You're the President.

[ProSense]

You have a caucus of 58 Senators (60 for a few months), including Evan Bayh, Joe Lieberman, Ben Nelson, Mary Landrieu and Blanch Lincoln. You have a Republican caucus determined to obstruct. The Democratic caucus is not partisan. Passing legislation requires not just negotiating with Republicans, but with Democrats who often align with Republicans. These are the same Democrats who enable Republicans when they have the majority.

Describe how you would have governed as a partisan and gotten anything done from day one.

[SheilaT]

1. I would have gone very public

every single time the other party blocked legislation. I would hold frequent news conferences, make speeches in all sorts of places naming names, making sure everyone out there understood exactly who it is that is holding up legislation. In short, I would not let the obstructionists get away with it.

[ProSense]

5. So you believe just calling out Republicans for blocking stuff

would have made the fact that nothing got done sellable to Americans? Would they be happier that nothing changed because at least the President called out Republicans?

Stuff still had to pass, the question is how you would have governed, not the theater.

[SheilaT]

12. It would have been a huge start.

Instead, the fact that Republicans threatened to filibuster every single thing was allowed to dictate much of the agenda. Basically, the minority party governed.

Being front and center with exactly what was going on does not strike me as theater.

[pscot]

13. Not calling out the Republicans

legitimized their obstructionism. Continually whining about how willing we were to embrace Republican ideas helped restore their credibility, which was non-existent when Mr. Obama took office.

[ProSense]

14. That didn't happen

There was a lot of calling out of Republicans. It happened on health care and unemployment. There was massive push back against the health insurance industry and Republicans to get health care through.

How can anyone have missed the fight to get health care reform through?

[niceypoo]

28. They were allowed to control the message

As long as republicans control the message, they will successfully obstruct.

[Radical Activist]

21. Obama did that.

He did many dozens of TV appearances and public speeches. He aggressively attacked Republican obstruction in many of them. The corporate press spun it and the progressive netroots did nothing to reinforce his effort.

[XemaSab]

58. +1

And I would have gotten up before the American people from day one and spelled out why: 1) national health care makes us a better country, 2) fossil fuels make us a weaker country, 3) DADT and opposition to gay marriage make us a weaker country, 4) why the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are terrible for the US, and 5) why a WPA-level project for fixing the economy is essential.

But I'm not the president. :(

[golddigger]

2. Ahh, didn't he campaign for Lincoln? So it seems to me

he got exactly want he wanted. This crap don't fly with me.

[ProSense]

6. "he got exactly want he wanted. This crap don't fly with me."

I agree. He got a significant chunk of his agenda through despite a fragile Democratic coalition and a hostile Republican one.

[de novo]

3. I would have owned the frame, worked fast and forced the blue dogs

in the Senate to play ball. Only give concede ground to them when they were forced to give in return. I would have pressured the hell out of Reid to either force filibusters or get rid of the filibuster. They used it like a baby's blanket as an excuse for inaction.

I would have been a total pain in the repubs asses. I would have had them spinning and defending the indefensible by going on the offensive. I would have established the frame. I also would have started with a major jobs program, to build the overwhelming public support that I had started with.

[ProSense]

7. "I would have owned the frame, worked fast and forced the blue dogs in the Senate to play ball."

How?

Even Krugman said no one could force Lieberman to do anything. Republicans were not going to cooperate regardless, and that is something a lot of people are saying to the President.

[de novo]

9. Horse trade and play hardball. In private and in public.

Humiliate those who stood in the way, if needs be.

You ignored my other awesome suggestions, though.

[ProSense]

10. You know what happened?

"Horse trade and play hardball. In private and in public."

What does that mean? There were two outcomes: passing a bill or not passing a bill.

The assumption is that the President didn't play hardball and Republicans simply let these bills that they now want to repeal pass.

"You ignored my other awesome suggestions, though."

Like this: I would have pressured the hell out of Reid to either force filibusters or get rid of the filibuster.

Republicans filibustered enough.

[Radical Activist]

22. Horse trading happened.

Now that's being spun as some evil conspiracy to take the public option OFF THE TABLE!!11!!1!

