Many times over the months since the election, Barack Obama has described the current economic meltdown as a nexus of crisis and opportunity. Most recently the words he has chosen to use in describing this are "Paradox and Opportunity". These terms could just as accurately be used to describe the challenge of building a post partisan atmosphere in Washington.
The President for his part will need to carefully walk the line between his role as the instigator of that revolution and the titular head of one of the chief antagonists in the drama - the Democratic Party. He must protect his Democratic flank as he reaches across the aisle to help create a third way of doing business in Washington.
Ironically, in another parallel to the economic crisis, he has to foster a revolution while maintaining the marketplace that drives the engines of ideas and innovation. Like Roosevelt, who is often said to have been the person who saved capitalism, he must - on both fronts - lead us to a place where the creative conflict that has been the hallmark of the system survives and thrives in a new era, but the bitter, snarkiness of partisanship, greed and one-upsmanship of the current environment gives way to an era of accountability, transparency and civility.
There are many who say it cannot be done. There are also many who say it should not be done because success would mean the destruction of the creative forces that shape the dynamism of the American example.
Those among us who believe that it can and should be done must avoid the pitfalls of cynicism and simplistic thinking and sloganeering if we are to succeed. We should not simply write off the concerns of those who are worried about the destruction of the marketplace of ideas. They have a legitimate concern. After all, Americans will never march in lockstep. We cherish the diversity of viewpoints in both the financial marketplace and the marketplace of ideas. Rightfully, we believe that it is the forge in which our greatness is cast.
Likewise the political parties cannot be expected to relinquish their principles, nor should they. There will be some times when the chasm separating the two parties will be so broad that nothing can bridge it. At those times civility would be an adequate substitute for bi-partisanship.
So here are a few suggestions for all of us - especially for those of us who want to see us move toward a post-partisan future.
Post-Partisan is NOT necessarily Bi-Partisan
Don't confuse "Post-Partisan" with "Bi-partisan". Post partisan presumes that we are attempting to move beyond the divisions of the rabid partisanship that has characterized the legislative process for the past 10-16 years. It refers more to a set of principles and an atmosphere of civility than to some mythical place where the same number of legislators sign on from both parties.
Bifurcate the quest for bi-partisanship and post partisan behavior.
Seek Bipartisanship in a pragmatic way. Inside the beltway it will most difficult of all. Our expectations and approach should reflect this. Don't expect elected officials from one party to embrace the ideas of the elected officials from the other party. What happens inside the Washington Beltway will, by necessity, be mostly for atmospherics. Not for show but rather to develop an air of civility. Build your important coalitions outside the Beltway. If you are going to make appointments across party lines, elected officials are just about the last place you want to look, for two important reasons, first because the partisans won't be vested in your success (see: Gregg, Judd, R-NH); second - and probably more important - these folks may understand the politics but they will rarely actually have a well balanced understanding of the issues themselves.
Look for representatives of the other party from the ranks of those who are DOING not talking and who naturally have a stake in success that is not tied to the next election. Back to Judd Gregg for a moment - since he's the Senator from my state - President Obama would have been better off to offer the Commerce position to the Republican that our Governor was going to appoint to take over for Judd in the Senate. Bonnie Newman would have been a better choice for Commerce right from the start, based on the depth of her experiences and her record of actually being able to work across party lines.
In short: build bi-partisanship where parties have a stake in the success of the outcomes. In other words, work directly with the folks who are outside the beltway where the message of bi-partisanship isn't a foriegn concept and force feed bi-partisanship to the folks inside the beltway.
Create Post-Partisan Centrist Coalitions
This is one of those places where the Obama supporters will need to take the lead and recognize that the President has a duality of interest that encumbers his ability to act in a completely free manner on this front.
One of the great ironies of the current situation is that the success of the Democrats during the last two elections has made "moderate" republicans an endangered species in the House and threatens to do the same in the Senate.
Obama was unable to form a bi-partisan coalition on the stimulus bill because the centrists within the Republican party's elected ranks have been "killed off" during two elections that became referrenda on the Bush Presidency and the irrelevancy of the Republican brand.
At a time when our President would like to reach out, he looks over and realizes that all the folks to whom he could have reached out lost to Democrats in the last election or the proceeding one. Sometimes their replacement is a Democrat even more conservative than the Republican they replaced. In truth, the President would - in many cases - have been better off with a moderate Republican occupying that seat, but the obligation of the party is to win with a Democrat. Herein lies the rub. We need a political force that works to create or strengthen the middle . . . a force not beholden to either the Democrats or the Republicans.
Keep Taking the Case to the People
Ronald Reagan did it effectively and Barack Obama figured out very quickly that he should take a page out of Reagan's book. The people, collectively, are a whole lot smarter than most politicians and pundits give them credit for. Don't talk down to them, tell them the truth and give them the good and the bad and you will be rewarded for it.
"S-Curve in Green"
Order this image as a print or card.
No comments:
Post a Comment