The Last Sane Man Standing

I guess President Obama’s White House advisers believe he is the last reasonable man left standing in Washington, DC. Or perhaps, that is what they would like us to believe.

From the Washington Post:

Although his liberal supporters are furious about the decision, President Obama's willingness to extend all of the George W. Bush-era tax cuts is part of what White House officials say is a deliberate strategy: to demonstrate his ability to compromise with Republicans and portray the president as the last reasonable man in a sharply partisan Washington.

The move is based on a political calculation, drawn from his party's midterm defeat, that places a premium on winning back independent voters.

All us political junkies spend a lot of time wondering exactly what it is that Americans like and respect in a President. I have come to believe two qualities – or even the perception that a President has one of these qualities is of utmost importance. We like our Presidents to be hard working. After all, part of being a good American is working hard. And we respect those who believe in something and stick to it – as long as that “something” is of basic understanding to us.  So good communication skills are important as well.  The President must always be showing us how hard he is working, or making sure that in very basic terms we understand how his values play out in day-to-day terms.  Oh, and a little charm and some good looks don't hurt, either.

I'm not sure we ever knew exactly what Bill Clinton stood for, but the perception that he was a hard worker worked wonders for him, especially during the impeachment trial. It still works well for him, and I believe rubs off on Hillary. His good communication skills translated into an uncanny ability to listen to the common man.  Although I don't think anyone could make the case that Ronald Reagan was a brain surgeon, part of his legacy is that he had simple beliefs we all could understand, and that those beliefs always first and foremost guided his decision-making process.  And let's not forget that he was "The Great Communicator."

I believe the American public understood quite well the deep, deep distress this country was in when we elected President Obama two years ago. And while perhaps naïve, I also believe the normally impatient American electorate understood it would take some time to get us out of this mess. Years and years, perhaps. And yes, I think we had the patience. We wanted someone to work hard, and do something they believed in. Anything – as long as we could understand it within the context of our own lives. We wanted an administration that would stick to its guns. And we were willing to listen hard and try to understand the ifs-ands-or-buts.  Hard Work + Sold Beliefs + Good Communication ala the Fireside Chats = A VERY, VERY Successful Obama Presidency. Despite charm, good looks and personality thrown in for good measure, the Obama White House has not been be able to tweak the equation.

Even the Republicans know most folks who abandoned the Democrats in the voting booth last November did not cast a vote for them, as much as an anti-Obama ballot. I personally believe the anti-Obama ballot was fundamentally, a vote against someone who didn’t seem to be able to stand up, and stick to something he believed in.

So much for trying to win back the independent voter. It ain’t gonna fly.