[treestar]

29. Platitudes

The media would not let you own the frame. The Blue Dogs' votes are something you have to get - there is no way to get a legislator's vote by "forcing them to give in return." They can just let the bill die.

[zipplewrath]

4. Exposed members of my own party for who they were

I would have agreed with the political ads that progressive groups wanted to run in the districts of the conservative democrats on how they were cooperating with the GOP.

I would have flown to Lieberman's Conneticut, not Kucinich's district in Ohio to campaign for HCR.

I would have started far closer to single payer, and kept them in the room far longer, and moved TOWARDS the public option, not started there and moved away.

I would have be conservative in my estimations of the success of the stimulus, and indicated the weaker and stronger features which were affecting the overall success. When the unemployment rate didn't get down to 8%, I would have mentioned BY NAME the senators that limited the stimulus and therefor maintained unemployment at a higher leve.

I would have had the senate vote on a tax cut extension for the middle class in September of 2011, win or lose.

I would have not "negotiated with myself" in hopes of getting GOP support, but insisted they actually committ to voting for the legislation prior to including the features they wanted.

[ProSense]

8. So you would have portrayed Democrats as the obstructionists?

How would that have changed the outcome of the election?

[zipplewrath]

31. SPECIFIC members of the party

And technically, Lieberman isn't a member of the party, just the caucus. The result may have been better legislation, but if nothing else, a better standing of the party come election time.

[ProSense]

40. The President spending time calling out members of his own party

would have been simply red meat for Republicans and the media. "Democrats is disarray!" You have got to be joking?

[zipplewrath]

42. To some extent he would have used surrogates

There were groups who were agitating to "do it for him" but Rahm thought that wouldn't be too smart. As for specific reductions in stimulus, it would actually put democrats in the position to say "we tried the go it slow approach but now we need to to more".

[displacedvermoter]

23. I would have done all this while simultaneously

and aggressively seeing to it that thorough investigations and prosecutions of the the war criminals, war profiteers, and the other crooks of the previous administration took pace. This would certainly bring to light the incompetence, chicanery and corrupt practices of the GOP and their crooked partners. I would make a generation of new politicians terrified to run as republicans, as they would be so clearly shown for the crooked dogs they are.

I would have then told the American people in no uncertain terms that I would never again -- and I would do my best to see to that no President -- ever did the vile things that George W. Bush did in concert with his crooked hordes. And I would then announce that I was doing away with the Department of Homeland Security and taking the fucking snipers off of the people's mansion.

That is what I would have done.

Stuff that Obama and his advisers I am sure never even considered.

[pscot]

11. Geithner, Summers and Holder

would not have been hired. I'd want an
aggressive AGconducting an aggressive investigation of the banking meltdown. I'd have put people in jail. I would have set up an active and aggressive PR operation to attack Republicans for wrecking the economy and obstructing reform. I would have sent legislation to congress reforming banking practices and campaign finance and gone around the country bashing Republicans. I would have put my foot on the GOP's neck and kept it there until they begged for air then squeezed harder. The rule of law would have been priority #1. The 1st and 4th amendments are as important as the 2nd. I would have conducted a national seminar in Constitutional law and civic responsibility. My AG would be looking hard at money embezzeled by government contractors. I would be closing 10% of overseas military bases. And if any of this harelipped the Republicans I would have told them to go fuck themselves.

[golddigger]

15. +1

:thumbsup:

[Frustratedlady]

16. When does your campaign start? Great post.

Unfortunately, once you get in the WH, all you'd like to do gets watered down and we end up with the same old/same old. However, what you said is how a lot of us feel.

When Obama took office, I think there were even Repugs and Independents who wanted to see him end the wars, come down hard on the banks and many wanted the public option on health insurance. The Wall Street/banking investigation that is now ongoing was already in progress, wasn't it?

I don't think any of us can understand the private hell Obama has been going through because of color and being the first Black in the WH. My heart breaks for him, as he's put so much into the job, only to be heavily criticized and laughed at, not to mention the threats to his life. How could any of us work under those conditions?

It's easy to sit in that armchair and boast of what WE would do.

[ProSense]

17. OK

"I would have sent legislation to congress reforming banking practices and campaign finance and gone around the country bashing Republicans."

