Home About Chat Users Issues Party Candidates Polling Firms Media News Polls Calendar Key Races United States President Senate House Governors International

New User Account
"A comprehensive, collaborative elections resource." 
Email: Password:

  Could Barack Obama become the next Ronald Reagan?
NEWS DETAILS
Parent(s) Candidate 
ContributorScottĀ³ 
Last EditedScottĀ³  Nov 29, 2008 11:05pm
Logged 1 [Older]
CategoryOpinion
MediaMagazine - Newsweek
News DateSaturday, November 29, 2008 05:00:00 AM UTC0:0
DescriptionBy Eleanor Clift of Newsweek.

Excerpt...
"Enough with the Lincoln analogies; Reagan is the president that Barack Obama is most closely modeling himself after. Ronald Reagan inherited stagflation, a defeat abroad and a nation at its nadir in morale. Through the sheer force of his personality as much as his policies, four years later, it was "Morning in America," the theme of his 1984 re-election campaign when he won 49 states. Obama isn't president yet, but his determined calm and orderly transition pace appear to be soothing the financial markets, producing the first sustained gain in stocks since the mid-September meltdown.

On Jan. 20, Obama will take the oath of office, join a private luncheon in Statuary Hall, then meet with congressional leaders and, if all goes according to plan, sign into law a massive stimulus plan before he proceeds up Pennsylvania Avenue to the viewing stand outside the White House for the Inaugural Parade. Reagan initiated the tradition of the Inaugural Day meeting with the legislative barons, a gesture that signals respect and sets a tone for the 100-day dash when a president can be most productive.

This will be the first time since 1960 that two senators have gone directly from Capitol Hill to the White House. The people they're bringing with them, together with the relationships they have, constitute an unparalleled early warning system. Unlike Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, who quickly ran afoul of their Democratic majorities, Obama will be better wired on Capitol Hill than anybody in either party since Lyndon Johnson. Rahm Emanuel has a boatload of IOUs he can call in as chief of staff along with a high sensitivity to what it takes to preserve and build an enduring majority. Phil Schilero, tapped as Obama's liaison to Capitol Hill, has deep roots in Congress both as a top aide to former Senate leader Tom Daschle and as ace House investigator Henry Waxman's longtime sidekick."
Share
ArticleRead Full Article

NEWS
Date Category Headline Article Contributor

DISCUSSION