In regards to President Obama's budget negotiation strategy and whatnot

[Parable Arable]

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/13/opinion/who-can-take-republicans-seriously-on-the-budget.html?_r=0

I'm aware that this article was posted in a GD thread, but part of me felt that that conservation sorta spiraled into a flame war in regards to the president, and I got the sense that neither side (" Obama supporters" vs "to the left of Obama&quot was all that interested in having a conversation, and just seemed more content to start throwing barbs at each other.

I'll confess, I don't approve of the president to the degree that many of the posters in this group do, but I get the sense that this board is full of smart people. And so I ask this particular group of Obama supporters this, as I'm sure a great number of you are more well versed in politics than I am: Is it time for the president to drop the "charm offense" and pursue a more aggressive negotiation style? Or is his current strategy working?

Personally I'm of the impression that the "charm offense" is a noble effort, but an ultimately detrimental strategy, as it alienates the left and does nothing to make the right more reasonable. However, I'd very much like to hear somebody disagree with me on this count.

[LostOne4Ever]

1. I think he should keep with the "charm offense"

I believe that part of the reason the repugs got hammered as badly as they did in 2012 was because of their unwillingness to compromise on the debt ceiling debate...or anything for that matter.

PBO's charm offense shows the public that like all truly great statesmen, hes willing to compromise and put the good of the country above ideology. At best the Repugs will give in and BO will get credit for being a grand negotiator. At worst, the repugs will be seen even more as being partisan ideologues who are willing to bankrupt this country to stay pure to their ideology.

I hate the idea of the cuts PBO proposing, but you have to offer something in order to compromise and I honestly don't think the republicans will bite. I think this will only make them look more belligerent and bolster the democratic party image.

[Parable Arable]

2. That's a good point, but.....

I'm still curious as to how PBO hopes to get the progressive caucus back on his side.. He's a smart man, and he knows that they are a force within the Democratic party, even if it does seem like he snubs by offering the cuts he has. They are rightfully irked with all the concession's he's made, so I hope that President Obama knows what to do in regards to getting them to work with him on this.

[LostOne4Ever]

6. It is my opinion

That the Progressive caucus is also full of very smart people, who understand that compromise is important and understand what he is doing. They might break with him on specific issues they care greatly about, but I don't think they will stop working with him altogether.

But it will be a balancing act on both their parts. The president has to find the right amount to give to get the house republicans to do anything, but he can't go so far that he loses his own party. The progressive caucus has to decide at which point they are willing to give to get something done. Unlike the Tea Party I believe the Progressive Caucus is willing to set aside their own wants and desires for the good of the country. They have done it before, and I think they will do it again.

Its possible that hes truly stuck between a rock and hard place where he can't get anything done. However, if that is the case I believe it becomes all that much more important that he continue his charm offense. The best result in this situation would be for him to show that hes trying to reach out and compromise and show America that its the repugs who are obstructing government because they won't compromise.

As always this is all just my opinion, and subjective to what I know and don't know. I could be wrong on any of these points, but this is what i believe/hope will happen.

[graham4anything]

3. Jackie Robinson and Barack Obama & Dr. King have alot in common-winning is forever

not diving to the rancid level of all the haters, left and right.

Winning is the rope-a-dope absorbing punches and deflecting it

To dive to their level and btw, the extremists are on the right and on the left.

Sanity is why 80-20 is better than 50-50 and will come to pass, once the extremists
are rendered politically OBSOLETE at the voting booth.
In obsoleteness, no one can here them whine.

Working for President Obama's agenda forever.
Because President Obama sees things not in 2 terms, but forever 125 steps ahead

and battles can be lost to win the longterm war.

Dr. King kept on despite hatred, despite hits, despite EVERYTHING and President Obama is President because of that.

Remember, it took LBJ to get votes from the OTHER party due to the George Wallace John Birch Society racists(now they are run by Ron/Rand/David Duke) who refused to allow equality to happen. They too were extremists and democratic party in name. They became
100% OBSOLETE. Why should anyone appease the extremists, who actually do NOT want President Obama to succeed at anything and never did?

As they said in the 1970s, (and Eddie Kendricks sang)
Barack Obama should keep on keepin' on.

[treestar]

4. "Aggressive" does not work well in negotiations

And certainly not if there is nothing you can threaten them with. Republicans know he would veto anything they would pass that they would want. If they do nothing with what he wants, there's nothing to threaten them with. Trying to find middle ground is the only thing that would work. The WH can't declare war on the Congress.

People find this frustrating and resort to the idea if only the President did something differently. But the Constitution is serious about the separation of powers.

[Parable Arable]

5. You do have a point that aggression might not work.

But there does seem to be this (not entirely true at all) perception that the president holds contempt for progressives. I agree, the president can't flat out declare war, but I do wish that he, and the progressive caucus, would operate in a more coordinated effort at times (like this whole offering up SS debacle). Sorry if this whole sentence sounds disjointed, forgive me.

[IrishAyes]

7. President Obama does not hold progressives in contempt at all.

Though he might not be able to operate as far leftward as many of us would like, he knows that many of us really appreciate what he has been able to accomplish. It's actually part of our job to rant about policy we don't agree with (not against him personally) so he can shrug his shoulders at the R's when tactically appropriate and say, "See, nobody can budge 'em, what you're demanding is DOA!"

When he made his last budget proposal, including cuts they've been wanting to effect in a subterranean manner so as to trick the voters, President Obama said more than once, "That's not MY budget!" It was an open challenge to the godforsaken GOP to put up or shut up. Broken-glass GOP faithful will either miss that or deny it, but President Obama was calling the R's bluff, that's all. Like most of his longterm strategies, we'll have to bide our time to see whether it worked. But we should know for sure in 2014, and I'm willing to bet your house that the answer will be affirmative.

[Parable Arable]

8. That's a very well thought out rebuttal and...

2014 is indeed crucial for all of the Democratic party... The only lingering question on my mind is this: "If the party doesn't make the gains it hopes to make, how will both congress and the president go about doing things for the last 2 years?"