What will be Barack Obama's most effective lever in getting Congress to act?

[bigtree]

What tool or tactic that the new president has at his disposal - and will use to get Congress to move his legislation or support his initiatives - do you think will be the most successful and effective?

I know he's begun with a conciliatory approach (like today, on the economy), but I'm wondering which tactic or quality President Obama has or will employ will prevail and lead to success for his legislative initiatives.

[babylonsister]

1. Common sense for the greater good? He sounds very logical

to me, and possibly to many others. How do the rethugs combat what's good for the majority of Americans?

[bigtree]

3. haven't they disregarded that 'common good' (and public opinion) in the past?

. . . asking just for the sake of exploring your choice.

[babylonsister]

5. It's a new day hopefully. They no longer have Bush to hide behind

and will now be more exposed. It all depends on if they care what their constituents think about their decisions. They're starting off on shaky ground considering the results of this past election; I imagine they'll be treading carefully.

[bigtree]

8. I think that's the best choice

. . . at least right now with so much goodwill behind him

[TahitiNut]

2. The "Bully Pulpit" will be in the hands of someone who can use it.

:shrug:

[backscatter712]

4. A combination of the bully-pulpit and horsetrading pet-projects with legislators.

Obama knows perfectly well how to twist arms by offering or withholding tasty earmarks and pet legislation, and he's already making powerful use of the bully-pulpit to light a fire under Congress's ass.

[TygrBright]

6. Other: A 'gentle' suggestion that Rahm might be 'paying them a visit' soon? n/t

[babylonsister]

9. ...with a dead fish and a knife?

:rofl:

[TayTay]

7. Enlightened self-interest

The country is in a recession. The unemployment rate could top 9% this year. (Or more.) People are losing their homes, their life savings and their health insurance. This is no time for partisanship and sniping.

The American people want something to be done. The Republicans have nothing to offer to get us out of this recession. Nothing. The smart people in the Congress will want to go with Obama's plan because it is in their interests as well as the countries interest to go with this.

[azul]

10. It will be a nervous tick that he develops on Jan 20th.

That should scare the shit out of the corrupt culprits with something to hide -nearly all in congress I should imagine- what with his enhanced powers of nsa cia and fbi. Ha.

Feigned would be even more fun to prod all those with extremely guilty consciousnesses to act responsibly.

[bigtree]

11. pftt!

:spray:

[bigtree]

12. .