The current political environment is a perfect setup for the destruction of the Obama Presidency. The economy is barely growing; unemployment is climbing to unprecedented levels unseen since the Great Depression; the nation's credit rating has been downgraded; many homeowners are in foreclosure or underwater on their mortgages; voters have begun to lose confidence in the president's policies, handling of the economy, and leadership. No president has been re-elected with this set of negatives. So, it seems that the Republican opposition is about to achieve their primary objective to make Barack Obama a one-term president.
If this were a boxing match, Obama would be taking a beating. Could there be a rope-a-dope ending to this match? Could it be that the opposition has thrown everything at the president and failed to score an early knockout? Is it possible for Obama to come off the ropes and win a victory in November 2012? Only if he is able to still throw his best punches -- AND he is able to re-energize his base of supporters.
The nation was waiting to hear the "Jobs Speech" last Thursday to see if Obama had a punch left. His proposed $447 billion American Jobs Act was the first indicator that he still has a punch. It appears that he has decided to make a fight of this after all. When combined with the Super Committee charter from the Debt Ceiling negotiation, only two outcomes are possible.
- The American Jobs Act could be blocked or negotiated away to no measureable job creation, and the Super committee is gridlocked -- creating a devastating blow to our economy with draconian cuts. This would surely send the country into a double dip recession, and spell certain defeat for Obama.
- Obama could take an aggressive stand to push most of the job creation bill through -- which will require the Super Committee to blink and support a tax increase to pay for what amounts to a second stimulus. If the Super Committee blinks and refuses to send the country into a second recession, there is the potential for Obama to come out on top.
This volatile mixture of potential outcomes has the potential to hasten our plunge into the abyss. What is interesting is that these doomsday scenarios are being driven by a minority of the rich, and the radical right. In order for them to complete the destruction of the Obama Presidency, there is a requirement for the vast majority of American voters to act against their self-interests, and agree to follow the Republicans over the cliff.
Up until this point in time Obama has negotiated with an approach to achieve the "best deal he could get." There is no more room to accept a watered down deal that can be called a victory. What the opposition has done is to negotiate their way into a doomsday scenario.
The president is now in a "take it or leave it" bargaining position. His leverage is with the Super Committee, which has an "up or down vote mandate" for their recommendations. He has come out swinging with an aggressive tone, and a simple offer "Pass this jobs bill."
Those who still consider themselves Obama supporters will have a simple choice at the end of the next 3 months -- allow the certain destruction of the US economy and Obama with it, or join the fight to save the poor and the middle class.
The rich Republicans have already begun to charge Obama and the Democrats with class warfare, while denying that their proposals are not. This confirms the old addage, "When they say it's NOT about the money, you can be sure it IS about the money." This is class warfare, and the rich have been winning for the past 20 years. Now they want to deal a crushing blow, and they are using Obama as the tar baby to blame for the outcome of their destructive policies.
All of us can get up off the mat and fight, or we can watch them destroy the Obama Presidency -- and our country. The choice is ours. Obama cannot win alone. Soon we will have to choose. November 2011 will set the stage for the most intense Presidential campaign since Truman's victory in 1948.
Top pollsters predicted a Dewey win, as did leading national political writers. In fact, with the exception of Truman, everyone else was certain Dewey would be elected. Truman, for his part, appeared to be running a campaign more against the Eightieth Congress than against Dewey. The legend of "Give ‘Em Hell, Harry!" was born. Harry S. Truman had fought the media, the commentators, and everyone else, and won the election.
Sound familiar? We'll see if "Give 'em Hell, Barry" can match Truman's success.
