"a funny thing happened on the way back to the usual bickering..."

[Clio the Leo]

And you thought Obama hadn't accomplished anything. ;)

Jonathan Alter
The Blair House Test
Obama's summit sets a precedent.

The summit at Blair House didn't get stellar reviews: bloggers found it boring, and the participants left with mostly the same views they held on arrival. Democrats intended the meeting to be a final gesture of bipartisanship—a recognition that the public yearned to see politicians working together—before using their majority to ram home the health-care bill. Republicans saw it as a chance to spread their talking point that it's time to "start over" and go "step by step." Real deal-cutting will continue to take place, as always, behind closed doors.

But a funny thing happened on the way back to the usual bickering. The wonky cable conclave became one of the most important events of the year old Obama presidency—and for reasons beyond its potential to advance landmark legislation. The leaders didn't actually accomplish anything, but they inadvertently created a new democratic institution. The face-off set a teleprompter-free precedent that will be tough for future presidents or members of Congress to break. Now the skills required to chair a bipartisan gathering, master complex policy details, and adeptly summarize relevant arguments will be added to those of anyone seeking the presidency. Being quick and cogent in response will be part of any calculation of who should be House speaker or majority or minority leader. Having experienced one of these summits, the press and public will demand more. So savor the good news for the future: smarter presidents, smarter leaders on both sides of the aisle.

Too Pollyannaish? Not if you take the long view. We imagine that traditions of democracy are permanent; they aren't. In the early republic, congressmen did most politicking in the Washington boardinghouses where they lived without their families. In the century between Jefferson and Wilson, presidents delivered State of the Union Messages in writing, not in person. Until FDR, most presidents insisted press questions be submitted beforehand, not asked orally.

<snip>

Now, when Congress seems hopelessly out of date, we've adapted a fresh approach from abroad. After C-Span began airing the British Parliament's Question Time, many people asked why we couldn't do something similar here. To his credit, John McCain proposed just that in 2008. Obama wouldn't embrace it publicly, but he liked the idea of mixing it up with Republicans, and in the early days of his presidency he met with the House GOP caucus. When Obama learned that Minority Leader John Boehner had instructed members to vote against the stimulus bill before the president showed up, Obama felt played. Instead of fulfilling his campaign promise to negotiate health care in front of the cameras, he handed it to surrogates, who cut backroom deals. But after the Massachusetts fiasco, Obama adapted Question Time for his own purposes. He routed Republican lawmakers at a televised retreat in January, a success that convinced him he could make a public summit on health care work.

The reason the Blair House summit will likely be repeated (on terrorism, perhaps, or jobs) is that, this time, the GOP looked good, too. The win-win event gave the party a chance to move beyond obstruction and showcase some of its lesser-known leaders. Even when they and others assaulted the truth, there was time for the record to be set straight. The tone remained civil.

So when the Republican presidential campaign gets going in 2011, expect Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty, Sarah Palin & Co. to squabble over who would best handle congressional leaders in bipartisan summits. And expect Obama backers to point to his performances as proof that their man can already do the job.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/234266

A President known for his intellect and ability to communicate. My, how far we've come.

[Schema Thing]

1. if only

[customerserviceguy]

2. Wishful thinking

It was a snooze-a-thon, that just generated a few sound bites for each side in their election campaigns. It wasn't about anything of substance, and most Americans ignored it.

[babylonsister]

6. Excuse me? Seems quite a few people didn't ignore it...

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/ratings/health_care_summit_fox_draws_most_viewers_cnn_sees_largest_boost_153413.asp?c=rss

Fox News Channel drew the most viewers during yesterday's health care summit, by far. During the summit hours (9:45am-5:30pmET), FNC drew more Total Viewers and A25-54 demo viewers than CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, and HLN combined.

FNC, which did not interrupt the feed from the summit's start until the 1pm lunch break, drew its most viewers in the 11amET hour, as did MSNBC. CNN drew its most in the 4pmET hour.

CNN, which had the second-most viewers, was up +98% against its year-to-date average for the 10am-5:30pmET hours. MSNBC was up +75% and FNC was up +45%.

The White House says 3.9 million users streamed the summit at its website.

[Clio the Leo]

10. And considering who Fox's viewers are, this is VERY good news....

.... six hours (even if they didn't sit and watch the whole thing like I did) of uninterrupted, teleprompter-free Obama.

[customerserviceguy]

17. And suddenly

the Faux viewers were going to realize how smart the President is, and change their ways?

Not gonna happen.

[Clio the Leo]

21. yep, that was the goal....

... to change national opinion in one afternoon.

No wonder the "base" is so easily dissatisfied .... they were hoping for a microwave, not a man.

[jbnow]

27. A lot of Dems turned to fox during an ad.... and stayed there because fox was ad free

in AM.

I do get c-span 3 and watched there. In calls during lunch break and after summit the calls were surprisingly pro-Obama. Even republicans surprised guy taking the calls because they thought republicans weren't saying anything AND hated their view on pre-existing condition. The host always asked them what they'd most like to see and coverage of pre-existing conditions was always one of them. republicans just wanted the high risk pool for them.

There was an independent that sounded like an Obama is a nazi taking over america type and a couple of dems who really thought single payer was the best way
The republican calls surprised me.

