Mr. President, I saw this on the news today:
Obama acknowledged the challenge last week in Boston. "Somebody asked me, how do we reinvigorate the population, the voter, after two very tough years?" he told Democratic donors. "How do we recapture that magic that got so many young people involved for the very first time in 2008?"
One answer, the president said, is to persuade hardcore liberals to swallow their anger over political compromises the administration reached with Republicans, even when Democrats controlled both chambers of Congress
.
I think you are reading the attitude of Democrats and Independents entirely wrong. The way to "reinvigorate" us is not to try and convince us that your compromises were good - they were not. Over and over again you made unilateral concessions to the Republican minority in a quixotic search for bipartisanship. You negotiated with yourself when they wouldn't play, and you generally lost. Then they voted nearly 100% even against your compromise positions. Some of the worst decisions included:
- Too little stimulus spending
- No public option in PPACA and long implementation lead time
- Watered down financial reform and long implementation lead time
- Failure to use recess appointments to fill critical executive and judicial positions
- Failure to publicize Republican obstructionism through your entire term - you never, ever put up much of a public fight
- You let Fox have a seat in the press room - they are not journalists and should not have White House press privileges (remember, privileges are earned and are not a right)
- You failed to prosecute or even investigate illegal acts from the Bush administration and from the financial crisis
- And the biggest failure was the McConnell-Obama tax cut of 2010 and the cut in the social security payroll tax
You want to "reinvigorate" the country for the 2010 elections? Look at the Wisconsin 14. Get serious about taking a stand and defending it. You need to want to "win" as badly as McConnell and Boehner want you to lose. They've taken compromise off the table. You need to recognize that they are your enemy, and act like it. Take the fight to the country. Let us know, every day, what is going on and what you are doing about it. Then stand by it.
If Republicans refuse to fund the government on any reasonable basis, then get out in front of the message and let us know why there may be a shutdown. Make the country understand who is doing it, and why. Let us know what the choices really are, and why you are making the choices you are making. Energize the public with a clear understanding of what the Republicans are doing to us. Let the people choose between the Republican policies for the top 5% and the Democratic policies for the other 95%. You biggest asset is the office you hold - use it!
And, just to round it out, you still need to be ready to reach appropriate compromises if they ever do return to the table. But you cannot compromise until the other party is also ready to negotiate in good faith. To date, they clearly are not ready.
There are, or should be, real distinctions between the Democratic budget and the Republican budget. Every day, we hear from them where the lines are that they will not cross - deficit reduction, domestic program cuts, withholding abortion funding, defunding PPACA, defunding Planned Parenthood ..... Every day, we hear from you that maybe we can talk about it and compromise some more. Every step you take toward compromise is answered by two steps backwards by the Republicans.
You look weak and foolish as a result. How can that energize anyone, or make us feel good about supporting you in 2012?
I contributed money to the DNC in 2008 - 2010. I expected to do so in 2011 and 2012. Frankly, I'm waiting to see what happens with the budget and with taxes. If I see you acting like the President that we elected in 2008, you'll get my continued contributions. If not, you won't - it will go to someone more like Act Blue or PCCC. (Almost half of my planned 2011 contribution has already been sent to the Wisconsin Democratic Party to help with their recalls - and I live in NY.)
The candidate we saw in 2008 can still "reinvigorate the population". The president we saw in 2010 probably cannot. The choice is yours.
Sincerely,