Scott writes:
Certainly part of the promise of Obama’s presidency was to get away from the vicious partisanship of Rovian politics as Andrew points out. But I can’t help wondering whether Obama isn’t overplaying this card a bit to the point that it is hurting him on multiple fronts.
I mean, there is a difference between rising above the fray and refusing to participate in mudslinging and remaining so aloof as to not really appear to be engaged at all to a relatively broad cross-section of the polity.
The thing about domestic politics is that it’s very difficult to build consensus – something Obama seems quite fond of – which is one reason why so many presidents tend to focus a great deal of their energy on foreign affairs which are, oddly, much more bipartisan. Yes, Clinton and Bush both pushed serious domestic reforms. And Bush the elder probably would have as well if he’d made it to a second term. Certainly Reagan will be remembered for his domestic reforms – even mythologized for them. But each of these presidents spent an inordinate amount of time acting the part of Leader of the Free World rather than spearheading bold domestic agendas.
I wonder how this dynamic will play out with Obama. With Afghanistan going strong and Iraq still mired in chaos, Obama will obviously have to pay attention to foreign affairs. The question is where his focus will lie after a couple brutal years of policy fights. Where will he delegate and where will he lead? Sometimes foreign wars are less exhausting than domestic ones.
Kim 
Will Truman 
Teacher 
Mark Thompson 
Jaybird 
jon ross 
Michael Drew 
Burt Likko 
Borat: “I do a picture, only small, of the Tishnik Masacre. Where many Uzbeks…crushed!”
Kindly Gray Hippie: “How did you feel when you drew this?”
Borat: “Very proud!”.
KGH: “I’m just listening with sadness…a little sadness for your people…?”
Borat: “Yes…no, it is not sad. It is us who do the kill!”
When in doubt,
{ 13 comments }
“Certainly Reagan will be remembered for his domestic reforms – even mythologized for them.”
WTF? Huge deficits and canning the air traffic controllers.
I thought it was all about “defeating communism” “ending the Cold War.”
Well – also his market reforms; his tax cuts (though not mythologized so much for his tax hikes…); economic reforms; union-busting; etc.
I think I mentioned “union-busting.”
Hey I was just listing a few things off the top of my head.
So, you are sticking with the his, Reagan, domestic policies will bring him historical praise?
How did you read my post, exactly? Is this what you got from it?
To repeat myself and *you*
“Certainly Reagan will be remembered for his domestic reforms – even mythologized for them.”
…”But each of these presidents spent an inordinate amount of time acting the part of Leader of the Free World rather than spearheading bold domestic agendas.”
However, yes, I think he will be remembered for both his domestic and foreign policy.
In fairness to E.D. remembrance and mythologized don’t have to be normative.
Oh, I agree, he will be remembered for his domestic policies, just not mythologized.
The myth making machines of the right…seem to be all Reagan all the time, but maybe that’s just me…and the fact that to be a politician in the Republican party is to speak often and loudly about how inspiring and great President Reagan was.
Andrew said:” The whole point of the Obama candidacy, in my view, was to help us get past that to a substantive discussion of practical policy decisions which America simply has to face.” That’s why we had such input and discussion on the stimulus bill. That’s why he tried to ram a bill on health care through the house and senate before recess. That’s why Henry Waxman allowed so much input on cap and trade. Yes all these bills were reviewed and aired and put on the internet for at least 5 days (campaign promise) for everyone to dissect and have a “substantive discussion”.
Union busting? They called an illegal strike which shutdown a vital sector of the economy. Regan gave them 48 hours to return. They didn’t, so he fired them, which was well within his authority.
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