It sounds as if President Barack Obama is close to all but uttering the words “Never mind…”
Or “let me rephrase that…”
Amid enough political toe-stubbing to qualify for crutches– nominees who had tax problems, a definition of partisanship that had led to him and his team not answering critics and attacks, and seemingly ceding control of the political debate to Congressional Democrats (to the left of him), Congressional Republicans (to the right of him) and talk show hosts (to the right of almost anyone who voted for him) — the Washington Post reports that Obama is now going to Camp David where he can relax and ponder:
President Obama retreated to the serenity of Camp David for the first time this afternoon, stepping back briefly from a presidency that has quickly found itself tested by a loyal opposition and the loss of the pitch-perfect tone that helped sweep him to office.
Beset by criticism of an alleged ethical double standard over some of his Cabinet choices and an intensifying partisan debate over his economic recovery plan, Obama is attempting a return to the campaign-style approach and aggressiveness that echoes the toughest days of his battle with Hillary Clinton.
The Post rattles off some of the recent changes in an Obama persona that had seemed to be emerging as far less powerful than the campaign Obama: his fiery speech to Democrats, his pointed radio & You Tube address today saying the time is over for the “tired” old ideas on the economy, and notes:
The situation reminded some in Obama’s orbit of what was among his greatest setbacks in the campaign season. After his defeat in the New Hampshire primary, Obama’s supporters worried that he had grown complacent. The campaign took the criticism to heart and resolved not to lose focus or take for granted that his oratorical skills alone could carry them.
But in addition to hearkening back to the heady days of the campaign, the trips also appear to be an admission that Obama’s honeymoon in Washington evaporated more quickly than his advisers ever imagined.
And, indeed, it is puzzling why Obama in office seemed to become more of a referee than the dominating political figure that many had predicted. NBC’s Chuck Todd also reports that Team Obama has undergone some “growing pains” the past week — and he predicts they’ll start operating differently that they have during the toe-stubbing period:
A couple of things have struck me while watching this White House attempt to pass this first big bill.
First, they seemed to stop using the tools that got them to the White House in the first place. President Obama gave very few direct speeches to the American people and made few attempts to go local with supporters. It’s been a top down approach to governing in these first few weeks.
We’ve noted that here: Obama ran a different type of campaign. The assumption was that, once he was in office, he’d be formidable, using his considerable tools of persuasion, his eloquence and his network of supporters. But it didn’t turn out that way. At times, during the past three weeks, it seemed as if Obama was taking a yoga lesson, rather than battling hard for policies for which he was elected.
Second, the Obama White House forgot a few things about what it’s like to have nothing left to lose – the exact position the Republicans found themselves in.
It not hard to find something wrong with a bill as large as this stimulus package. Republicans (with the help Matt Drudge) did a great job at finding what I call the bumper-sticker negatives, be it contraceptives or STD treatment or sod for the National Mall.
But what should have the Obama administration been prepared for?
Among other things, Todd contends Team Obama should have been prepared for extra scrutiny and been prepared to do battle with a political enemy that had nothing to lose (the GOP). Instead, he notes, they seemed to believe their own campaign hype, seemingly on an inauguration sugar high.
Still, he writes, the good news — for Obama supporters — and the bad news — for Obama’s foes — is that all of this has come early in his presidency, and he has shown to be a quick study:
The Obama White House has learned these hard lessons in their first month in office and, more importantly, learned these lessons without sacrificing a major piece of legislation. The White House won’t be caught flat-footed again as they move to sell the massive financial bailout (to be announced on Monday). Nor will they again believe they can get Congress to simply bow to health care or energy reform without a serious campaign-style effort.
History will one day record the administration’s effort to pass the stimulus package as an amazing feat, especially given the size of the bill. In our 24/7 news cycle, everything is nit picked, something it seems the Obama White House forgot.
Keep in mind, Obama has been caught flatfooted before, only to recover without suffering a major setback. Remember the summer of ’07, the Rev. Wright fiasco, or the start of the general election?
Obama will be best served if he embraces his own campaign rhetoric and remembers the sophisticated operation he built — the one which got him elected.
Indeed. Bipartisanship and post-partisanship are admirable and vital goals.
But what has happened is that talk show hosts and conservatives are now trying to turn it into a kind of political jiu jitsu. If Obama doesn’t accept their ideas — he’s shown he’s partisan. If they blast him and demonize all Democrats and he reminds them that voters voted out the national GOP ticket and gave Democrats a bigger majority in campaign 2008 to change some things, he’s partisan.
Bipartisanship never means just sitting back and “kicking it” and placidly taking it, not pressing as hard as you can for your own ideas, and letting political foes almost write the whole ticket. The Bush-Rove style was to almost totally ignore and marginalize those who weren’t part of the base and just try to get a majority — and to demonize Democrats on issues such as terrorism and national security. They barely ever talked with top Democrats — let alone top Congressional leaders of their own party — towards the end of the Bush administration. To them, bipartisanship was seemingly a sign of weakness; not so with Obama. Todd again:
Carrying Indiana was hard. So is passing a bill in Congress.
The smart White Houses put the same efforts into winning an election as they do into passing an agenda.
The Obama folks may be getting that now… now that they are off their inauguration sugar high.
How Obama proceeds now will determine whether he’ll be “another Carter” or “another FDR” or “another Reagan.”
Will he be a major political force in Washington in a way that goes beyond sitting in the Oval Office?
Or will he continue to cede the debate to Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Mitch McConnell and Rush Limbaugh?
If you want to find out what might happen next, should we watch an Obama press conference? Or are we better off listening to Limbaugh?
Starting Monday, will those who voted for Obama see in his style and organization a change back to the qualities that won him the office that they — and the Republicans — can believe in?
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.