There was opportunity in some of last weeks bad news but the president failed to seize it.
By Karl Rove
Following the passage of the unpopular debt-ceiling bill and a barrage of awful economic numbers the Standard & Poors downgrade of Americas credit rating capped the worst week of Barack Obamas presidency.
Every president faces bad news. Not every one becomes smaller and weaker as he does. Character makes itself known in moments of hardship.
Americans respect presidents who are strong leaders decisive and credible. In recent months Mr. Obama hasnt shown strength.
Some of this comes from his compulsive need to blame others. For example in response to the unprecedented downgrading his administration lashed out at Standard & Poors and the tea party movement.
Implyingas he did in remarks to veterans at the Washington Navy Yard last weekthat the economys poor performance was related to the Arab Spring and the Japanese tsunami made him look foolish.
Then there was the presidents Monday speech that rather than calming fears stirred them up. The stock market declined as he spoke.
What might he have done instead?
First he should have spoken over the weekend so his words could sink in before markets opened. But after deciding to remain silent until Monday he should have waited until U.S. markets closed. And instead of another robotic teleprompter speech he might have brought in the press at the end of a lengthy meeting with business leaders for informal comments.
There surrounded by Warren Buffett and other business allies Mr. Obama could have signaled without having to say so explicitly that he had learned from his policies shortcomings. After HillaryCare failed and the GOP took
control of the House in November 1994 President Bill Clinton made clear he was pivoting to the center: no abject apology but it worked.
Mr. Obama could have acknowledged the urgent need for more fiscal discipline and outlined how to get to the $4 trillion in deficit reduction required to put the debt on a downward path. And he could have brought up reforming entitlements whose skyrocketing costs are increasingly the source of Americas fiscal problems.
He might have started with proposals many Democrats as well as Republicans support. These include raising the age at which people are eligible for Medicare modestly increasing deductibles and co-pays for wealthier seniors and changing how benefit increases are calculated for inflation. Indeed these were all proposals the Obama administration favored at one time or another.
Rather than holding out for a grand bargain on entitlements Mr. Obama could have proposed passing reforms one or two at a time building confidence inside Congress for even more difficult actions. As his own outgoing Council of Economic Advisers Chairman Austan Goolsbee said Sunday Cant we wait on the things that were going to yell at each other about and start on the things that we agree on?
The president could have pledged to reform the tax code to produce more robust growth that will create jobs and raise more revenue without hiking rates. Everyone knows Mr. Obama wants higher tax rates. Everyone knows the Republican House wont pass them. So why not focus on what is possible?
Off-camera Mr. Obama could have taken two other important steps.
First stop teeing off on congressional Republicans whose help he needs to accomplish anything this year.
And second attend far fewer fundraisers until Congress goes out in December. He must rescue his presidency by spending more time on his job not his politics.
These steps however are probably beyond the president. This West Wing is almost completely focused on the presidents re-election not on policy.
Because they cannot defend his record Team Obama will attempt to kill their political opponents as one
Democratic strategist told Politico.com this week. These are difficult days for our president. Buffeted by events he looks weak dazed and over his head.
And in 15 months unless he finds some way to turn things around he will be voted out of office.
Mr. Rove the former senior adviser and deputy chief of staff to President George W. Bush is the author of Courage and Consequence.
