Obama takes his case to the independent center
By David S. Broder
WashPost
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
It took a month for Barack Obama to make clear what he has learned from the midterm election "shellacking," but the time has not been wasted. Future political historians are likely to trace his recovery - and reelection, if that's what happens - back to decisions made in December.
In these past few days, he has regained the economic initiative from the victorious Republicans, separated himself from the left of his own party and staked a strong claim to the territory where national elections are fought and won: the independent center.
In opting to accommodate reality by acceding to the Republican demand for maintaining all the Bush tax cuts and obtaining a better price than many expected for his concessions, Obama has done almost all that is possible at the moment to create a favorable economic environment for the 2012 campaign. Add in a South Korean trade pact of help to the rebounding auto industry, and the Midwest, that key battleground where Republicans romped in 2010, begins to look salvageable.
Obama still faces great challenges - in managing the world's hot spots from Afghanistan to North Korea to Iran, and in the unresolved question of how to turn back the threat of runaway debt and deficits.
(More here.)
WashPost
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
It took a month for Barack Obama to make clear what he has learned from the midterm election "shellacking," but the time has not been wasted. Future political historians are likely to trace his recovery - and reelection, if that's what happens - back to decisions made in December.
In these past few days, he has regained the economic initiative from the victorious Republicans, separated himself from the left of his own party and staked a strong claim to the territory where national elections are fought and won: the independent center.
In opting to accommodate reality by acceding to the Republican demand for maintaining all the Bush tax cuts and obtaining a better price than many expected for his concessions, Obama has done almost all that is possible at the moment to create a favorable economic environment for the 2012 campaign. Add in a South Korean trade pact of help to the rebounding auto industry, and the Midwest, that key battleground where Republicans romped in 2010, begins to look salvageable.
Obama still faces great challenges - in managing the world's hot spots from Afghanistan to North Korea to Iran, and in the unresolved question of how to turn back the threat of runaway debt and deficits.
(More here.)
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