Obviously, President Obama is governing on auto pilot or by some mysterious unseen strategy

[ProSense]

Steve Benen has a piece about the latest focus on President Obama's negotiating style.

<...>

The answer, then, is to learn from the mistakes and adjust the strategy. Despite the flawed approach to negotiations, the Obama White House has racked up some extraordinary accomplishments in less than two years, and helped get a country that was spiraling downwards back on track. Now is the perfect time to take stock, acknowledge the lessons learned, and realize which tactics worked better than others. That Congress is poised to become breathtakingly ridiculous in the new year only makes this need more acute.

<...>

See, the President is to "blame" for all his accomplishments, and the majority of people recognize the significance of these, they just don't seem to like his approach to negotiating. Doesn't matter that mostly all of this was achieve via negotiations within his own party, he "caved." Doesn't matter that Republicans are jumping through hoops to try to repeal the achievements and block further progress, he "caved."

He owns these accomplishments, and he "caved" in achieving them. That's the meme.

FYI, more caving:

Elizabeth Warren Recruits Dodd-Frank Enforcers From 50 States

U.S. publicizes names of federal subcontractors

[Clio the Leo]

1. We have the attention span of fruit flies...

... if he's not "winning" at _________ at THIS very moment, no one cares.

I'm sitting here watching the DADT hearings ....... HEY CHRIS COONS!!! ....... and the GOP have been reduced to basically no argument at all because of this study. Mod. Republicans sound like they're leaning to voting in favor of repeal. ....... but DADT was SOOOO three months ago!

No one cares.

[Phx_Dem]

3. I don't know. I think fruit flies might have the edge.

:(

[Clio the Leo]

8. you're right, and I apologize to the fruit flies nt

[Phx_Dem]

2. LOL. Exactly. He's so weak, he has a record number of accomplishments"

:crazy:

[crikkett]

4. & he just stopped offshore drilling on the East Coast. Another non-victory for the Caver in Chief?

(i'm being sarcastic too)

[polichick]

5. Only in response to the biggest spill in our history. He cynically opened up...

...our waters to much more drilling just days prior to the spill.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

7. You mean he's not perfect and makes mistakes (like any other person)?

:wow:
I'm not 100% certain but I'm sure that somebody could (and would) find fault with SOMETHING that (fill in the blank with the most progressive, strong-willed, perfect person by your standards) might do (or not do) as POTUS.

[crikkett]

13. didn't he do that to get Cap & Trade? and those waters are again closed.

I can't remember details, I'm sure you know the story.

[polichick]

14. Those waters wouldn't be closed without the spill...

It was yet another example of the prez giving away his aces before sitting down to play poker - and even in the most difficult cap and trade negotiation, more offshore drilling should never have been in play. As Obama knows, we cannot drill our way out of the energy situation - that's why, in addition to being irresponsible and a horrible negotiating move, the ploy was cynical.

As someone who grew up a block from the Gulf of Mexico, I don't take kindly to such recklessness.

[crikkett]

15. I'm happy they're closed, period.

You can't take that away from me :hi:

[polichick]

16. You can thank BP. nt

[crikkett]

17. then it must show that there's good in everything n/t

[Fruittree]

19. Do he should have predicted the spill and

done something about it beforehand?

[crikkett]

25. Did you know that ANWR is still open for drilling ?

FFS. :grr:

[treestar]

23. Yep where are all the threads praising his "spine" for that!

[T Wolf]

6. Those two steps forward and countless backward (war, torture, banks, Wall Street, etc.) and

sideways (Supreme Court, marriage equality, reproductive freedom, etc...).

But hey, you forgot that he did not veto Lily Ledbetter! That is HUGH!

[young but wise]

9. .....

I don't understand how people can call him a failure on Democratic causes with a straight face.

[vaberella]

10. You haven't been on DU long enough. n/t

[young but wise]

12. What do you mean?

[babylonsister]

21. I think she means that a lot of people - on DU -

are calling him a failure. The remark had nothing to do with you. :hi:

[Bobbie Jo]

11. ...and repeatedly.

In big multi-colored font, even.

Virtual Activism RAWKS! :bounce:

[Fruittree]

18. I don't get it either...

It seems people appreciate style over substance which I'm afraid they're not going to get from this president and thank goodness!

[JTFrog]

20. K&R!

[babylonsister]

22. K&R! And RE: Steve Benen...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x540736

[treestar]

24. Honestly I think these people want to be entertained

They don't really care about the poor or uninsured or oppressed. Especially the pundits, who are well off or middle class. Many DU posters are just demanding bigger drama! That's it. If Obama did and said some of the things they script for him, it would be a disaster.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

26. And you never fail to disappoint. (n/t)