If I Were the President...

I won't go into too much of an autopsy on what happened tonight. That the liberal state of Massachusetts just sent a conservative, Tea Party state senator to Ted Kennedy's seat in the U.S. Senate says an awful lot about the amount of political power Barack Obama has at the moment. Head over to RealClearPolitics for a rundown of the coming tearing-to-shreds which the president is about to endure, which may continue until November 3rd, 2010.

But if I were the president, I would make a couple of quick adjustments and start to gird myself for the coming fight. There is a reason why presidents and Congresses don't like to have serious issues to fight on (like health care) during an election year. For both sides, hot button issues are framing issues and wedge issues to be used against incumbent parties holding power. But health care is quickly looking like a solid wedge issue breaking in the Republicans favor, meaning that even in open seats and challenging seats, Democrats might have a hard time. Only those Dems that transcend party status (i.e., Jerry Brown of California) might find success in 2010.

Adjustment 1: pass health care of any kind, immediately. Threaten, cajole, negotiate. Get as much as you can, but whatever you do, hurry up. Either do it before Senator-elect Scott Brown of Massachusetts takes office or have the House pass the Senate version. If this is the last use of positional power you express as president, make it this.

Why? Because if you don't, not only are you a loser in the Bay State, but then you get made out to be a loser on your political agenda. The last year will have little except unpopular policies to run on, and your signature issue can't even be spun by your party pollsters in your favor. Literally, you'll have no record to run on. And, while that may seem fine in an okay economic environment, people without jobs expect results. And there are a lot of people without jobs out there.

Adjustment 2: after health care, start working with Republicans. You might not get much this year, but it can lessen the damage of 2010. The fact is that the partisan attitude, by both Democrats and Republicans, is poisonous. Continuing it and believing that 2008 was a mandate for strong Democratic rule was a misstep. At this moment, people are crying out for bipartisanship - even if only for a few months between the ever growing media-driven election cycles.

Start working with moderate Republicans on a regular basis, and pick your issues with conservatives. Make a show of listening to all sides. And then hope that people start to notice before 2012.

Finally, Adjustment 3: do not isolate Barack Obama. Lately, it would seem the president has become a little G.W. Bush in his belief that he was chosen by the people (not god) to lead. And that his mandate to lead alone provides him enough credibility to simply push things through without explanation or listening. Barack Obama has to be a leader by consensus, and not by force. People elected a person thinking he would unify, and guide, and lead. Instead, they have found a largely hands-off president, unsure of when to directly intervene and allowing big political decisions to be made by his hired hands. President Obama is a smooth guy, and trusting his instincts and intellect in this situation might be wise. Take it easy and keep things smooth. That's the way forward. Stay front and center, and bring people together. That's what people elected in 2008. As cliche as it sounds, people still want a "uniter, and not a divider."