has been doing - calling them out, but to their faces, and giving them space to 'grow' or show their stuff.
Oops, I have 5 minutes to pick up someone who is 12 minutes away! Later
I think that's a perfect analysis VC.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking just the other day about what Obama might have concluded about the importance of 2 parties after getting his political grounding in the Chicago Democratic Party machine.
So many times we see that corruption is the result of one party rule. And I think that happens to Democrats as well as Republicans.
Ms. Pants, you might like this article, on Nelson Mandela's lessons of leadership. I think President Obama has learned a few!
ReplyDeletehttp://altitudefoundation.org/mandela.htm
OMG - thanks for that Monala. I am absolutely fascinated!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteOK, I read it and now will have to let it sit awhile. But it is indeed an article full of profound wisdom and I will probably not only write about it, but use it in many other ways.
ReplyDeleteThanks again - so much - for sharing it.
I can't wait to read your take on it, Ms. Pants! So many similarities between Mandela and Obama... do you think some of his detractors on the left, if they realized it, might understand that Obama's long game, like Mandela's, might produce similar results?
ReplyDeleteMonala
ReplyDeleteIts up. I just decided to use what Stengel wrote without much commentary. What he wrote is so powerful, I don't know that I can add much to it.
I'm also going to share it with our leadership staff at work. We're just beginning to work on a project to start conversations about what leadership means. They will LOVE this!!!!
Many, many thanks.
Love Michelle Obama's quote on her beau! Sometimes think they know better than the president, but as you have pointed out, he's a master in power play. Waiting to see what happens with this whole deficit thing, but I am sure PBO has it in the bag no matter what the PL or crazies say.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I recently discovered your blog through TPV's blogroll and I must say that now I come to your site every day--love it! So refreshing to see more and more pragmatic progressives sanely blogging without going firebagshit crazy. Keep up the good work!
Thanks ProgressiveTechie.
ReplyDeleteAnd that quote from Michelle is one of my all-time favorites. It says so much about this man who is our President!
Dear Ms. Pants and Suzanne,
ReplyDeleteI am very tired of the bloggers who relentlessly and constantly "tell" the Prez what to do.