Compromise This!

As we heard from the President himself, compromise is on the table.  This is a great idea, as without it, the country could face a costly gridlock as legislation halts completely and indefinitely on the Hill.  The test Obama will have to face is figuring out how and when to draw the line on such compromises without stoking the fire of the visceral anger of the American people responsible for ousting his legislative backbone within the House and Senate.

We have already seen Obama answer a very important question in this compromise test, which is what to do about the Bush-era tax cuts?  His answer:  continue the tax cuts for everyone, with the exception of the Americans who make the top two-percent of its income.  This is the correct answer and a good way to force an unlikely compromise between that of the GOP and the tea partiers who help to put them in office.  The GOP can argue all they like, but the Democrats can counter with exposing them for who they truly are, pawns of the rich and corporate.  I am willing to bet arguing to nearly double the amount of money spent (an extra $700-billion) to basically give extra money to the wealthy will not sit well with their new electorate who demanded, at the polls, fiscal responsibility from our government.

If played well, the Democrats will probably retake the White House and at least one chamber of Congress in 2012.  This sweeping wave of red across the country represents change, a new direction for America.  Now is the time for Democrats to connect with the American people and tout their record of good, but they must do so without arrogance.  The schism the Republican Party is creating within itself will soon mean a creation of a third party of politics, or a slow extinction of the far-right politics of the GOP.  This is the excellent opportunity needed for the Democrats to expose the GOP’s true nature.  Capitalizing on this opportunity can be dangerously challenging, however, for the Democratic Party, for choosing to put politics before policy can be detrimental to their party, as well as the GOP.