The Genius of Obama vis-a-vis the Rethugs...

[damonm]

Obama is playing a long-term game. He has seen the strong tendency to shortsightedness in the Republican party (witness the 22nd Amendment - which they passed, and then wanted to repeal so Raygun could run again; witness also their talk of "The Nuclear Option" to eliminate the filibuster, and their excoriation of the "Gang of 14" who put a stop to it - aren't they glad NOW that they didn't get their way?), and is using it to his advantage to secure long-term gains for Democrats in Washington. Unlike the Rethugs and their open talk of a "Permanent Republican Majority", Obama is more subtle and crafty.

This is chess, people, and Obama's playing well enough to put Vishwanathan Anand (current World Chess Champ) to shame. Every time he reaches out, the Rethugs MUST retreat into an unreasonable position or risk being seen as weak by their shrinking base.
He has them in a bind of their own making, where every move they make weakens them further with the larger electorate. If this continues, the Democrats will have a deathgrip on the Government for YEARS.
Or to be more musical about it, Obama's playing the GOP like Jimi Hendrix on a Fender Stratocaster.

Bear in mind that Obama cut his political teeth in Chicago - if you think for ONE SECOND he hasn't
got a plan, you are understimating the man at your peril.

[AtomicKitten]

1. .

[graywarrior]

2. I've decided to sit back and watch rather than make judgements

I have a sneaking suspicion Obama may be smarter than we are. :evilgrin:

[damonm]

3. In the immortal words of Inspector Jaques Clouseau...

"that is what I have been saying, you fool!"
:P

[Arctic Dave]

7. Hey! Whazzup wit da Duck?

Wasn't he supposed to be pardoned?

[graywarrior]

8. He has issues

Like no where to go.

[liberal N proud]

4. In the process he will expose their foolish ways

[damonm]

5. Precisely his plan, IMHO...

He will expose them, and force them into being MORE so.

Thank God he's on OUR side.

[damonm]

6. shameless kick.

[backscatter712]

9. Exactly. By being nice to the Rethugs, he puts them in a bind.

Either the Rethugs can be nice back to Obama, meaning they have to submit and give Obama what he wants, or they can slap Obama's hand down and be made to look like total douches in front of the entire nation.

Right now, they're choosing to be douches, but they're not going to be able to sustain that, especially when Democrats are running ads in vulnerable Repub districts and states telling their constituents what they'd be missing if the stimulus wasn't passed.

[GeorgeGist]

10. I was never good at Chess.

Daschle was a feint to wrong-headed Republicans, or Democrats?

[damonm]

12. Daschle was a minor error.

[bain_sidhe]

11. I am absolutely certain Obama knows what he's doing...

I'm less certain that *we* know what he's doing, or that his goals are what we *think* they are.

[4lbs]

13. Remember, by attempting to be bipartisan on this $900 billion package, if the Rethugs

bite back and refuse to go along, they will be obstructionists.

Then President Obama will declare that he tried to work with them, but it's obvious that they don't want to compromise, so he and the Democrats in Congress will forge ahead without them.

Forge ahead on say, upcoming healthcare reform.

Forge ahead on say, the more than $3 trillion federal budget later this year.

[damonm]

14. Exactly. Make them sideline and marginalize THEMSELVES.

Wish I'd thought of that.

[damntexdem]

15. Misunderestimating Obama?

Well, don't tell the GOP -- let them stay ignorant!

[damonm]

16. They will be anyway - they can't help it.

[K Gardner]

17. Much better read than the "F* the Repubs" post ! K&R

[damonm]

18. Thank you -

IMO, the other stuff is - while understandable, given what the pukes have put us through - lamentably childish.

[Cha]

19. Exactly!

:fistbump:

[liberalla]

20. This is what I've been thinking... so glad to read your post.

:thumbsup: