General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Anyone want to try and defend the President on the TPP? [View all]Laelth
(32,017 posts)But what would happen if he did?
He'd split the Party. He'd alienate big donors. He'd hurt Democrats running for office up and down the ticket--from dog catcher to our next candidate for President. He is, after all, the leader of the Party, and, I must say, he has been excellent in that role.
People have different personalities, and the President is no exception. His style is to hide what he thinks and to work behind the scenes to insure 1) that most people are happy with him and like him, 2) that he doesn't hurt the Democratic Party, 3) that policy he supports moves forward and is acted upon, and 4) that policy he rejects never comes to fruition. All the while (for category #4) he listens carefully to those who support the policy and treats them respectfully (to insure #1 and #2), but then he delays, gums up the works, speaks softly on the subject, and waits for the right opportunity to blow up the ideas and proposals upon which he does not want to act. He's good at this. I respect and admire it. He's a good politician.
Now, whether he's actually in favor of the core principles of the TPP, I have no idea. Nor does anyone else. The President holds his cards very close to his chest, but the fact that the TPP has been repeatedly delayed and obstructed gives me some hope that the President actually opposes it, and is dealing with it in a way consistent with other policy proposals that he did not like--such as invading Syria.
For what that's worth.
-Laelth