Legal Commentary

Mandates And A New Hundred Days

By Big Tent Democrat

I spent the better part of three years arguing against Barack Obama's political style - the Post Partisan Unity Schtick. The reason I did so was because I believed that in order to gain a real mandate for progressive change, Obama needed to run on a progressive platform and use the politics of contrast to gain a mandate for progressive change. Clearly, that is all irrelevant now. Like Herbert Hoover before him, George W. Bush has handed a Democratic President the mandate to try whatever he thinks will work. David Broder, as is his wont, misunderstands the politics of it all yet again:

For now, Obama can benefit from the plausibility of his contention that this is "the final verdict" on the policies of the Bush administration, supported for the most part by McCain and other Republicans. But in a few weeks, the winner of the election will take custody of the problem and his name and reputation -- not Bush's -- will be on the line.

(Emphasis supplied.) [More...] This has it exactly backwards. Bush will forever be blamed for the problems he created - he clearly will be remembered as the worst President in history decades from now. Obama will have a freedom of action (and one hopes an overwhelmingly Democratic Congress) to enact bold progressive solutions. He has the chance to build his mandate while governing - a chance to have his own Hundred Days. Let's hope he grasps this historic opportunity with bold progressive action.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

Full post as published by TalkLeft on October 12, 2008 (boomark / email).