Posted on 03/12/2015 12:31:06 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
.........Earlier this week, [Obama] waded into state politics, sharply denouncing Walker for signing legislation in Wisconsin that prohibited mandatory union dues.
"Even as its governor claims victory over working Americans, I'd encourage him to try and score a victory for working Americans - by taking meaningful action to raise their wages and offer them the security of paid leave," Obama said in a statement.
In both instances, he signaled he was not going to entirely ignore the 2016 contest or its main players if there was an opportunity to advance his own agenda.
"We're going to engage in this dynamic by being opportunistic," White House press secretary Josh Earnest said in an interview. "That means not popping off with a response every time a Republican comes up with a creative way to insult the president. It also means not necessarily pouncing every time we sense vulnerability on the Republican side."....
...."Republicans are engaging principally by reacting to things that we are doing. That is an indication that the president is the only one who is on offense right now," Earnest said. "It's true of the way we interact with the 2016 candidates on the Republican side, and it's true of the way we interact with Republicans on Capitol Hill.".....
(Excerpt) Read more at ksl.com ...
“In both instances, he [Obama] signaled he was not going to entirely ignore the 2016 contest or its main players if there was an opportunity to advance his own agenda.”
There it is. He’ll do whatever is in his presidential powers to ensure a progressive is elected in 2016 — and we’ve seen how he’s interpreted his presidential powers. Be very afraid.
He’s getting no push back from our “leaders” on the Hill - so he has a bounce in his step.
If our elected officials took the reigns he’d be singing a different tune.
You know that headline is right on target. Here we have a political party blowing away opportunity afer opportunity to prevent the destruction of this God inspired magnificent form of constitutional government and they can’t even mention that their political opposition rejected any reference to God at their 2012 National convention.
The failure by this leadership comprized of GOPES, GOP Elite Statists of the current political opposition known as Republicans to understand that their unwillingness to realize that allowing it to contunue is leading to the systematic destruction of that constitution because of their selfish interests is profoundly disturbing.
We’re witnessing how anemic our elected officials in DC are, while at the same time finding that the real Republican strength is rising from within states - locally and state-wide.
He's getting no push back from our "leaders" on the Hill - so he has a bounce in his step.
It's his naked arrogance that makes him so much more transparent, and much less likable to the average person than he was aspiring to be in 2007 and 2008. When Bill Clinton was getting into trouble politically, he could count on his "I feel your pain" persona, to bail him out; Obama has no personal "out" when he gets into trouble, which is one reason why his poll numbers are not likely to rise and are likely to be a drag on Democrats in 2016... and they know it, yet have no choice but keep doubling down with him.
He may have a bounce in his step but his arrogance makes him pick the wrong battles, on the wrong fields and at the wrong time, and he is risking to lose and is losing a large number of them (in courts and elections, and later on in executive authority), with substantial — but still "safe" for now — portion of Democrats in Congress abandoning him on key issues (like on Keystone votes).
Display of arrogance could be a smart tactic, when it's a part of a wider overall strategy; in this case it's "organic" and is just a tactic without a strategy... except kicking the can as far down the road as possible, hoping to distract and run out the clock, and some Hail Mary passes, hoping for Republicans to make a mistake (which, knowing the GOP, they just might oblige).
"Pick battles big enough to matter, small enough to win" - Jonathan Kozol
"Don't fight a battle if you don't gain anything by winning" - Gen. George S. Patton, Jr.
"Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake" - Napoléon Bonaparte
"True genius is knowing when to stop" - Johann von Goethe
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