I was also a little surprised by the offense many took at Obama's disrespecting Senators by using their first name. Even Matthews! Like he was making some power play.
Did george always call them Senator XXX when talking to them? Did Clinton? A strange complaint it seemed.

[goclark]

11. Ding! Ding! Ding! that was a winner babylonsister

:fistbump:

[customerserviceguy]

16. How many Americans who didn't have some to "root" for

were watching? Faux News viewers were looking for the Rethugs to put the President and the Democratic leadership in their place. They sure weren't learning how stupid the Rethugs were looking, they cannot see that.

As for numbers, you haven't provided any other than the streamers from the White House site. A mere 4% of the electorate, as I calculate it. I would expect that 80-90% of them were rooting for one side or the other.

[Cha]

8. Wishful thinking on your part

that it didn't have the desired effect that the President and the Dems wanted.

[customerserviceguy]

18. It's wishful thinking on Newsweak's part

to think that this kind of summit will happen again and again. Because it didn't work, it won't be tried ever again.

[Cha]

22. Only because the chicken ass repukes won't want to

have their chickenasses handed to them again by a Dem Pres.

[Jennicut]

3. I have always loved watching British Parliament's Question Time.

Obama was a good mediator, at the very least. I would have sworn and flipped off the GOP by the 5th minute in.

[tularetom]

4. "...he handed it to surrogates, who cut backroom deals"

Gee I wonder who they're talking about?

This guy is so capable he doesn't need a chief of staff. And he especially does not need the one he has, who has undercut him at every step along the way.

[Go2Peace]

5. It was an event from the history book but outside the beltway it was a wash

To the public it just looked like "business as usual" and in fact we provided the Republicans a chance to get their talking points together and they did a fairly good job painting the picture they wanted.

Most people did not have time to watch the whole discussion, which if people were really paying attention favored our position. The real effect was a wash. I doubt it did what we would like to think it did.

[Cha]

7. No, it wasn't a "wash"..all anyone talked about

at my job..customers and staff alike was how the republicans didn't have anything to offer and the President was knowledgeable in the intricacies of Health Care Reform.

Yes, this President did a great job..and just like Jonathan Alter states..he's set a precident.

[Clio the Leo]

9. Yeah, that's what I heard as well...

... I dont bring up politics at work .... but if the President does something GOOD, I hear about it.

And this was one of those times.

[Cha]

23. Yeah, it was the talk of the town..

and I don't bring it up either anymore bc I think they're tired of me always talking about it.

But, if someone else brings it up then I'm more than glad to chime in. :fistbump:

[goclark]

12. Oops! ~ perhaps you didn't see this part...

From Babylonsister.....

"Fox News Channel drew the most viewers during yesterday's health care summit, by far. During the summit hours (9:45am-5:30pmET), FNC drew more Total Viewers and A25-54 demo viewers than CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, and HLN combined.

FNC, which did not interrupt the feed from the summit's start until the 1pm lunch break, drew its most viewers in the 11amET hour, as did MSNBC. CNN drew its most in the 4pmET hour.

CNN, which had the second-most viewers, was up +98% against its year-to-date average for the 10am-5:30pmET hours. MSNBC was up +75% and FNC was up +45%.

The White House says 3.9 million users streamed the summit at its website"

Seems like millions watched ~

[Clio the Leo]

14. MILLIONS watched.....

.... sadly, some had their ears covered and their eyes closed.

[goclark]

15. Delete

[Cha]

25. Thank you, goclark and babylonsister!~

[goclark]

29. K for those with eyes wide open this morrning

[CaliforniaPeggy]

13. K&R

[bvar22]

19. Excellent Kabuki Theater for the easily distracted.

But on the only front that matters, The POLICY front everything is still exactly the same.
The "Centrist" Democrats (including Obama) working with their (Economic) Ideological Twins, the Republicans, are STILL going to transfer a Trillion Dollars of Public Money to the private For Profit pockets of the Health Insurance Industry, a subsidiary of Wall Street.

The Right to make a Profit will trump the Human Right to Health Care.
A "Uniquely American Solution"...indeed.

But I'll admit, it WAS masterful Kabuki Theater.

"Man, that Obama sure Smackdowned those Republicans, HOOT... HOOT <High Five + Victory Lap>

[Clio the Leo]

20. ehhhh

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=433&topic_id=197665

Granted, Howard is CHIEF among the Obama cheerleaders, bad example I know. :eyes:

[verges]

26. I didn't see all of it. But....

I did not see anyone in Kabuki make-up or a Kimono. I think you are misusing the term. (I realize your not the first, nor the last to do this. But it is still a misuse.)

[stevenleser]

24. K&R Good Analysis

This needs to be kept up and kept up until it truly is something a President has to do. That will keep the idiots (read: George W. Bush and Sarah Palin) out.

[brand404]

28. What confuses me about Obama is his willingness to cut those backroom deals....

CLEARLY he is by far the smartest president, possibly of all time, and clearly ranks as one of the greatest communicators of all time but his weakness seems to be his willingness to bend backwards and even take bad deals for who no what reason....i just wish he was a strong-left supporter because this guy has the package to be a lengendary president but baffingly enjoys shooting himself in the foot at times...wtf?