Mr. President? Helllooo? Mr. Obama? Yo Barry!
When you take a break from selling the American Job Act turn on the television.
Find a news channel with some guts. One that's not afraid to cover Occupy Wall Street and resist the temptation to write them off as noisy kids or lazy hippies.
These kids are part of your base, they came out in droves in 2008 and voted for you. They dared to hope that an idealist with a clear vision could lead us away from the abyss we found ourselves teetering on.
Don't get me wrong, you've accomplished a lot. PPACA is a step in the right direction. You've worked to disengage us from Iraq and Afghanistan. Your refocusing of the military has achieved tangible results. Your stimulus package helped keep the economy from skidding right over a cliff.
I don't blame you for the absurdly childish way Republicans are behaving. Unfortunately this generation of conservatives would rather throw a temper tantrum than accept that they utterly failed as leaders and were soundly rebuked in 2006 and 2008.
But in this humble blogger's opinion, you've done a less than stellar job leading both your party and the country. Mr. President, image matters, the message matters. Don't lose heart because Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity or Eric Cantor said something negative. We both know you could come out in favor of breathing oxygen and Republicans would oppose it. You're allowing yourself to be shouted down simply because they yell louder and more often.
Go big! Go loud!
We don't need a pragmatist looking to compromise right out of the gate. Swing for the fences even if it means striking out. But don't go down looking. Do whatever it takes to get your message out there. Put a scrolling marquee on Carney's podium reminding us how many bills the right are filibustering, how many positions remain vacant because the right buried the appointment in committee.
In other words, look at the television. Look at what the OWS people are doing. They're putting it on the line, risking jobs, arrest, and police brutality all to make their voice heard. And they're not running away.
Do the same Mr. President. Don't let your opponents frame the debate and put you on the defensive. It's not just about keeping your job. Our country hangs in the balance. We are under siege by plutocrats hellbent to crush the middle class. We need our President to step up and take this political fight to our opponents. Make those of us who doubt believe in you again.
These people in Occupy Wall Street shouldn't be alone on the front lines.
