Obama Bungled the Selling of the Stimulus Bill
Now that he's won the White House, Barack Obama, legendary master-campaigner, seems to have forgotten the importance of inspiring the American people to rise up and support his goals.
If only Obama's grandmother was still here to remind him again to smile once in a while, and to not get mired by his somber, oft despairing temperament...
If only Obama and Congressional Democrats had publicly showed a lot more more respect and celebratory enthusiasm for their own stimulus bill...
If only Obama didn't sometimes confuse appropriate humility with useless , over-the-top, on-camera groveling...
... then the Obama administration's $825-billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 would be sailing smoothly through Congress, heartily and excitedly supported by a majority of Americans, and with Congressional Republicans scrambling to not be viewed as unproductive naysayers and flat-earth obstructionists.
But...
- because Obama rolled out this initiative with solemnity, grim tones and a complete lack of detailed explanation directly to the American people;
- because Democrats seemed wholly unprepared to explain the worthiness of their own legislation;
- because Obama, Pelosi and other Democratic leaders appeared grimacingly defensive, vague and even fearful when asked legitimate questions about the bill;and
- because news organizations reported that Obama pleaded at length for the Republican minority to support this bill...
... Republican Congressional leaders, supreme masters of the fear-mongering soundbite, nonsensically have the soundbite power on this issue, and most of the cable news camera time.
As a result, the Republican minority's carping has the full attention of the American people. And the Democrats never adequately made their case to anyone but the party faithful.
Democratic leadership looks fearful and a bit dumb, qualities that don't inspire confidence. And deep wells of optimistic confidence are what Americans need for our economy to begin to rebuild itself.
If H.R.1, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, is not successful in sufficiently stimulating the U.S. economy, it will be because bill provisions were not bold enough to mitigate the problems, and especially, because President Obama and Democratic leadership failed to boldly communicate their own confidence in this legislation.
The fact is that there's much to celebrate in this long overdue legislation, including:
- spending which will jump-start innumerable businesses and provide jobs;
- tax cuts for millions of middle-class Americans and small businesses;
- more unemployment benefits and food stamp assistance for the beleaguered;
- $150 billion for the desperately ailing U.S public education system and for college affordability;
- major support for Amtrak and public transit systems, which will both provide jobs and cut expenses for Americans.
Obama, Pelosi, Reid and compatriots should have rolled out this bill to the exuberant tune of "Happy Days Are Here Again," rather than to strains of Bon Jovi's 1992 "Fear"
"Fear fear fear
Of a new thing
Fear fear fear
Of the brass ring"
But they didn't. So everyone I know now lacks full confidence in Obama's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, rather than feeling relieved elation that the beginning of the end of U.S. economic misery is at hand.
This is a surprisingly lackluster start for a President who campaigned as the Great Inspirer.
And I'm also surprised that even with a Democrat in the White House and substantial majorities in both houses of Congress, Obama and Democratic leaders persist in acting like the timid, abused victims that they were under George Bush and Dick Cheney.
Grow a backbone, Democrats, and show a little dignity. And please... seize this moment of would-be contagious joy and optimism before the moment has irrevocably passed.
The fate of our nation depends on it.
- Related Reading
- Obama's Economic Stimulus Plan
- Why the Dollar Has Stengthened
- New York Times: Stimulus Plan Would Provide Flood of Aid to Education
(Photo taken on Jan 28, 2009: Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Comments
I hope some opinion-makers are reading this, I think it’s exactly the tone we should be taking.
I hope you don’t really mean that lawmakers and the public should heartily approve anything “sold with a smile!” This bill is a big blank check full of pork. Some of that pork will be coming the way of my federal agency, which is good for me – but what about the rest of you?
I’ve just been listening too much to NPR’s Planet Money to feel good about this. I think I am more in the Austrian school of economics than the Keynesian. I don’t think we can spend our way out of this. I don’t trust lawmakers to put money where it can really do good, instead they always hand it to the people who paid for their campaigns.
It’s too easy to view this as the easy way for Obama to make good on his campaign promises without any real checks and balances.
Someone, maybe the Senate Democrats, should jump in here and save Obama from himself. This bill will do nothing but fund progressive projects and move us closer to a European socialist kind of government. Very little will stimulate the economy and if this recession hangs on for 2 more years, it could be a Democrat bloodbath in 2010. Now, I’d like to see that, but not at the expense of seeing the country slide down the financial tubes. It could also be the first and last nail in his coffin as a 4 year president. Now that’s something to cheer about!
C
Need to know when the great ad, Pros and Cons of Free Trade Agreements was written. Thank tou
It apears that everything that obama said he planded to do while he was running for office, he has now started to concerning the middle east. Under Obama I am sure the U S will dump Israel. Then Israel will be forced to take out the Iran nuke plants. And this could start (WWIII) world war 3 .
Unprepared to explain the worthiness of their own legislation?? Obama, Pelosi and other democratic leaders appeared grimacingly defensive?? Perhaps because they know exactly what this “stimulus bill” is. It’s nothing but Obama’s campaign promises all rolled into one big spending spree. It gas darn little to do with stimulus and they know it.
Selling a stimulus bill that won’t stimulate anything but pork barrel spending. A bill written by the same “experts” that were doing the TV circuits in August saying that bankrupt companies like Lehman Brothers were healthy.
I can’t imagine why Obama would have trouble selling that.
Are you people serious?!!?!? The $825 billion should have sailed thru Congress?! Our children are going to have to pay for this!!! WE DO NOT NEED GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION AND IF THEY’RE GOING TO “SPEND” THE MONEY WE TAXPAYERS HAD TO FORK OVER TO THEM, GIVE IT BACK TO US SO WE CAN PAY DOWN OUR HOUSES, CARS, DEBT -NOT GIVING IT TO BANKS, AND BUSINESS!!! YOU LIBERALS ARE ALL LOONEY, NO WONDER YOU DON’T SEE THE DICOTOMY IN YOUR THINKING: YOU THINK BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN OR GEORGE SOROSE IS GOING TO GIVE THE MILLIONS THEY HAVE!??!!! NOPE! THEY BELIEVE IN A SOCIALIST UTOPIAN SOCIETY AFTER THEY’VE ALREADY MADE THEIR MONEY IN AS CAPITALISTS IN A CAPITALIST SOCIETY/ECONOMY!! I’D LIKE TO SEE SOROSE OR SPRINGSTEEN OR ANY OTHER RICH LIB GIVE US “COMMON FOLK” A PORTION OF THEIR WEALTH TO “HELP” OUT THEIR FELLOW MAN!!!
THIS IS GARBAGE!!! YOU LIBS WILL RUIN THIS COUNTRY!!!!
This, from Sweetntess and Light sums it up.
7 Broken Promises in Record Time
1. Make government open and transparent.
2. Make it “impossible” for Congressmen to slip in pork barrel projects.
3. Meetings where laws are written will be more open to the public. (Even Congressional Republicans shut out.)
4. No more secrecy.
5. Public will have 5 days to look at a bill.
6. You’ll know what’s in it.
7. We will put every pork barrel project online.
Funny, but not one of Mr. Obama’s promises were met with the most expensive spending bill i