Is Obama's playing chess?

[warrior1]

I think he is, but I just can't explain it.

[BumRushDaShow]

1. Patience grasshopper. n/t

[warrior1]

2. One thing

He is weeding out the racist, big time.

[OHdem10]

3. It is the weirdest chess I ever saw. Harold Ford is on MSNBC

saying Obama should get Republicans to go on the road
with him.

This sounds like Desperation.

[John Q. Citizen]

6. Harlod Ford should have gotteen Republicans to vote for him, first. heh heh.

[annabanana]

9. Harold Ford is like Joe Lieberman...

Not what you'd actually call a Democrat. He is 100% corporate owned.

[BolivarianHero]

10. The one solace in his racism-fuelled defeat...

It happened to a DLC stooge rather than to a real Democrat, so while it was despicible, it was not a substantial material losee to the American people.

[polmaven]

13. You don't think using Republicans

like Susan Collins or Olympia Snow would be helpful? I certainly do.

There are some reasonable Republicans out there.

[Kokonoe]

14. That would sure bring down the presidential approval ratings.

The opposite of shrub getting photo ops with democrats.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

4. I guess praising Grassley and dissing the USPS were moves to confuse the opponents?

:sarcasm:

[lamp_shade]

5. I think you're right... and while Grassley is playing checkers.

[KharmaTrain]

7. Politics = The Art Of The Impossible

The problem is the government moves slowly while our society lives in short attention span theater. Either there's not enough change or not the right type...a lot of second guessing based more on emotion than on reality.

So far President Obama has won some large victories that are showing slow but positive gains...not big enough or fast enough for the talking heads and backseat pundits and too fast for the wingnuts. He's got a team of seasoned beltway insiders and players who were put in place to move through a lot of legislation.

The President's problem right now is not having a final bill in health care thus has to play defense as speculation and distortions replace solid verbage. But this game is far from finished and they'll have the last word before this is said and done. Yes...it is chess, not only are some playing checkers, they're not even in the same gameroom.

[dorkulon]

8. Wait--you're not joking?

Wow, I was sure you were joking.

If Obama's playing chess, the board and pieces are scattered all over the floor and his opponent is jumping up and down on the table yelling "I win!"

[vi5]

11. Well put....

I agree. This whole thing stinks to high heaven.

[undeterred]

12. Yes, and John Kerry is still playing chess too.

[elocs]

15. This playing chess thing is way overdone and has lost credibility by now.

It's a way of saying, "be patient, he is the master, just wait, just wait". It seems to be the carrot at the end of the stick.

[Echo In Light]

17. And Bushco was "incompetent," and Dems are "cowardly," and Lefties are "unelectable"

I've always found the chess analogy to be one of those intentional, safe sounding pseudo-criticisms that's intended to stave off actual criticism.

[SeeHopeWin]

19. I do think we will get reform done, here are BIG items I can live with in a bill:

1) No more preexisting conditions crap
2) No more 30/40/50% increase in cost year over year
3) Lower eligibility age for Medicare, maybe to 55-60 and older?
4) Expand Medicaid (maybe double it in size)
5) No More dropping people because they just got sick...etc.
6) Portability: from job to job to unemployment to Cobra...etc. Nobody will ever be forced to live without coverage!
7) Increase in payroll taxes to help people who lose jobs keep their coverage (we have that in place now for people on Cobra, it was part of the stimulus package)

Yes, no public option...But major reform, IMHO.

If my prediction is correct, the bill would pass with 60 votes, more than a couple of Dems. will vote against it, and more than a couple of Pukes will vote for it!

[Skidmore]

22. COBRA is not affordable now.

Perhaps the cost of insurance should be set so that it cannot exceed a certain percentage of a person's income.

[SeeHopeWin]

23. Agreed, but in the stimulus, government is paying 65% of it.

Make that permanent...etc.

[csziggy]

16. Obama is playing three dimensional chess - the Republicans are playing Tic Tac Toe!

[guitar man]

18. Not Chess Mr Spock

....Poker ;)

[Greyhound]

20. No, he's playing three card monte. n/t

[Hippo_Tron]

21. Sometimes he is, sometimes he isn't

There are some great strategists that work in the White House including the President himself. But sometimes even they can't come up with a great strategy for a certain situation.

[Rosco T.]

24. Poker.. and following the old saying(s)...

When your enemy is drowning, throw them an anvil...

and...

Always give them enough rope...