“11/15/2010, 1:20pm EST”
Bipartisanship is for suckers
Obama spoke yesterday, doing his best to self-destructively misinterpret the recent election results:
I neglected some things that matter a lot to people, and rightly so [such as] maintaining a bipartisan tone in Washington…
No. No. No. Nobody cares about bipartisanship. Nobody. They care about results. The only reason you think otherwise is because Republicans have learned they can cow you with it.
Obama also said he should have “[made] sure that the policy decisions that I made were fully debated with the American people.” If you think people care about bipartisanship, here’s a good start: Make the argument that bipartisanship is a two-way street — and since Republicans just won’t obey traffic lights, it’s our moral obligation to get them off the road.
Honestly, does he think the media or the public want a policy debate? Does he think they’re even mentally equipped for one? More than enough people to make up the margin between victory and defeat on election day don’t know anything about policy. They just know a leader when they see one.
In the absence of leadership, the media will amplify the loudest voices, and the mindless middle will vote for them. Be strong and you’ll attract the center, because the center is ruled by social and psychological cues, not policy calculation.
Obama’s apologies for not being even more reasonable in the face of Republican obstructionism are laughably weak. The irony is doubled, given that he thinks doing so will somehow improve Democratic electoral prospects.
Never leave home without it.
