Love the thread title!
You know, as much as I loathe Karl Rove, democrats could learn a thing or two from him. Even Tiger woods could use to take a page out of his play book- don't deny, ignore and refuse to acknowledge.
Harry Shearer said last week, "Democrats are playing a strong hand as weakly as possible and republicans are playing a weak hand as strongly as possible." I don't have a direct quote source, so wording might slightly vary, but you get the picture.
Democrats need to toughen up, STOP listening to opinion polls and trying to make everyone happy. No matter what concessions are given republicans are going to do their best to sack nearly everything they come across. With comments about making health care reform Obama's "Vietnam" and running ad campaigns that state, "stop the reconcilliation" it
should be obvious compromise is not an option.
Obama should have played this election like Bush did entering his second term, not necessaruly declair his victory a "mandate from god", but lay down the law and say the people have spoken. They put a democrat in office, they overturned a republican majority, they want change. Trying to be the better person doesn't work here. The longer you try to pander to the interests of your opposition, the longer you take to enact change, the more opportunity you give to fear mongers looking to stir the pot and turn public opinion against you.
Presidents shouldn't spend their first term trying to play the middle ground to secure re-election. Polls can be manipulated, the media reports can be skewed. The president needs to focus on the delivery of his platform promises, those points and principals were what got him elected and that's what won him the popular vote.
The presidential pimp hand must be strong. Michelle Obama seems to have more balls lately.