President Obama sent a financial regulatory reform proposal to Congress.

You have a caucus of 58 Senators (60 for a few months), including Evan Bayh, Joe Lieberman, Ben Nelson, Mary Landrieu and Blanch Lincoln.

How do you get your legislation passed?

[Beetwasher]

18. Why You Use The "BULLY PULPIT!!!!!" Of Course!!

Then click your heels together three times, say "abracadabra", clap really loud, and then take them hunting "Cheney Style".

[rug]

19. Give me $400,000 and Air Force One and I'll tell you.

[Radical Activist]

20. People can't handle reality.

Don't expect intelligent responses to this. We'll get more vague Cenk-style whining about being tough and turning over the apple cart, whatever that's supposed to mean.

[Name removed]

24. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Radical Activist]

25. Knocking down the Cenk-style

generalized anxiety is just so easy and fun. Obama went on almost every show on Television, gave two nationally televised speeches to Congress, did town halls in key areas, and yet people suggest daily on this site that he should have used the bully pulpit. How else am I supposed to respond to that?

[displacedvermoter]

26. Who is the worst of the boogey people?

Hillary? Cenk? Jane Hamsher? Krugman? Olbermann? Big Ed?

People in general who agree that they would have done things differently, and don't agree with the results of what was done?

[Radical Activist]

33. If a pundit can accept big bucks for easy work

attacking Obama then they can handle it when people online respond to their idiocy. I could take Cenk and others like him seriously if his criticism were rational and fact based. The whining doesn't help.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=9567343&mesg_id=9567343

[berni_mccoy]

36. Hillary works for Obama.

Cenk is a loudmouth looking for money.
Hamsher is a tool for the teabaggers who never got over the primary and runs to Fox News to spread her message of hate and anger.
Krugman is generally supportive of Obama, as are Olbermann and Big Ed. They would remind you of the massive obstructionism Obama faced, not only from Republicans, but from the Blue Dogs.

I noticed you didn't mention Rachel Maddow who is also very supportive of Obama, incredibly progressive and uses intelligent and constructive criticism of anyone who deserves it.

Lumping names together doesn't mean much when trying to make a point, especially when those people probably wouldn't agree with you.

[displacedvermoter]

39. Just asking which journalists of different stripes that I read

and respected were tools, etc.

I bring up Hillary because frequently someone throws in a PUMA reference whenever anyone who I guess even dared suggest that she might have been as good a candidate or President as BO questions an Obama decision. SO I guess I thought Hillary was a boogey person.

Thanks for the clarification.

[AndrewP]

53. +1

[berni_mccoy]

27. People also conveniently forget that the MSM works against a Democratic President

Downplaying any action he would take and hyping up falsehoods that he is not acting.

I love it when people scream corporatism and then cite the MSM as an authority against Obama. Irony and Hypocrisy don't even begin to cover it.

[Radical Activist]

30. Exactly.

It's as though they classify Obama as one of "them" and fail to see how the corporate press works against Obama when he does anything progressive.

[displacedvermoter]

35. Corporate press like Mother Jones and the Nation?

Is Bob Herbert -- the last liberal writer at the TImes -- suddenly a tool of the dark side because he points out
the extent that the Obama Administration has strayed from the proactive progressivism of the Obama Campaign?

[berni_mccoy]

37. Yes, because opinion based on information reported by the MSM is so much more valuable

:sarcasm:

[de novo]

50. So we should only listen to WH press releases?

Any other source reach your standard?

[Radical Activist]

38. We need left pundits to counter the corproate press

and force them to cover our issues. It didn't happen. They just joined the attack against Obama instead. That didn't work out so well for us.

[displacedvermoter]

43. Toadies, you mean?

[Radical Activist]

44. That's part of the problem.

Any commentator who says anything positive about Obama risks being called a toadie by the left and accused of "liberal media bias" by the right. The effect is that news coverage presents a distorted reality where nothing positive is acknowledged. It's not accurate, it's not honest, and it doesn't help the progressive movement.

[harun]

32. Use the CIA, NSA and the Media to put massive FEAR in to

every Republican until they know they are no longer in charge.

Anytime they would blink, put more of them on trial for war crimes.

