[quote=afx114]For a guy without a lot of political experience, he sure has had quite a bit of success in getting his agenda passed: stimulus plan, healthcare, and now DADT. That’s three fairly large agenda items pased in only 1.3 years of a four year term.
The jury is still out on many other elements of his stated agenda, but I don’t see how anyone can argue that Obama hasn’t been successful (in the strictly political sense) so far.
Experience McSchmearience.[/quote]
Yes, these agenda items have been passed. However, I would have a difficult time attributing their passage to the President’s political experience and skill. To wit:
Stimulus Bill (Feb 2009) was passed less than a month after the inauguration (i.e., still the “honeymoon” period). House vote: 246 (all Dems) to 183 (176 Repubs, and 7 Dems). Senate vote: 60 (58 Dems & 3 Repubs) to 38 (all Repubs).
Health Care Reform Bill (March 2009): House vote: 220 (all Dems) to 207 (Repub 174, Dems 33); Senate vote: 56 (54 Dems, 2 Ind) to 43 (40 Repubs, 3 Dems).
DADT (May 2010): House vote: 234 (229 Dems, 5 Repubs) to 194 (168 Repubs, 26 Dems).
These are largely straight-down-the-line party votes. While I find the Republican inactivity to be reprehensible (I’m really steamed over my tax dollars going to pay politicians to simply sit around and block votes, especially at such a critical time), I think that Obama and the Democrats could have used many situations to their advantage. There have been so many squandered and misspent opportunities.
I’m sorry. While I don’t agree with the Republican Party’s strategy and actions much of the time, and believe that much of what they’ve engaged in over the past several years has spread and intensified the polarization of our nation, I can’t remember them ever missing an opportunity to accrue political capital. And distasteful as that may seem to some purists, it’s absolutely essential to the achievement of a political party’s goals.
Based on the numbers I’ve included above, what’s going to happen to the President’s agenda when the Dems no longer have a majority?
