I feel sorry for Greg Mankiw: I really do. Here he is, living a life that allows him to place articles in the New York Times – which is not a bad place to be – and he publicly mucks it up by publishing a piece that crashes and burns on the first word of the title. The title is “How to Break Bread With the Republicans,” and as advice goes it is… not bad. Absolutely useless, but not bad. But it’s still absolutely useless, primarily because it assumes (as the “How” in the title shows) that the President simply doesn’t know how to reach out to his Republican opposition. Trust me, President Obama knows: he simply doesn’t want to. Obama doesn’t want to because… well, there are multiple reasons.
- He still thinks that he’s right and we’re wrong on the fundamentals of fiscal policy. I know that this sounds absolutely bizarre – the last two years should have made it clear that President Obama’s… unique… blend of pseudo-Keynesism and gormless apathy was not sufficient to fix our sour economy – but it apparently takes more than a shellacking in the House of Representatives to make the President realize that he’s gone down the wrong path.
- His base doesn’t like us. We’re talking about people whose self-image absolutely relies on their opposition – us – being demons who have taken on human form. They are exceedingly unlikely to forgive any accommodation with what they consider to be the forces of Evil.
- He doesn’t like us, either*. And this is the important one: you see, up until 2008 Barack Obama has had himself a bit of a charmed political life. He’s never had to work particularly hard to defeat his policy opponents, and his opposition has generally shriveled up and died upon command (often helped by strategic court decisions). That came to an abrupt end in 2009, when House Republicans not only defied Barack Obama; they spent two years using him and Nancy Pelosi to get the House of Representatives. We weren’t supposed to do that, which is why the President lashed out with the ‘hostage takers’ line that Mankiw sorrowfully condemned.
Can the President find it within himself to take Greg Mankiw’s advice anyway? Beats me: how long does it take a man who has never had to grow up before to go through the process? If the answer is “more than six months”… then probably not, sorry.
Moe Lane (crosspost)
Moe Lane
Dan Spencer
Dan McLaughlin
Jeff Emanuel
When meeting with the President, Mssrs. Boehner
throwback59 Sunday, January 2nd at 2:09PM EDT (link)& McConnell should simply say “we won.”
What’s good for the goose…
And then tell Obama
izoneguy (Diary) Sunday, January 2nd at 2:36PM EDT (link)To go screw himself and good luck in 2012 pal…….
Those who had once simpered: “I don’t want to destroy the rich, I only want to seize a little of their surplus to help the poor, just a little, they’ll never miss it!” – then, later, had snapped: “The tycoons can stand being squeezed; they’ve amassed enough to last them for three generations” – then, later, had yelled: “Why should the people suffer while businessmen have reserves to last a year?” – now were screaming: “Why should we starve while some people have reserves to last a week?” – Atlas Shrugged
Isn't that implicit with "we won"? It's just a kinder,
throwback59 Sunday, January 2nd at 4:39PM EDT (link)gentler way of putting it.
Heh, and this is the problem
izoneguy (Diary) Sunday, January 2nd at 6:47PM EDT (link)The Republicans need to get a little more hard core so that the democrats understand what is going on. The democrats have never been kind and gentle and they take advantage of those that are.
Those who had once simpered: “I don’t want to destroy the rich, I only want to seize a little of their surplus to help the poor, just a little, they’ll never miss it!” – then, later, had snapped: “The tycoons can stand being squeezed; they’ve amassed enough to last them for three generations” – then, later, had yelled: “Why should the people suffer while businessmen have reserves to last a year?” – now were screaming: “Why should we starve while some people have reserves to last a week?” – Atlas Shrugged
Modest proposals to help the new Congress survive and America to thrive
izoneguy (Diary) Sunday, January 2nd at 9:04PM EDT (link)Modest proposals to help the new Congress survive and America to thrive
http://washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/columnists/2011/01/sunday-reflection-modest-proposals-help-new-congress-survive-and-america-
The first advice comes from Han Solo in the debut “Star Wars” film: “Don’t get cocky.”
Second, remember that fortune favors the bold. It’s true that ordinarily in politics, most progress occurs at the margins. But it’s also true that these are not ordinary times. Big money-saving and government-shrinking proposals in the House, even if they’re shot down by the Democrat-controlled Senate, will nonetheless establish a tone.
Third, look beyond Congress. There’s a simmering mood in favor of constitutional reform across the country.
Fourth, ignore the press.
Fifth, go after the infrastructure of the government-backed Left
Sixth — and this may be the hardest of all — lead by example. Democrats have been hurt by, for instance, campaigning against Americans’ big carbon footprints while living in enormous mansions and flying in private jets. Don’t follow in their footsteps.
Finally, and most importantly, don’t forget that these are serious times. In the 1990s, America was able to fool itself into believing that we had reached the end of history, that the tough decisions were mostly behind us, and that progress and prosperity were mostly inevitable.
We know better now. The country is on the verge of bankruptcy, the federal government is at a low point in terms of popular legitimacy, and not just Congress, but the entire political class, is on probation.
