I would like to convey this message to the president and his staff because I know this strategy can make a huge difference going forward. The strategy may seem on the surface, simple and obvious but it has not been used in the form I am suggesting anytime I know of in modern history.
The president should use his significant powers of persuasion on the 2014 mid-term election to go before the American voters and give this kind of speech for months prior to the 2014 election: (very abbreviated but you'll get the point)
"Fellow Americans I need your help to fulfill the vision of my presidency. We Democrats, with our policies, have saved the collapsing American economy we were handed, we have removed the world's biggest terrorist, we have ended the war in Iraq and will soon end our decade long military commitment in Afghanistan. At home we are beginning to provide new healthcare services for every American and establishing more dificult rules for the financial industry to make sure we never have another financial collapse due to lack of our fair regulation.
In order to continue our vision of a better America, I need you to come out and vote for Democrats in this election...... Yes, I am asking you to get off the couch, maybe stand in an unreasonably long line and vote for my party, in local, state and national elections because this is the only way that we can make the changes necessary to re-energize this country and assure that every person has an opportunity to live the american dream.
Most of us don't follow the finer points of politics but the bottom line is we cannot provide the change you want unless Democrats have a majority in the House of Representatives and a filibuster proof majority in the US Senate.
The sad truth about getting any law passed these days is that 60 not 51 votes are now required in the US Senate to get any bill passed because Republicans have decided to use the filibuster as a standard practice. In the House of Representatives we need to gain at least 16 seats and that won't be easy, considering that our opponents have virtually locked up scores of electable seats due to changes they made in many state election laws.
We need together to make our common vision of 2014 a reality. I need your help to elect a team of Democrats who are here for the middle class, for those seeking to become middle class and yes for the very fortunate as well because when the majority of Americans do well, so do the the wealthy!
When you enter the voting booth I want you to vote for Democrats, from the top of your ticket to your local representatives. If you look back on this country's history you will learn that things have worked best, financially, domestically and globally, when Democrats were in charge. Help complete our work: Make sure you vote and vote for Democrats, together we can complete the work we have begun.
Author's Note: What do you think of this strategy? The President turns his focus on the real challenge which is obtaining enough Democratic legislators to actually get some Progressive work done. Can he just go straight at the Republicans and ask American's to simply elect Democrats to improve this country?
Even if you are unhappy with the limited progress of the past 5 years, our only real hope for positive change is the Democrats with significant majorities in state and national legislatures. I think this tactic will work well for Mr. Obama as he seems to be a bit uncomfortable blowing his own horn. His focus can be on electing the "Team" he needs for progress. The "Bully Pulpit" then can serve a dual purpose of promoting Progressive Ideals as well as that of the Democrats he needs elected to govern effectively.