Please do it right or don't start it at all President Obama!

[Are_grits_groceries]

I applaud the President's interest in immigration reform. I believe he is genuinely concerned and wants to reform the system. It is past time.

However, I do not want a start to another seemingly wandering move through possible solutions to fixing the problem. The last thing we need is another beginning with shifting guidance and no end game in sight.

This is a difficult issue to say the least, and one in which the Party of No will use that word louder than ever. It will take a very determined and coordinated effort to change anything. If one issue will galvanize the loons even more than health care reform, this is it. They think an immigrant is somebody they don't know personally.

I am not one of the people who is of the mind that President Obama should only tackle one issue at a time. However, I do believe that there are enough problems that have been tackled and that have not come to any real conclusion.

Don't start down the immigration reform road and leave it littered with with more ill will and unnecessary squabbles with people who are allies and want to help. This makes it much harder to ever try again if it can't be done now. If you don't know where you want to go and the steps that have to be reached to get there, you will never make it.

[snot]

1. totally, please.

[tularetom]

2. The second paragraph of your post made me realize I was wrong about the President

I always assumed President Obama was an inspirational leader, perhaps because of his gift for oratory, and his stirring delivery of motivational speeches. And he indeed is inspirational.

Where I was wrong is that I assumed his approach to public policy making was similar to his approach to his speeches, that is, he believed strongly in an idea and would push it boldly forward and convince opponents and doubters of it's viability, thus gaining it's acceptance and adoption as policy.

Not true at all. He is, rather, a believer in policy making through consensus and compromise. He truly wants to hear, and consider, all sides of an issue, and then try to craft a solution that will satisfy everybody. In essence, he believes he is the facilitator in chief.

Unfortunately, the economic and social divisions in this country are too great to be solved by reasoned discussion and consensus building. Somebody needs to take the bull by the balls and point him in the right direction. To cut off all debate at some point, determine a course of action, and achieve it through advocacy of legislation. And appear to be in charge while doing so.

We know Obama is capable of this. We know it just by listening to his public speaking. It is time to start being the cheerleader in chief. His decisions won't please everybody but if they are truly in the best interest of the people (and if he appears to really believe that they are), I am confident he can still sell workable reforms to the American people, on immigration, on health care, on economic recovery, and on foreign relations.

[Are_grits_groceries]

3. I believe he can do it too.

He needs to listen to the ideas from Rethugs at the beginning if he is going to consider them. Then he needs to move decisively.

In this political climate, he has to be much tougher and resolute. Unfortunately he took office at a point when their are no moderates on the Rethug side. He can't convince them that the sky is blue or at least he can't convince them to vote that it is.

President Obama came to office and he wanted to play a chess match. Unfortunately the game was checkers. You have to win that game first and prove you can play at all. Then you might be able to change the game.

[sendero]

5. Very thoughtful post..

.. and I agree with you. This is Obama's downfall, he assumes that the "other side" is reasonable and has the interests of America at heart.

They aren't, and they don't. And you can reason and negotiate with them no more successfully than you could with a suicide bomber.

Why Obama has not figured that out by now is the real question.

[Moochy]

7. i think you've restated the big problem on the left

That we constantly seem to fall victim to the misconception that the other side has any shred of of human decency.

And in this direction leads the DLC... our giant democratic Charlie Brown heads careening toward the center... Sally, faithful as ever, promising to hold the football as we make our approach. This time it will be a fair kick!

[stillwaiting]

10. He knows. Attempting "bipartisanship" allows him to sign off on policies

that get pushed further and further to the right.

Which is what he wants to see happen.

"Bipartisanship" gives him plausible deniability. I am thoroughly convinced this is the case based on every BIT of behind the scenes negotiating and in FRONT of the scenes negotiating that Obama and Co. have engaged in during his first year. He has pushed hard the way we KNOW he can only on a few occasions and every one of them has been to ensure that the Democratic Congress walk back policies that are progressive, make sense, the majority of Americans would fully embrace, but WALL STREET would not want implemented.

Sucks, but there it is.

[Moochy]

12. Why is every CYA Action from the WH about plausible Deniability?

Ever since ... Oh I don't know ... 1963 ?

[sendero]

13. You have a point..

.. a very good point.

Unfortunately for him his base probably doesn't care why nothing is getting done, the reason is moot. I won't vote for him again.

[Dragonfli]

4. How does one meet halfway with people

that think the solution lies somewhere between kill all the forners and detention center work camps for all the forners?

In fact my greatest fear here is he would try to meet them halfway and see it as acceptable bipartisanship that "republican ideas" (some limited forced detention work-camps with oversite) mixed into the reform is good bipartisanship and we should all not let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

This has been his approach thus far and hurts the party and people in the process.

This is what healthcare has shown me.

Do you understand my concerns?

[Are_grits_groceries]

9. That's my fear too. nt

[stray cat]

6. Right meaning perfect, or the way each of us wants or something better than currently?

[Are_grits_groceries]

11. No.

Right is a subjective term. I don't expect him to do everthing I want. However, I stated the general process I thought would be better in the OP.

Consult with Dems and Rethugs at the start. Get an idea of what the thoughts are. Don't expect the Rethugs to do anything but obstruct in every way.

FORGET THE VOTE ON THE JOBS BILL. That was a brilliant move by them. It was an easy give in a way, and it was probably meant to keep Obama looking for more bipartisanship. It was like a fish nibble. They think it will keep him casting a lot longer for that elusive Bipartisanfish. It ain't going to bite.

[Coyote_Bandit]

8. The President seems to lack

a principled commitment to achieving any particular outcome with respect to any particular issue. He's shown himself to be little more than a traffic cop allowing opposing political views and agendas voice. He apparently lacks the personal and political will - as well as the political and leadership skills required to bring about real meaningful change. It is time for him to return to his ivory tower.