I think that Obama could show more stand-out up-front leadership

[Cronus Protagonist]

And I say that because I do think he has it in him to do so.

Obama could stand up and out front than try to hang with the Republicans and bring them with us to a destination they don't want to be at. Lead and attract all of us to a unifying vision rather than persuade us to help him work in the trenches with the repigs, pushing and cajoling them in the mud. It's one thing to grab someone's arm and pull him out of a trench, but if he's not motivated to go into the fray, it takes an awful lot of pulling and pushing in the mud to get even minimal results. If he wants to go over? Don't try to hold him back, he'll stomp all over you.

There are several reports in the media lately about how the repigs wouldn't vote for a perfectly reasonable background-check bill because they don't want to be seen supporting Obama. And the budget failures despite giving the repigs almost everything they wanted and more besides; again, they just don't want to be seen contributing to his success. The Obamacare thing - some must have thought it would be a disaster, but that had a little spice of what I'm talking about here. Everyone wants better healthcare, even repigs.

This is not a bag on Obama, but intended to be constructive criticism. Remember Kennedy's "A man on the moon in ten years!"? That. C'mon Obama. Stand for something big, so big that even the repigs cannot resist it.

Less pushing, cajoling, dragging, befriending and more leadership. More attraction.

(Even recalcitrant pigs would vote for more presents at Christmas)

[Fumesucker]

1. What do we want? Pragmatic moderate centrism

When do we want it? In due course.

[Cronus Protagonist]

2. lol

That could be the most concise statement on the current situation I've ever seen.

[msongs]

3. ya gotta be that kind of person to do that kind of thing nt