Obama is either damn brilliant or damn lucky.

[RandySF]

I like to think that he picked a fight with the Catholic Church to make his new accommodation look like a moderate shift. And in the bargain, insurance companies must now provide the coverage. He also got the opportunity to stand up on behalf of women and appeal to moderates and independents who use birth control. This was either a stroke of brilliance or pure luck.

[BeyondGeography]

1. Obama is very good at politics

This much should be clear by now. Look at the payroll tax; fricking thing keeps biting the R's in the ass like a rabid dog.

[elleng]

2. Nothing brilliant about 'picking a fight,' if that's what you think,

but fortunately wise enough to have good minds around, who can figure ways around difficult shoals.
Nothing 'lucky' at all.

[The Magistrate]

8. Do Not Look Down On Luck, Ma'am

Some have it and some do not, and President Obama seems to have the favor of some powerful star. Napoleon, who deserves heed in such matters, said he would sooner have a general who had luck than one who was simply skilled....

"If it wasn't for bad luck, I wouldn't have had no luck at all...."

[elleng]

32. I surely don't look down on luck, Sir,

just don't think it had anything to do with this kerfuffle!

[The Magistrate]

33. True Enough, Ma'am

This one has the look of a baited trap laid out before an impulsive and impetuous foe ( the best sort to have... ).

But he is a lucky man.

[ProfessionalLeftist]

3. I'll go with brilliant

Though he has compromised too much in some instances (not this one though) in the past and it has unnerved me and cost all of us, the man's not dumb.

[cbayer]

4. I am definitely voting for brilliant on this one.

[madaboutharry]

5. I go with "The man is a brilliant politician."

[AlinPA]

6. I think having the GOP going berserk over birth control is a good tactic. He can talk about

other issues like jobs, infrastructure, education, taxes, trade, women's health while they talk about birth control pills and condoms.

[Motown_Johnny]

7. Brilliant, but I doubt if he was in on the details of the decision

and that this was Sec. Sebelius making the call.


I will also say that he was brilliant picking her (and many others, not all) for positions in his administration.

[Hutzpa]

28. You do have a point

this has Secretary Sebelius writing all over it, but it also helps when you have a CiC
who understands fully whats at stake.

[rocktivity]

9. The Komen-gate backlash was his stroke of luck

"Compromising" his way into allowing all women free access to contraceptives was the brilliant part.


rocktivity

[Spazito]

12. You make an excellent point!

The Komen catastrophe, which the President had nothing to do with, put the spotlight on women's health issues and their decision created a HUGE backlash. That was the 'luck' part for sure.

Your comment, ""Compromising" his way into allowing all women free access to contraceptives was the brilliant part." is right on point!

[rurallib]

10. Seems to me it was some RWers in the Catholic Church that picked the fight

and they picked the wrong side.
A side oddly that they have supported for years

[Firebrand Gary]

11. He is a brilliant strategist.

Like none I have ever seen. God, I love this President!

[WheelWalker]

13. I'll go with Brilliant Strategist. nt

Last edited Fri Feb 10, 2012, 03:58 PM - Edit history (1)

[Spazito]

18. Hmmm, I see your post has "Slick Barry" in quotation marks...

Where did that quote come from and who used it?

[WheelWalker]

24. You're too smart for me.

I'll edit to something perhaps more stylistically and substantively acceptable?

[Spazito]

26. Much better and eminently more factual...

your original post could be taken as being deliberately pejorative in intent and I am sure that is not what your post meant at all.

[WheelWalker]

29. You're right on.

Not my intent at all. Thanks for the opportunity to correct the ambiguity. Blessings.

[karynnj]

14. I go with brilliance

We all know that everyone - from administration people to the Congress committees that do those things have been talking about how to find things that both improve health care and cut costs.

The NYT has a list explaining the plan that it attributes to the WH. At the end, there is talk of a study that shows that the inclusion of paying for BC in the huge federal system may have led to a 10% savings.

Imagine you are Obama in a meeting - I guess with Sibelius and they are going through measures that cuts costs without hurting the quality of care. Imagine the huge Obama grin as he contemplates doing this - knowing it can be done - not only without huge costs, but with ultimate savings.

