Go big, Mr. President. You will win, and so will America.
“I think America’s broad center understands very clearly that the country is in trouble and that the Republican Party has gone nuts. But when they look at Obama on the deficit, they feel something is missing. People know leadership when they see it — when they see someone taking a political risk, not just talking about doing so, not just saying, “I’ll jump if the other guy jumps.” In times of crisis, leaders jump first, lay out what truly needs to be done to fix the problem, not just to win re-election, and by doing so earn the right to demand that others do the same.[…] My gut says that if the president lays out such a plan — one that begins with him taking all the political risks on himself and then demanding the G.O.P. and his own party follow — he will be both defining himself and the future in a way that would earn him so much centrist support and respect that it would leave every possible Republican opponent in the dust, no matter how obstructionist they are or want to be.
— New York Times » Thomas L. Friedman “Go Big, Mr. Obama”
Friedman’s points are all well taken, especially given what we’ve seen of the “Occupy Movement” over the past few months. I can’t think of a better historical opportunity for President Obama to show up in a big way, come this 2012 election season.
Still, I’ve overheard more than a few folks go off on a tirade about President Obama, who quite sincerely “want their money back.” Their arguments are peppered with really valid critiques, but I worry when I hear those critiques lodged as “the reason(s)” to replace him.
Frankly, I’m invested in critiquing and challenging President Obama as a long term strategy. And IMHO it’s not just the President’s job to “step his game up.”
I think we all have room to: DO BETTER.
-[bLaK.]
