The Problems of Bipartisanship

President Obama is catching a lot of flak these days for his compromises, stalled initiatives, and tentative stances. It’s interesting that we ascribe negative connotations to these realities considering that in theory I think most people view compromise and bipartisan consensus to be good things. I think the fundamental problem is that the way politics functions is based on distancing a candidate from his or her opposition, and cooperation and moderation are not good tactics for that strategy. Obama, by working to find middle ground, is being criticized from both sides for not supporting their agenda. The question is, then, can his approach work politically? Will the American people have patience with an inherently messy, vague, and time consuming approach to politics? Even if the people can wait, will the politicians have the self-control and value the public interest enough to refrain from vilifying compromise and consensus as political weakness? Then, of course, there’s the relationship between what the politicians say and what the people perceive. It really takes both public patience and political restraint to be able to accomplish meaningful change. How likely is this combination? I’m afraid not very. I do believe, however, that we have been given an opportunity in Obama to really accomplish something. The president has a powerful gift for communication and clear thinking that is evident in most of the decisions he makes. The question is how much of a difference it will make