General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWhy do some pundits say that PBO has "spent his political capital" on the cliff deal?
Wait a second. He hasn't even been sworn in yet and all of his clout is gone already?
alcibiades_mystery
(36,437 posts)upaloopa
(11,417 posts)It would make boring news to report the truth that Obama is kicking repub ass.
fleur-de-lisa
(14,624 posts)With all the drama about to unfold regarding Boehner's future as Speaker, THIS is what the pundits are yakking about? Wow!
octoberlib
(14,971 posts)Objectivity gets in the way of factual reporting.
Ken Burch
(50,254 posts)It's intolerable to them that the peasants actually defied their command at the polls.
BlueStreak
(8,377 posts)He will never again have that much leverage all at the same time:
1) He just won an election with a strong mandate on the very subject of "the cliff"
2) The Bush taxes were expiring automatically and the sequester law was set up to happen at that same time. If he did nothing he would come out way ahead.
3) The House had some motivation to act before their term ended because they lose numbers starting tomorrow.
This is the sort of thing that will go into Polisci textbooks for generations -- taking an overwhelming set of circumstances and turning it into at very best, a lukewarm, break-even proposition, and at worst, a significant step backwards.
By locking in about 98% of the BUSH tax rates as permanent (non-expiring) law, he has given the Republicans the tools to dismantle the parts of government we value the most.
I don't know about "political capital". Basically that just means your opponent fears you because of your popularity. Does anybody in DC fear Obama?
Get it?