Gone is the talk of bipartisanship. Gone is the spirit of let's work together to solve the nation's serious problems. Gone is the thought that if we cooperate and compromise with each other, government can work for the good of the people. The Republicans said no, one too many times and killed any hope of getting things done. Speaker Boehner bragged that he got 98% of what he wanted by extending the Bush tax cuts and Obama's approval ratings have gone down ever since. At that point, Obama became their whipping boy. They thought they could run the table on this weak, spineless President who lacked leadership and who had lost the respect of his constituents. Suddenly, President Obama has found religion! Could it be that he has grown into the Presidency and has finally figured out how to lead?
It started with the two month extension of the payroll tax deduction and unemployment benefits. Obama stood firm and was granted a two month extension. It was a very small victory for him but it was a sign that they can be broken! We shall see what the outcome will be in February when the extension runs out. In the meantime, Obama appointed Richard Cordray director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau which was an appointment that was being stonewalled by Republicans since the summer. The appointment over the holiday recess was a defiant move by Obama signaling once again that he is ready to take them on. The more he runs against this right wing Congress, the higher his approval ratings will go because most people disapprove of this Congress much more than the President!
It is obvious at this point in time that team Obama has figured out that there will be no cooperation from the opposition party. They were naive to ever think that Republicans would ever give this black President a victory. Their game was simple, to stonewall, to play rope-a dope, to obstruct so that government became dysfunctional and then blame Obama and the government for failing the American economy. It was working so well, Obama's approval rating dipped into the low forties, unemployment was stubbornly stuck between 9-10%, and there was talk of a double dip recession. Consumer confidence was in the crapper, the government bond rating dropped, and any advances in the economy always seemed to have set backs, like a tsunami in Japan or the European debt crisis which has a direct effect on our economy. All of which was blamed on the failed Presidency of Barack Obama.
It was a perfect setup for a Republican victory in 2012. The American people would be eager to blame this black, inexperienced President for all the woes this country has suffered. It may still happen that Republicans take total control of Congress and the Presidency, except that this President, all of a sudden, has grown a backbone! Finally, he stood firm on the extension payroll deduction rollback, at least for the next two months, along with the extension of unemployment benefits. People in this country respect defiance, arrogance, and boldness which we got a glimpse of in this last round of the manufactured fiscal crisis. Clinton stood up to them in the nineties and allowed the Republicans to shut the government down. He was respected for standing up to the bullies and left office with an approval rating in the sixties even after the impeachment. The American people recognized that right is might and blamed the Republicans for the shutdown. Obama could learn a great deal from Bill Clinton!
Another thing the Republicans didn't count on was the number of buffoons who would run in their primary. With each passing debate, each of their candidates exposed themselves as the most pathetic, small minded, empty suits one could ever imagine. Not one of them would be capable of getting elected dog catcher, let alone President. Again, with each passing debate, Obama's approval rating climbed higher and higher. People started to realize that he may lack leadership but he works hard, has a plan, and he doesn't give up. Obama is growing into the job! People like him and even though he has his faults, they are seeing that he is much more capable than any one of his opponents.
The last thing the Republicans didn't count on was that regardless of all the fiscal crises they manufactured, the economy has been steadily improving! In spite of their obstruction to virtually every plan Obama has come up with, the economy is slowly getting better! Twenty three consecutive months of job growth with the last five months producing over hundred thousand jobs, unemployment down to 81/2 %, Detroit having a banner year, and the DOW over 12 thousand are all signs of a recovering economy. The Holiday season was great, housing is improving, and a mild winter so far is also helping the economy.. If private sector jobs had been retained, another million jobs would have been saved nationwide. Good economic news is bad news for the Republicans because they can't run on ideas, so they must run on fear and anger. People are hopeful that maybe we have weathered the storm and we can now start to chip away at the deficit.
Now Obama needs to capitalize on the good economic news and stop apologizing because we are not out of the woods yet. Every good forecast is followed by the grim reminder that there are still millions of people suffering and without a job. We know that, and don't need the reminder. What we need is a cheerleader who is going to keep it positive. We need a leader to encourage and reinforce the idea that Americans can overcome any adversity in spite of the obstructionist opposition party. Obama needs to remind us that if his jobs bill had been passed, the economic forecast would be even better. Basically, he needs to stop being so humble about his successes and start to brag more about the comeback of the American auto industry, which he saved, and the profit the American taxpayers made on the bailout of the banks! Hopefully, he will get the message and grow into this job! Wake up, Obama!
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