How President Obama adjusts to the new reality on Capitol Hill will determine not only his reelection chances, but the staying power of the progressive agenda that he has begun to put in place. Whatever happens on Election Day, it’s evident that Obama will have to find a new legislative strategy. With Maine Republican Olympia Snowe sure to face a Tea Party challenge from the right, she’ll be less inclined to join the Democrats on anything. With perhaps six or eight fewer Democrats in the Senate, Obama will have to reach deep into Republican ranks to get votes; he won’t be able to pick off one, two, or three Republicans the way he did to get health-care and financial reform passed.
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Obama’s second State of the Union, which he will deliver early next year, will be his chance to plant a flag for what he is prepared to fight for, and to frame the argument as Clinton did in his first State of the Union after being handed a major defeat by the Republicans. Delivering what was then the longest one on record (81 minutes), Clinton paraphrased Walt Whitman, saying he heard America not only singing but screaming, then went on to confidently restate the principles that got him elected in the first place. Getting back to basics could work for Obama, too.
I have grave doubts on whether he can bridge back to "basics" as he really did not do a good job of "Running" on the basics. Issue is, he ran on obscure "hope" - he thought he was duplicating Candidate Clinton's "Hope from Arkansas" message.. but Clinton was carefully to actually amplify his campaign platform a whole lot better. So, he was able to "return to basics" a lot easier and be accepted in doing so. Pres.Obama's platform has always been unclear, and where it has been clear, it has been highly suspect on its basics - e.g., the crappy cap & trade! LOL. So, "return to basics" is not an easy path for this POTUS.
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Democracy needs defending - SOS Hillary Clinton, Sept 8, 2010 Democracy is more than just elections - SOS Hillary Clinton, Oct 28, 2010