Give 'em Hell, Barry!

Note to Obama Speechwriters for Thursday night!

In order to regain his base and restore his popularity with the American people, in his primetime speech to a Joint Session of Congress Thursday night ,   the President needs to change the dynamic of the debate,  step to the podium,  and tell Congress, which is even less popular than he is, that the jig is up.  He needs to clearly state that he will no longer cotton to their fancies, or those of their lobbyists, and instead,  that he will dance with the crowd that brung him. Having been unable to woo the Republicans to embrace the spirit of bipartisanship and to put country ahead of party for the last nearly three years, he is going to stop trying and start fighting for what he believes in!

    To  further woo the unwooable is a fools errand. He has tried compromise, which has only weakened him. He has argued to convince the better angels of their nature, and they not only remain unconvinced, they have scorned him.

He has even unwittingly accepted part of the blame they have wittingly assigned him for the debt ceiling debate debacle, with the likes of Sean Hannity even referring to him as President Downgrade! He may have become President downgrade by his own hand by downgrading the bona fides of his own leadership in failing to fight for those values which he and his followers believe in! He has lessened  his own relevance in the marketplace of ideas because he has validated theirs and their agenda, simply by marching to the beat of their drummer, rather than creating a drumbeat of his own cadence.”

    The pundits would have you believe that “It's the economy, stupid!’ That no incumbent President can be assured of re-election, when the jobless rate is still soaring above 9 %   and the stock market in a downward roller coaster ride. I say... Not true, in this very limited fact pattern. He could make the case that what he inherited was nothing short of a debacle, and that he has at least staved off an even greater debacle so far, and it would be believable...because it's true!

  But to do so...he has to speak truth to the pretenders to the throne, and make the case for what government can do to help the private sector regain it's footing, so we can bounce back for real. To do so though...he has to be genuine, not disingenuous. He needs to face his tormentors and call their bluff. Americans will rally to support a tough talking truth teller much faster than they will come to the aid of a tough talking , but weak kneed negotiator who has  never met a Republican plan he hasn't wanted to cave to.

    He can stare down the beast on Thursday night, and tell Congress and the American people straight out that there is indeed a deficit problem we need to tackle, and that  is the deficit in the amount of taxes we collect from those most able to pay! Our deficit comes from our failure to collect taxes from those to whom much has been given. To wit: those Americans who earn over $250,000, only 43% of whom paid any income tax at all last year!

They can afford accountants and lawyers who can guide them through the tax code to loophole heaven. They can afford  the lobbyists who created those loopholes by having their bought and paid for Congressional minions vote the loopholes into the tax code to begin with.

    Tax cuts and deficits do not mix. Ask any economist . Our current red ink problem stems not from the projected insolvency of the Social Security or Medicare system, but from the very tax cuts former President Bush spearheaded the enactment of at a time of balanced budgets and even budgetary surplus. Couple that with two unfunded wars and an unfunded prescription drug program.  We have met the enemy, and it is not Grandma, or future Grandmas. It is those advocating for a continuation of those  very tax cuts which have become the government funding/deficit problem. We have met the enemy, and it is our own timidity.

   Speak truth to power MR . President! Be true to your  school! Rah rah , sis boom bah!
Cheer for what  you  and your followers believe in, and let the chips fall where they may!  The alternative is to exit stage left, long before it is time for you to do so. Raise the curtain anew on your Presidency. Don't let them bring the curtain down around you,

    Mr. President...Fight , fight, fight ... With all of your might! In so doing you will regain your "mojo", and return your followers to the fold, and with your renewed and re-energized base, together we can keep the audacity of hope alive.