At WHCD, Obama mocked notion he could woo lawmakers
The Washington Post:
After more than four years in the White House and weeks into his latest effort to woo lawmakers, Obama still isn’t very good at using his personal charm to achieve political success. Yet, it may be one of the few strategies the president has left if he hopes to accomplish his remaining second-term priorities, including a sweeping budget deal and a comprehensive immigration bill.
This is a perfect example of a Washington, DC circle jerk. The press says President Obama needs to use his personal charm to overcome gridlock, a notion that is patently idiotic given the state of the Republican Party and its commitment to obstructionism. Some Democrats agree with the press (in this article, it was former Obama Chief of Staff Bill Daley) and the White House, desperate to show that it has left no stone unturned, makes a big public spectacle of doing what the press wants. Then, when that doesn't work—as anyone who was paying attention knew it wouldn't—the press blames the president for not being good at schmoozing, instead of acknowledging that Republicans just don't want to compromise. If they did want to compromise, a charm offensive wouldn't be necessary. And absent the desire to compromise, the only thing it accomplishes is giving the press something dumb to write about. So, mission accomplished.