National Democrats
In Victory, Defeat
Republicans remind me of Barack Obama. After the 2008 election, Obama wasn’t going to restrict himself to rescuing the economy from a depression. He was also going to reform health care, re-regulate business and Wall Street, save the planet from global warning, win and end two wars, clean up campaign finances and reform the…
Read MorePower Plays
These aren’t lofty matters of principle. They’re raw, partisan power politics. In Wisconsin and New Jersey, the battles are between Republican governors and public employee unions. In North Carolina, the battles are over voter IDs and – soon – redistricting. Even Democrats who don’t like public employee unions see unions – and…
Read MoreThis Year’s Tea Party?
The seeds for the 2010 election were sown in August 2009 by the raucous public protests that morphed into the Tea Party movement. Will the public employee protests in Wisconsin sow the seeds for the 2012 election? Democrats hope so. Public employees are a big part of the party’s constituency. Democratic office-holders around…
Read MoreAmerica’s “Most Vulnerable”
WRAL’s Cullen Browder reported last night that Governor Perdue “shrugged off” a Washington Post’s blog that she’s the most vulnerable Democratic governor in the country. She has two good reasons to do so: the legislature and Barack Obama. Her reelection chances won’t really come into focus until we clear the carnage and count…
Read MorePerdue’s Veto Dilemma
Governor Perdue has good reason to be happy the Democratic convention will be in Charlotte next year (see blog below). But that could also box her in on some critical decisions this year. Exhibit A: the Republicans’ bill calling for repeal of health-care reform. Surely, the bill will pass the legislature. Does…
Read MoreThe Bullseye State
Governor Perdue called the choice of Charlotte for the Democratic convention “fantastic.” One of her advisers emailed me: “If you are posting on today’s announcement, all good from our point of view. People and resources in state, not to mention that O will be competing in NC!” As Carter told Rob Christensen in today’s…
Read MoreA Rhetorical Miss
Because I’ve written so many speeches, I can’t help being a speech critic. And I think President Obama missed the mark last night. Normally, Obama is a powerful speaker – and a great writer. And his State of the Union speech had its moments. He probably got the politics right. Even Speaker Boehner…
Read MoreAttention Must Be Paid
Looking back, President Obama made a huge strategic error in 2010: He let voters think he was spending too much time reforming health-care and not enough time creating jobs. He learned a lesson. He now promises to focus on jobs, beginning with his State of the Union speech. But did Washington Republicans miss…
Read MoreBlood and Tears
President Obama soared. Sarah Palin bombed. And, of course, John Boehner almost broke down. Let’s examine all three performances – and the implications. When even Fox News and Glenn Beck praise him, you know Obama hit a home run. But the most remarkable thing about a remarkable speech was that he had to…
Read MoreThe Reckoning
Unlike some Democrats, I’m not in despair about the Republican Party’s new power. It’s not just that I’m glad the GOP will share some – or bear all – of the blame for unpopular cuts. Rather, it’s time we finally decide how much government we want – and how much we’re willing to…
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