Then imagine, he sees that BC is viewed negatively by very few (led by Santorum ) and he knows it will be a huge plus for women and their families. This is ALL up side.

(Here is the NYT that EllenG posted - http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4092037 )

[vaberella]

21. Hey Karyn

What just happened with the whole Catholic Church thing? Obama was recently being bashed for backpedaling and being weak to the Church's demands and now we have a thread talking about Obama's brilliance. I'm a bit confused. Can you update me please?

[karynnj]

31. Sure, though take my summary - and anyone's with a HUGH grain of salt

Starting about a week ago, the Catholic church and Republicans started an uproar that Church Hospitals or Universities would have to cover birth control. Yesterday, it came to a head about 7 Democrats spoke of their concern. Biden publicly said they were working on a compromise.

As happens ALL the time, the outrage people became outraged that Obama was "backpedalling" After all, what could that mean other than .....CAVING...!!!! So, though Biden spoke of being near a deal, people decided it was important that they get extremely angry and yell and shout. Then today, Obama went on TV announced the way it would be done - and it is not bad at all - though some of the media seems almost disappointed.

I do understand the issue was incredibly important to many, but sometimes, it might be nice to give people a little trust when they say they are working on it.


I apologize to all for the crankiness of this, it just gets to be wearing at times.

[vaberella]

34. No I understand.

I did some research on it and I was here last week or earlier this week for the hoopla on the caving thing. So I concur on that. I found Obama's statement to be almost an explanation of what was already done. Church's were exempt already...so I don't know where the hoopla was coming from...or what about. Thanks again Karyn and I completely understand your frustration.

[lumpy]

15. Don't know if Obama is brilliant or damn lucky; I think he is endowed with

plain old common sense.

[Liberal_in_LA]

19. yup

[joshcryer]

16. It probably wouldn't have happened were it not for the Planned Parenthood thing.

So I'm going with brilliant, and lucky.

[protect our future]

17. Brilliant. I picture Obama

And David Plouffe and the rest of the inner circle of super strategists gathered together planning things out step by step until they can predict the end result. They've been doing it so long now, and they've learned so much, that they have perfected the process.

[vaberella]

20. Maybe both. Because while I do think he's brilliant...no one is able to foretell the future.

And he always gets a break in the future. He's the guy you want to be throwing the dice for you in Russian Roulette.

[protect our future]

25. Maybe not "foretell," but

Expert strategists can learn to predict an end result with reasonable accuracy. Takes practice, however, and feedback plus input from other individuals with similar talents.

[vaberella]

27. Agreed.

Can you explain what happened though? Earlier today people were admonishing the President for backpedaling and now there is this thread and support for his position. What gives? If there is a video then I would appreciate a link...I however cannot log into youtube so any other video stream would be helpful.

[protect our future]

37. If I understand you correctly,

you are referring to today's activity at DU. I'd guess it's just a matter of differing opinions. Accusations of "backpedaling" can be difficult to ignore when so many here have felt let down in the past. But when new facts are revealed, and when DUers with other opinions and cooler heads tell us what they think, a different consensus can be reached. And that, of course, is only my opinion.

[uponit7771]

22. DON'T FORGET - Move the righties closer to Sanatorium, they're not going to cling to the Mormon

...during culture wars

[politicasista]

23. Very smart n/t

[Obamacare]

30. He's brilliant!!

He is a savvy politician and brilliant as well. Luck doesn't help you in politics, the thing about luck is that it always runs out and isn't dependable. I think God is looking out for him as well. But, overall, I think President Obama being so brilliant has lead to him being a successful politician and President.

[applegrove]

35. Brilliant. Gutsy.

[marlakay]

36. He must be reading my posts on Huff Po

where I talked about my daughters religious republican friends not happy with any of the candidates because of birth control and they use it.

[protect our future]

38. MSNBC has just finished discussing some of the points made here,

and I'm tired of the MSM stealing our ideas without giving us proper credit! (If what I watched was a rerun, I apologize to MSNBC...this one time only.)