Those who had once simpered: “I don’t want to destroy the rich, I only want to seize a little of their surplus to help the poor, just a little, they’ll never miss it!” – then, later, had snapped: “The tycoons can stand being squeezed; they’ve amassed enough to last them for three generations” – then, later, had yelled: “Why should the people suffer while businessmen have reserves to last a year?” – now were screaming: “Why should we starve while some people have reserves to last a week?” – Atlas Shrugged
"WE won" Nota Bene: The most immature (POTUS) statement ever.
Superheater (Diary) Sunday, January 2nd at 2:20PM EDT (link)I’d rather not have Mr. Boehner simply fire back what arguably has to have been the most immature comment ever uttered by an American President.
In the case of McConnell, its not true, and its especially not true when you consider what just happened in the lame duck.
IF, and I mean IF a Republican President takes office in 2 years, then instead of saying “I won” like a fourth-grader, I’d like to see an Executive Order nullifying all of BHO’s stupid ones (which should be about 95%) as the first order of business. He will no doubt seek face time in the MSM and have a tantrum.
Its like certain martial arts, you let your opponents beat themselves.
I agree. The dems have done a bang-up job defeating themselves.
carolina Sunday, January 2nd at 2:54PM EDT (link)They got enough rope to hang themselves………
Did You Know That Mankiw
wonkish1 (Diary) Sunday, January 2nd at 3:01PM EDT (link)Was Romney’s economic advisor in 08. That ticked me off so much, and why I really didn’t find Romney to even be good on FiCon issues. I watched the debates between the economists(something that occurs on CSPAN during a primary) and boy Mankiw piss me off. Almost as bad as McCain’s CBO economist.
“First you win the argument, then you win the vote.” Margaret Thatcher
Conservative Innovations I Want To See Succeed
http://rightnetwork.com/ –New conservative TV network
http://actright.com/ –Fundraising hub for all things conservative
http://connect.freedomworks.org/ — Connecting Tea Partiers around the country
http://procinct.net/ –GOTV walk/call lists
http://www.citizensunited.org/ –Their documentary arm
Obama is the base
sundesy Sunday, January 2nd at 4:22PM EDT (link)Obama’s political DNA is radicalism, by definition it cannot be altered. It is futile to find common ground. His belief system is America is undeservedly too successful and needs to be reigned. His past two year policies have tied this nation. Next two years should be focused on stopping more damage and work on untying the shackles that has been placed.
when the Senate and the President
dsmurf (Diary) Sunday, January 2nd at 5:32PM EDT (link)give up legislation endorsed by CPUSA, during the Lame Duck especially evident-at least that’s when I bothered to compare the agendas of Reid and the CPUSA, then maybe – he might think of having at least a beer summit that supports the taxpayers and turns his back on the unions with at least Mr Ryan. LOL
Obama's never had to work particularly hard because
frankieb (Diary) Sunday, January 2nd at 8:26PM EDT (link)The people surrounding him have done all the heavy lifting. I mean, who got hold of his IL Republican US Senate opponent’s divorce records? Who paid his way through school? Who agreed to cooperate on hiding his school records? I could go on. And on. But you know what I mean so I won’t.
Books … the most exotic, least expensive vacation: www.DelphiBooks.us
www.DaughterOfTheGreatDepression.blogspot.com
Claire McCaskill goes in so many directions, it’s amazing she hasn’t drawn and quartered herself. www.TruthAboutClaire.com
Where's your evidence Obama knows how to reach out?
Adjoran (Diary) Monday, January 3rd at 1:29AM EDT (link)I’ve never heard of a case where he did it. A few times he has feigned it – one was the “meeting” where he ended up dismissing GOP concerns with “I won” and the Health Reform “summit meeting” was a staged propaganda event.
Agree that even if he did know how, he wouldn’t. Marxists aren’t the “reach out” type.
Thus far, Obama is playing Republicans like a Stradivarius
Marcus_Traianus (Diary) Monday, January 3rd at 8:44AM EDT (link)IMHO.
It appears we are trying to make all the right moves but Republican messaging leaves much to be desired and the strategy seems haphazard in implementation. Unless we start to get out in front of a tightly controlled message, delivered directly to the public by our leadership, we will get smoked.
Obama and his zombie squad seem to always be first to the podium and the MSM claiming victory on every “compromise”. They are studying counter-strategy (including Reagan) and seem to be much more adept a taking credit, gaining accolades and thereby usurping credit for Republican ideas.
Thus far, we look like amateurs and unless McConnell and Boehner learn to become the tip of our spear, forget 2012. Obama will claim he whipped “the mob” into bipartisan shape and in the process delivered on his promises.
“Both of our political parties, at least the honest portion of them, agree conscientiously in the same object—the public good; but they differ essentially in what they deem the means of promoting that good. One side believes it best done by one composition of the governing powers; the other, by a different one. One fears most the ignorance of the people; the other, the selfishness of rulers independent of them. Which is right, time and experience will prove.”.Thomas Jefferson