Obama: "I Don't Think There's Any Question That We Have A Mandate"

By Chuck Ansbacher

Tuesday November 25, 2008

Obama: "I Don't Think There's Any Question That We Have A Mandate":

This is probably too obvious to point out, but the game here is that Obama is working to frame GOP obstructionism in advance. By simultaneously claiming a mandate while approaching Republicans with “humility” and a request for their help, Obama is boxing out Republican opponents in advance, laying the groundwork to cast them as partisan and hostile to the people’s will.

That’s why it’s still lost on yours truly why people are seeing Obama as “centrist” based on his bipartisan gestures and tone or his “pragmatic” staff pickes. This stuff is just about positioning in advance, and the real tell will lie in his actual policies.

Two observations:

1. As far as I can tell, the only people complaining about Obama’s staff choices so far are a) people who didn’t vote for him in the first place who think they’ve somehow gotcha’d us because Obama didn’t pick the Allman Brothers to be Secretary of State, and b) people, like pundits and reporters, who get paid to have opinions about things no matter how dumb they are, and are stirring the pot since it’s basically their job. I could care less about what either has to say, and this meme is tired and needs to be over already. Sarah Palin isn’t in the White House. You’re welcome.
2. What is the driving force behind the impending Obama box out that everyone assumes the Republicans will attempt? There’s the pro-life/anti-gay thing I guess, but then… what else? Guns? OK. Fiscal conservatism? Yeah, good luck. Call us in a few years when the damage the current administration has inflicted on America is (hopefully) undone. But what else? Seriously, I’m not even being facetious here. Tell me what the fuck else. I hear all about how the party is going to reinvent itself — be more conservative, be less conservative, learn to use iPods, etc. — but I never hear why. Sure, hearing these idiots discuss a million different ways to re-brand themselves makes for great entertainment, but if you’re going to try and box out Obama and his policies, you better have a better reason than the little ‘D’ next to his name.