Obama's Neverending Campaign and His Complete Abdication of Actual Governance Functions

Red Alert Media spells the tactic out.

Does this sound familiar?

1) There is an important problem that requires Congress and the President to act. (entitlement reform, viable budget, sequestration, fiscal cliff, debt limit hike, etc.)

2) House Republicans propose and pass a bill with what they consider a good solution to the problem.

3) President Obama and Senate Democrats realize it is easier to attack the Republican plan than propose their own, so they refuse to propose a real bill.

4) President Obama delivers several campaign-like speeches filled with strawmen portraying Republicans as unreasonable, uncaring and somehow responsible for a lack of solution.

5) No permanent solution is achieved.

It should. This cycle has been repeated on every major issue that has come up since Republicans took over the House in 2011.

Even a liberal like Ron Fourier, while, of course, mostly blaming Republicans, actually notices that Obama is president and the buck should, at some point, stop with him.

If it’s all about politics, bully for Obama. A majority of voters will likely side with the president over Republicans in a budget dispute because of his popularity and the GOP’s pathetic approval ratings.

If it’s about governing, the story changes: In any enterprise, the chief executive is ultimately accountable for success and failure. Sure, blame Congress — castigate all 535 lawmakers, or the roughly half you hate. But there is only one president.

But did he beat Tiger? That's the main thing.

[Update - Andy] Rather than pushing the boss's post down with this like I almost did, I'll just graft it on.

Obama on sequestration: "I don't know why it is in this town, folks leave stuff until the last minute"

posted by Ace at 08:36 PM

| Access Comments