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2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumObama Must Fight One More Campaign: To Keep Senate & Win House in 2014 - by Robert Shrum
Feb 8, 2013 4:45 AM ESTTo secure landmark objectives and assure his final two years arent a token, the president must in effect run all out for a third term in 2014, using the bully pulpit and the firepower of his political organization, and keeping the heatand blameon obstructionist Republicans.
President Obama may have to defy historyagain. To pass much of his agenda for change, he not only will have to hold the Senate, but may have to gain the House in 2014, or come close, opening the way to what has eluded every two-term president in modern timesand at almost any time: a final two years of important, even historic, achievement in domestic affairs.
Its a daunting challenge. Heres why Obama may have to meet itand heres how he can.
Since the election, the Republicans have been dispensing a series of predictable speeches about rebranding. Following Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor weighed in with his own call for a newer, better, and still, of course, conservative GOP. The rhetoric was mostly as empty of substance and evasive on details as a Paul Ryan budget. Indeed the whole exercise across the top ranks of the party is little more than an attempt to put lipstick on an elephant. Meanwhile, its plain to see that the elephant hasnt done a backflipor stepped even a few feet away from the rigidities of inaction and reaction.
House Republicans did decide, reluctantly, that they couldnt afford to crater the full faith and credit of the United States or shut down the government. Theyve pulled back from the dubious and conspicuous tactic of crashing the economy. But they now claim they are ready to bleed it with the sequesterthe automatic, across-the-board cuts that would depress growth this year to a pallid 1.4 percent. Unemployment would remain above 7.5 percent until 2015. House Speaker John Boehner denounced the presidents proposal to avoid the sequester before he actually announced it.
The Republicans may blink in the glare of public pressure, but a blinkered and unmanageable GOP House caucus may plunge rightfar rightinto the darkness.
more:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/02/08/obama-must-fight-one-more-campaign-to-keep-senate-win-house-in-2014.html
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Obama Must Fight One More Campaign: To Keep Senate & Win House in 2014 - by Robert Shrum (Original Post)
DonViejo
Feb 2013
OP
davidpdx
(22,000 posts)1. Not only Obama, but all of us need to fight for Ds in 2014
This year and next will be tough given the fact that Republicans still hold the House. We need to take it back in 2014 so we have a majority in both houses of Congress. For all the giddiness over who will or won't run in 2016, the focus needs to be on the mid-terms so we have a majority for Obama's last two years and whomever succeeds him.
Trascoli
(194 posts)2. Obama will fight in 2016
and so on. He is a team player