[Radical Activist]

34. So you wanted a Democratic Bush.

No thanks.

[harun]

41. We got shock doctrined into this mess and we will need to be shock

doctrined out of it. Not that I think that is going to happen. You have an electorate and opposition party not determined by reason, but by fear. How do you suggest one accomplishes anything with them if not able to man-up and speak their language?

[paulk]

60. why "no thanks"?

say want you want about his policies, but Bush was a devastatingly effective President as far as getting his agenda enacted. And he had no where near the mandate that Obama had. In fact he didn't have a mandate at all, considering the stolen election. He didn't let that stop him.

Bush set out from day one to turn back the Clinton years - and succeeded. Obama should have done the same regarding the Bush years. Instead he has legitimized Bush's presidency.

I would gladly take a "Democratic Bush" over the milquetoast President Obama has been so far.

[GoldMedals4U]

45. It's about persuasion

First you go to the people, then you convince them on the issue. Then THEY go to their senators.

[cyr330]

46. Even if I hadn't won, I would have fought. . .

and not caved in time after time after time after time without even putting up a decent fight. We DO recognize that Obama has faced terrible obstructionism, but refusing to fight? That's inexcusable.

[JamesA1102]

49. So you rather stand on principle than do things to help people

That's inexcusable!

[Name removed]

51. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[JamesA1102]

57. But that would be the result

so there is no difference.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

47. I would get myself a propaganda machine

I would have public broadcasts on TV on issues several times a week. Networks would have to do this free of charge.

As for the Republicans I would set traps for them!

and for the bluedogs well I would make the Whip do his job.

[JamesA1102]

48. You forgot that the other side has FAUX News

and other enablers in the media.

[craigmatic]

52. Use reconsciliation(sp?) if I couldn't go out to their states and shame them into supporting me.

I would've threatened to cut off farm subsidies in red states for Baucus, Nelson, Lincoln, Landrieu, etc. I would've campaigned in their states if they wouldn't support me. This would work on Lieberman and maybe Bayh. If not I would've cut off their funding from the national party or I'd simply bribe them with additional funding in the national party or maybe some pork. Basically I'd do everything in my power to twist arms.

[Bonobo]

54. I would have claimed a huge progressive victory and pushed the agenda hard.

Claim the message, show the worth of progressive values and the falseness of conservatives.

I wouldn't have backed off an inch and I would have negotiated from a position of strength,

That is NOT what happened.

Obama showed his weakness early and played from a position of weakness.

He signalled capitulation and stuck to nothing.

[joshcryer]

56. Exactly, that's what should've happened.

Obama nearly had as much backing as Bush did after 9/11.

[joshcryer]

55. Dear Senate: Pass the House Bills.

You won't get a chance like this again.

Simple.

[Hippo_Tron]

59. I wouldn't have wasted time trying to get the Republicans on board

Obama's biggest mistake is that he believed Republicans would negotiate with him in good faith. Bipartisan bills get passed when there is relatively equal political gain for both parties. This bill, no matter how many bipartisan supporters, was going to be a net win for the Democrats. The minority party's primary objective is to become the majority party and the best way to do so is to weaken the majority party. Even if the House and Senate Republicans were very nice people who really liked the President personally (and we know that isn't the case), negotiating in good faith on health care was simply not compatible with their goals of winning back control of Congress.

Now it's possible that the incentives for Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins might have been such that they could have maybe brokered a deal. But a study of their voting patterns pretty clearly indicates that they almost always vote party line when their vote determines passage or failure of a bill and vote with the Democrats when it's not that important so the odds were against that. Furthermore, because the GOP had dragged the process out for so long, the political environment was such that it was certainly better for them to vote nay.

The President's position got weaker every day the health care debate went on and he let it go on for far too long due to negotiating with Republicans. Of course, hindsight is 20/20 and I can't say that I can dig up a post from a year and a half ago where I suggested he shouldn't waste his time negotiating with Republicans.

Also, I never would have promised in the campaign to hold negotiations with cameras in the room. Letting people see the sausage being made derails the entire process because yea the sausage making is ugly. And yes by saying that I am arguing that sometimes the ends justify the means. LBJ had to give away god knows how many pork projects to get the Civil Rights Act passed.