The "transformational" President got hit with a "transactional" Senate.

[RBInMaine]

Campaigning is MUCH different than governing, and anyone with a middle school level civics education understands this. There has been much ado about how Mr. Obama's major failure was to lead as he campaigned and therefore did not accomplish a purer progressive agenda. Anyone with any sense of governing has to understand that this is true only up to a point. Mr. Obama and his team should certainly have ramped up their populist rhetoric, and he was in error thinking he could ever "work with" today's TeaPublican Party. However, at the same time, given Senate rules and the conservadems in that body, there was no way in all hell he could have ever passed a public option nor certain other legislative measures some progressives would have preferred. You need 60 votes to move legislation. Given that Senate environment, he deserves high kudos for doing all that he was able to do. The error was not so much at all in what and how much was accomplished. As Maddow and plenty of other high profile progressives remind us, it was an awesome amount of largely progressive legislative accomplishment. Obama's error was not being forceful enough in drawing clear distinctions between his priorities and those of the TeaPubs, not attacking the TeaPubs loudly and clearly enough, and not touting his accomplishments loudly and clearly enough. He accomplished A LOT of damn good things OVERALL given the reality of the Senate he had to work with (remember, he is just one branch of government - the Congress MAKES the law, not him), but it was his style and messaging as he went through the process that lacked. In front of the cameras and in every interview, he needed to PORTRAY himself as being as "transformational" as possible, although by governing necessity he HAD to be "transactional" behind the scenes in order to get legislation through the "transactional" US Senate.

[northernlights]

1. Obama chose his financial team...the same ones that set us up for the fall

He chose to ask for half the stimulus needed to help the economy before he sat down to the bargaining table
He chose to negotiate away another third of that stimulus to tax cuts instead of actual stimulus
He chose to ignore the Gates/Biden recommendation of a narrowed focus in Afghanistan
He chose to instead follow the MIC's recommendation and enlarged the war in Afghanistan
He chose to put Monsanto in charge of food safety.
He chose to create a 'deficit reduction' committee out of thin air
He chose to head his committe with two extremists who have long track records of wanting to dismantle social security
He chose to claim the power to assassinate citizens based on suspician, without due process
He chose to increase spying on American citizens
He chose to support unconstitutional searches by the TSA
He chose to take single payer off the table before sitting down to the table
He chose to take public option off the table...even while his spokespeople were claiming he insisted on public option
He chose to leave BP in charge of cleaning up their disaster in the gulf
and the beat goes on....

[polichick]

3. Yes, and these decisions have so undermined his credibility...

It's horrifying - I'd say, the transformational candidate became the transactional president.

[Agent William]

5. +1,086 Internet points

Unfortunately due to inflation the value of an 'Internet-point' has lost some its worth, but a smashing retort none the less.

[RBInMaine]

7. And every single thing on your list can be easily refuted. Please take a civics lesson.

[polichick]

10. Yet you haven't refuted every single thing on the list. nt

[Milo_Bloom]

11. Is this the latest cry?

Obama's failures are to be ignored because everyone needs a civics lesson?

Really? Spin and Civics is all the water bearers have left?

[niceypoo]

2. Spin 3.0

Obama's mistake is believing the GOP will make deals with him, which aint gonna happen ever.

[RBInMaine]

8. I said that. Read the OP.

[Milo_Bloom]

4. Is this the latest excuse?

Is this reason he didn't even TRY for Transformational change?

Everything was off the table before it even got into the senate.

Also, they COULD have passed the public option through reconciliation... remember, they had 50 votes. (http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/83641-sanders-senate-has-the-votes-to-pass-public-option-via-reconciliation)


This president hasn't even DISCUSSED transformational change since getting into the White House.

[RBInMaine]

6. No, the Senate can not continually use reconciliation. You and many others are in sore need of a

civics lesson. Have you ever in your life governed anything?

[Milo_Bloom]

9. I think you need a history lesson.

They used reconciliation to pass health care.

The white house CHOSE not to push for a public option.