Legal Commentary

The "Mere Bystander" Theory Of The Presidency

By Big Tent Democrat

Charles Blow:

Maybe Obama was wise to hang back. While anger can simmer forever, overheated outrage is exhausting and ultimately counterproductive. Anyone familiar with Aesop’s fable “The Tortoise and the Hare” surely remembers this lesson: slow and steady wins the race. I was beginning to think of Obama as the hare, but maybe he’s the tortoise.

Instead of 11 dimensional chess, Blow posits, Obama was playing rope a dope. Whatever. In any event, can we all agree that if that is how President Obama plans to "lead," then it is imperative that we have a strong, vibrant and VOCAL progressive Caucus (in the House and if possible, in the Senate) and movement to push the debate in the proper direction (where would the health care reform debate be if not for the Progressive Caucus and Senators like Jay Rockefeller and Sherrod Brown?) Can we dispense with the "Don't Worry, He's Got It" nonsense? Clearly, if Obama is going to use an Accidental President approach, he's going to need policy driven by progressive elements in the other branches of government (think about Gitmo detainees and habeas petitions.) If this is Obama's approach, it DEMANDS a loud and vocal progressive pushback on every issue (even the ones I disagree with progressives on, such as Afghanistan and free trade.) It is imperative that the Progressive Caucus become a force to be reckoned with.

Speaking for me only

Full post as published by TalkLeft on September 26, 2009 (boomark / email).