I expect you guys to boo me off the stage when I celebrate Obama’s negotiation prowess but hear me out before you start throwing rocks. Yes, I still love, support, admire and believe in the man.
Why?
Because I understand the “Obama code.” Obama is an absolutely brilliant pol who is deliberate, thoughtful, tough but also cunning. He plays hard-ball but in a soft, sophisticated way. When he negotiated with the GOP on the budget deal, he absolutely destroyed them politically and in substance. Think about this a second:
1. He spoke the independent/moderate/conservative “code” and gave the GOP the
largest cut in U.S. history.
2. However, he winked at progressives while he retained the funding for EPA,
Planned Parenthood and Obamacare.
3. When the details of the plan came out and we learned that 38.5 Billion is also code for only 15 billion, Obama created an absolute political crisis in the GOP. Now Boehner is running around defending his vote, tea party groups are threatening to primary the people they just elected while Obama is flashing his 32s at the Lincoln Memorial.
Simply brilliant!!
Need more proof?
How about the Christmas tax deal that drove our side nuts—all of us screaming like children with soiled diapers over the Obama, sell-out—the Obama sell-out!!! Okay, I’ll admit my grave disappointment in him for that deal--but you know what; Obama absolutely neutered the GOP “politically” in that debate as well.
He could have come straight out the box after our absolutely devastating shellacking and continued pursuing his progressive agenda—but not with polls in the 40s and everyone calling him a one-hit wonder. So he supported tax cuts by day while he winked at us by night. Look at what has happened since:
1. Independents and moderates credited Obama with a bi-partisan tax bill (which I still hate) in exchange for the passing of DADT, 19 progressive federal judges and the New Start Treaty. And now, PPP is reporting that indepedents have completely flipped back to democrats.
2. He saved his presidency because in less than 30 days America quit talking about the wupping the GOP put on us and how great Obama still is. His polls went up 5-10 points and his 2012 opponents started getting cold feet. I expect the purest to lament--"but dude, it's about the country." Well guess what, Howard Dean is a man of the people and a man "with" the people because he did not truly understand the politics of the middle.
3. It’s better to have the tax/budget fight in 2012 anyway so all of these big talkers will have to defend another tax cut which is not supported by 68% of the American public. And, the Ryan’s plan is so draconian; any decent pol can pick it apart.
So as I await Obama’s speech today, I’m expecting three things.
First, I expect a contrast between us and them—republicans vs. democrats—those who are for or against the middle-class. I also expect a full-throated defense of Medicare with “coded” language that tickles the ears of moderates while giving them “nothing real” in return.
I expect to hear him slam the GOP’s efforts to retain the Bush tax cuts while using general “codes” like “reforming taxes” to make that other side of America happy. I expect him to lay down the marker for his own re-election and expose the truth about these totally bought and paid for teacon nuts--who's doing the devil's work for big corporations.
I expect him to talk about big things but only pass small things over the next two years until we restore some sanity back in D.C.
What I do not expect is for him to talk "directly" to me and my progressive base of committed supporters.
Why?
Because, I understand Obama is speaking in "codes" nuggets — and, his progressive leanings—his cunning, thoughtful, careful, deliberate, political prowess cannot be fully experienced until he can frees himself from the burdens of re-election.
I understand that he knows the media and understands that every word will be scrutinized by traditional media, lied about by Fox and spun by 80% of all of the talking heads. I understand that Firedog will be pissed, Krugman will be disappointed and Arianna will take a break from defending her China-like work conditions to say some other pointless something.
I understand that I will be dubbed an apologist by the people who sat on their hands while Nancy Pelosi lost the good fight but I still love my progressive brothers because that’s just how democrats roll.
So, when you listen to Obama today, please “comprehend” what he is “really” saying but not “actually saying” directly to us.
[UPDATED AFTER OBAMA BUDGET SPEECH]
Folks, now that the speech is over, is there still any doubt about which side Obama is truly on?
1. Is he still fighting for the middle-class? Yes!
2. Is he still totally against tax cuts for wealthy? Yes!
3. Did he deliver a nebulous pile of nothing on Medicare ---
meaning he ain't cutting it? Yes!!
Now it's time for us to punish our representatives with this emerging theme:
REPUBLICANS DO NOT CARE ABOUT IMPROVING THE LIVES OF AVERAGE AMERICANS!