Daily Kos
The Importance of Plouffeby Newsie8200
Sat Jan 23, 2010 at 07:15:17 PM PST
Plouffe was a great campaign manager for Obama. He has experience in all facets of a campaign. He's also worked on the Hill. He's been an unofficial adviser to the WH and DNC all along, but because he's not involved in the day to day, he can bring some perspective that is hard to have when you're in the middle of everything every day.
There's been some spec that this is to placate Obama's liberal base (okay, @marcambinder 's tweets). That's rather silly, because 1) Obama's liberal base isn't represented by the loudest corners of the netroots; 2) Plouffe isn't known to many outside of Obama's online supporters and pol. junkies -- which overlaps quite a bit w/ Obama's base but not completely.
Plouffe's role is to act as the guy in the Democratic Party that has the respect of other consultants and members of Congress, and can get them to move in the correct direction politically. (And in addressing Congress, it'll also help with Democratic activists and voters.)
In other words, as much as he is a comfort to Obama's online, core support, he's really there to give political advice to Congressional Democrats. He's got a very inside role here, and it's really needed.
Very few Democratic consultants have the kind of stature that is necessary to get Dems together. Yes, you need leadership from the President directly, but it helps to have a pure political animal like David Plouffe who is well-respected in the political community and can spend his time wholly on the political and campaign basics angle.
His entire op-ed is filled with common sense advice for Congressional Democrats many of whom aren't going to listen to anyone in the netroots (which I define as the larger activist blogs) and quite frankly, the consultants that the netroots have elevated over the years. The difference between Plouffe and almost all the people who the netroots have pushed lately is that Plouffe has actually managed a winning presidential campaign and has an intimate knowledge of Congressional districts and races up and down the ballot.
There are many Democratic consultants and operatives (in private) who have pushed much of what is in Plouffe's op-ed, but sometimes it takes a David Plouffe to put it all into one place and to put it in such a common sense way for Cong. Dems and Democratic candidates to "get it."
On health care:
Pass a meaningful health insurance reform package without delay. Americans' health and our nation's long-term fiscal health depend on it. I know that the short-term politics are bad. It's a good plan that's become a demonized caricature. But politically speaking, if we do not pass it, the GOP will continue attacking the plan as if we did anyway, and voters will have no ability to measure its upside. If we do pass it, dozens of protections and benefits take effect this year. Parents won't have to worry their children will be denied coverage just because they have a preexisting condition. Workers won't have to worry that their coverage will be dropped because they get sick. Seniors will feel relief from prescription costs. Only if the plan becomes law will the American people see that all the scary things Sarah Palin and others have predicted -- such as the so-called death panels -- were baseless. We own the bill and the health-care votes. We need to get some of the upside. (P.S.: Health care is a jobs creator.)
Clear, concise reasoning (both on politics & policy) for passing health insurance reform. Let's get a move on it.
On the recovery package:
Make sure voters understand what the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act did for the economy. Rarely does a congressional vote or issue lend itself to this kind of powerful localization. If GOP challengers want to run ads criticizing the recovery act as wasteful, Democratic candidates should lift up the police officers, teachers and construction workers in their state or district, those who are protecting our communities, teaching our children and repairing our roads thanks to the Democrats' leadership. Highlight the small-business owners who have kept their doors open through projects funded by the act.
Cong. Dems and the WH have had a difficult time showing voters exactly what they've done so far. The media hasn't helped. If progressives want more progressive legislation, then, you have to make sure the public understands what some progressive legislation has already done for them.
On spending, deficits, etc:
Don't accept any lectures on spending. The GOP took us from a $236 billion surplus when President Bush took office to a $1.3 trillion deficit, with unpaid-for tax cuts for the wealthy, two wars and the Medicare prescription drug program. Republicans' fiscal irresponsibility has never been matched in our country's history. We have potent talking points on health care, honest budgeting and cuts in previously sacrosanct programs. Republicans will try to win disingenuously by running as outsiders. We must make them own their record of disastrous economic policies, exploding deficits, and a failure to even attempt to solve our health care and energy challenges.
Yes, yes, and yes. Democrats across the political spectrum SHOULD be able to get on board with this. Moderate-conservative fiscal Democrats should be able to get on board by talking about how voters concerned with the deficit shouldn't support Republicans...
MORE AT:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/1/23/829493/-The-Importance-of-Plouffe
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
