Obama says Congress is "stuck"....offers solution.

[kentuck]

<snip>
“We’ve got a politics that’s stuck right now,” he said, according to a pool report. “The reason it’s stuck is because people spend more time thinking about the next election than they do the next generation."

Obama added that compromise remains his objective with Republicans, maintaining optimism that Washington "can be fixed." But he added that the solution may involve other methods than working with the GOP.

"One way to do that is to have a Democratic House of Representatives," Obama said, via the pool report.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/29/obama-chicago-fundraiser_n_3356108.html

[BlueStreak]

1. So, he finally got those words to pass through his lips. Only took 5 years.

Now maybe we can make some progress. In 2011 he made some noises that he would run against a do-nothing Congress, but he never followed through. He went out and talked about his jobs bill for maybe 10 days and then we never heard another peep out of him about the Congress.

You don't get anything in Washington with out a gun at somebody's head. The only way the other side compromises is when they believe there will be consequences if they don't. Obama has give the Republicans a free ride so far. He needs to be cranking up the consequences. That is the only way to change their political calculus.

I am encourages, but I wish he would have reached this point 3 years ago. I guess he just woke up this morning and figures out if nothing changes, he is a lame duck for 3-1/2 more years.

[frazzled]

2. And you think he can leap gerrymandered lines in a single bound?

Saying we should get a Democratic Congress is easy. Anyone can say it. There, I just did. But even the President of the United States cannot make it happen.

As long as we keep thinking that words are faster than a speeding bullet, we're doomed to disappointment. If you live in a Republican district, work your ass off to try to get a Democrat elected in 2014 (though the chances are probably slim). If, like me, you live in deep Blue country, pick a race or two elsewhere in your state or in a neighboring state ... and don't just contribute, go work.

That's my solution. And it still probably won't give us a Democratic Congress. The decks are truly too stacked right now.

[BlueStreak]

3. The first step in doing it is saying it

So this is a real breakthrough. He never lifted a damn finger to work towards a Democratic House until now. He has pissed away 4-1/2 years trying to compromise with people who will never compromise, especially when they don't think he will actively work for their electoral defeat.

No, Obama doesn't have a magic wand, but he sets the envelope under which the rest of the Party has to operate.

Look at hos he screwed up the IRS thing by coming right out of the starting gate apologizing and begging the teabaggers' forgiveness. That made it impossible for any Democrat to stand up and speak the truth about those corrupt 501(c)(4)s. A conciliator in his position (and in Reid's position as well) makes it damn near impossible for the rest of the Party to compete effectively.

Obama never really cared about that because his only real goal was to get elected himself and all his posturing was calculated to make that happen. But now he finds that a hollow victory, and his look-out-for-number-one strategy has left him in this position where he may have to just go through the motions for another 3 years.

He needs to get serious about electing a Democratic House. At this stage, little else will actually make any difference.

[frazzled]

4. That's not true ...

Before the 2010 elections he went all over the country fundraising for midterm elections. Which, frankly, is about all a president is able to do.

He's going around on fundraising trips right now, as well. What more do you suggest he do? He's the president, not the DCCC chair or the DNC chair, whose job it is to strategize and fundraise for races. He's got domestic and world problems to solve, but perhaps you think he should go door to door in 50 or 60 districts in the country.

[BlueStreak]

6. he needs to actively campaign about the evils of Republican obstructionism

and not be so polite about it.

[CitizenPatriot]

16. It's looking like he is responsible

for Dems who run bad campaigns and those in red states who don't want to be seen with him. /s

[BlueStreak]

5. As for the Gerrymandering, that is defeatist talk

We're only talking about 16 seats. And I can tell you one district that opened itself up wide today.

We won't be able to do anything about the Gerrymandering until we rebuild the party all the way down to the state legislature level. That can be done. Howard Dean had the party working that way. But that all went by the wayside when the Chicago team came in. That is his legacy.

If you didn't notice, Obama didn't even work with the Democratic Party in either of his two elections. He set up his own organization, his own offices, his own systems, his own people. That was great for getting Barack Obama elected, but it killed the Party and now some folks are just starting to understand what that cost us.

[tblue37]

11. They should not have forgotten Howard Dean's

wisdom about competing in all 50 states. All too often Dems don't even try when they consider a district "red." Sometimes they don't even field a candidate--and when they do, they don't fund the race or bother to make sure it's a good candidate.

[hedda_foil]

7. It's been done before.

Until Gingrich, the Dems had a huge, gerrymandered lock on Congress for 40 years. It was thought by anyone who was anyone that the lock was unbreakable.

The Republican Revolution, Revolution of '94 or Gingrich Revolution is what the media dubbed the Republican Party (GOP) success in the 1994 U.S. midterm elections,[1] which resulted in a net gain of 54 seats in the House of Representatives, and a pickup of eight seats in the Senate. The clear leader of the so-called revolution was Republican congressman Newt Gingrich, who became Speaker of the House as a result of the victory. The day after the election, Democratic Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama changed parties, becoming a Republican.

The gains in seats in the mid-term election resulted in the Republicans gaining control of both the House and the Senate in January 1995. Republicans had not held the majority in the House for forty years, since the 83rd Congress (elected in 1952).

Large Republican gains were made in state houses as well when the GOP picked up twelve gubernatorial seats and 472 legislative seats. In so doing, it took control of 20 state legislatures from the Democrats. Prior to this, Republicans had not held the majority of governorships since 1972. In addition, this was the first time in 50 years that the GOP controlled a majority of state legislatures.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Revolution

It was totally unexpected and far.more "impossible" to imagine by anyone to imagine than today.

[BlueStreak]

13. Exactly. And how did he do it?

Basically by standing up with a reasonably clear 10-point plan of what he wanted to accomplish. It was relatively free of the normal hedging and double-talk. I bet if we polled Americans on the individual items (and I'm sure that must have happened) they would have been strongly against at least several of the items when explained in full. But that just shows you what can be accomplished when you get out there and actually take a clear position.

Most people didn't agree with Reagan's ideas, but dammit, the guy was so confident that he had the answers. Let's give him a chance.

What do any of these national Democrats stand for today? Why do they even want to get elected? What are they willing to fight for?

I submit that from Obama on down, the answer is essentially nothing.

If somebody pulled together a progressive Contract with America, and got the same party discipline that Gingrich got, we would win the house with 40 votes to spare. No doubt about that in my mind whatsoever.

But Gingrich could do that because he filled the leadership vacuum in his party. Pelosi couldn't do a similar thing today because the leadership vacuum is sitting in the White House -- appointing Republicans to every office in the land.

[geckosfeet]

8. He had one when he was first elected. Not sure it made any difference in that short time though.

In any case. I see the remaining republics becoming even more obstructionist should the house go dem. Unless there is a huge majority, the republics will obstruct as a matter of course.

[spanone]

9. he meant to say 'congress is fucked'

[DreamGypsy]

10. Nothing works better...

...but a Democratic house would be more satisfying, restoring your government's natural rhythm.

[Scuba]

12. Compromise with Republicans? Why? We don't negotiate with terrorists.

[randome]

14. You can't get rid of these terrorists except during elections.

So, yeah, compromise is the only avenue open right now.

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[font color="blue"][center]Stop looking for heroes. BE one.[/center][/font]
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[Scuba]

15. No, there are many other avenues open.

Like taking the fight to the public, for one.