I literally couldn't sleep after the debt ceiling debacle because I was so mad at our president's wussy ways, but this am, I realized that Obama (and probably Axelrod) were probably right and I was wrong.
Basically, Obama or someone on his team realized that the debt ceiling crisis was one of those rare moments when all the country is paying attention to what is happening in Congress. And, they realized that going to toe to toe with the GOPs would backfire into a "Pox on both of the houses" by the public and that the key was to be seen as solving the problem at hand (debt ceiling) rather than beating the GOPs into a pulp (my preference).
The CBS/NYTimes poll validates his approach. Congress and Boehner went down while Obama basically stayed even. Obama realized something really important...
He realized that most of the country doesn't pay attention to what's happening in DC. When they do, it is a rare moment. The last time the public really watched Congress was during the Congressional recess health care hearings which leaked over into prime time. That was bad for us/Obama because the narrative was driving by Fox/Koch/GOP Inc.
This time, it is really good for us because the public saw -- unfiltered (thanks to Cantor's and other GOPers idiocy) what incredible childish, churlish, GOPissitc, greedy, head in the sand, unAmerican morons are running the House of Representatives and ruining our country.
Because I work in DC and am an activist, I forget that most people (including those who vote) are not only not following what's happening in DC they are actively ignoring it.
Oh, I do think Obama got a little lucky with the stock market (hopefully temporary!) dip after the agreement. It put the cap on the GOP crazy and may well change the narrative away from need for austerity to the need for growth.
I still would have preferred Big Dog vs. GOP round II and have Obama pummel Cantor by really suckering them into the corner and then making clear the consequences but I think Obama essentially pulled it off without having to see what would happen if the US stopped paying its bills or he had to try to sell debt backed by the 14th amendment.
Now, hopefully the market (and my 401K) goes back up and I can get some sleep.