Thin Résumé
David Ignatius points out that Barack Obama, the Great Left Hope, has a pretty darn thin résumé when it comes to actually accomplishing the bi-partisan changes he promises. When Ignatius looked into Obama's history he found only one really major character trait: ambition.
This is the real "where's the beef?" question about Obama, and it still doesn't have a good answer. He gives a great speech, and he promises that he can heal the terrible partisan divisions that have enfeebled American politics over the past decade. And this is a message of hope that the country clearly wants to hear.
But can he do it? The record is mixed, but it's fair to say that Obama has not shown much willingness to take risks or make enemies to try to restore a working center in Washington. Clinton, for all her reputation as a divisive figure, has a much stronger record of bipartisan achievement. And the likely Republican nominee, John McCain, has a better record still.
Obama's argument is that he can mobilize a new coalition that will embrace his proclamation that "yes, we can" break out of the straitjacket. But for voters to feel confident that he can achieve this transformation should he become president, they would need evidence that he has fought and won similar battles in the past. The record here, to put it mildly, is thin.
What I hear from politicians who have worked with Obama, both in Illinois state politics and here in Washington, gives me pause. They describe someone with an extraordinary ability to work across racial lines, but not someone who has earned any profiles in courage for standing up to special interests or divisive party activists. Indeed, the trait people remember best about Obama, in addition to his intellect, is his ambition.
Obama worked on some bipartisan issues, such as a state version of the earned-income tax credit, after he was elected to the Illinois Senate in 1996. But he also gained a reputation for skipping tough votes. The most famous example was a key gun-control vote that he missed in December 1999 because he was vacationing in Hawaii. The Chicago Tribune blasted him and several other vote-skippers as "gutless." One Chicago pol says that "the myth developed that when there was a tough vote, he was gone."
Instead of bipartisan bridge building, Obama has been essentially running for president since he arrived in Washington. Instead of healing relations with allies, he is openly dismissing them and promising to embrace enemies. Ignatius is very concerned that there simply is no proven history of Obama being able to deliver on any of his lofty promises.
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Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup — Pirate’s Cove — Sunday, 2 March , 2008 @ 9:02 am
By syn, Sunday, 2 March , 2008 @ 9:37 am
Isn’t it a little too late in the game to be pointing these things out now?
By K T Cat, Sunday, 2 March , 2008 @ 10:15 am
Did you notice that Dave’s article ends with a note of hopefulness about Obama?
"No one who has watched Obama’s sweep toward the nomination would say it’s impossible that he can be the great uniter. I just wish we had more evidence."
I found that strange. I could not imagine him saying that about, say, Mitt Romney. It’s like Dave really, really wants to support Obama, but his faith in the Obamamessiah is hampered by reality.
By Quilly Mammoth, Sunday, 2 March , 2008 @ 1:09 pm
OT-(T)Hugo has ordered ten tank battalions to the border with Columbia. He has also alerted his air force. I thinkt he coke addict is fixing to start a war.
By martian, Sunday, 2 March , 2008 @ 1:47 pm
On Fox News Sunday this morning Britt Hume pointed out that Obama’s record for bi-partisanship since he was elected to the US Senate has been non-existent. He pointed out a number of issues, like immigration, that had strong bi-partisan support (including from McCain) where Obama was firmly in the opposition. Contrary to creating bi-psrtisan coalitions, he has actively opposed them. His record on this issue is poor to say the least.
By feeblemind, Sunday, 2 March , 2008 @ 3:16 pm
To put things in perspective on bi=partisan bridge building, the dems only other option is HRC. Anyone think she will have better luck reaching out to repubs? Anyone at all?