Bipartisanship needed to end bickering, inefficiency in DC
Brandon Southward
Issue date: 2/17/09 Section: Forum
Senate Democrats are going to have to be willing to compromise more towards the middle to avoid alienating Senate Republicans.
President Obama will need to eventually say "no" to his party about some of the projects they have wanted to do for a long time, such as entitlement or education reforms. Democrats will fight for these programs, but Obama will need to stand his ground. Standing firm against his own party will give him creditability with not only Republicans but the country as well.
Lastly, Obama needs to use those oratorical gifts that won him the election. He is a disciplined intellectual and conveys confidence and clarity when he speaks. The stimulus debate did not gain much clarity until President Obama took to the road and held town halls meetings in order to explain the stimulus and why it is needed. In his first press conference, he showed off a knack for speaking over the reporters' heads to the people and used his rhetorical gifts to skillfully articulate his message.
He will need to summon these gifts in the future to explain to the public the problems the country faces as well as reassuring the nation. When he speaks articulately, he can garner support from Democrats and Republicans outside of Washington and be better positioned to negotiate and work with congressional Republicans.
His first attempts at bipartisanship have been (for the most part) a fruitless endeavor. However, I have been struck by how many Republicans have said they like President Obama; this was in stark contrast to President Bush, where many Democrats openly voiced hostility towards him.
To put it plainly there are many problems facing this country and in order to tackle them, everyone - Republicans and Democrats - need to be on board. If they don't come together, our generation and generations after us will feel the damaging effects. Lets hope President Obama's pledge for unity and bipartisanship is more than just words.
Brandon Southward is a sophomore in political science. The opinions expressed in his columns do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Daily Barometer staff. Southward can be reached at forum@dailybarometer.com.
President Obama will need to eventually say "no" to his party about some of the projects they have wanted to do for a long time, such as entitlement or education reforms. Democrats will fight for these programs, but Obama will need to stand his ground. Standing firm against his own party will give him creditability with not only Republicans but the country as well.
Lastly, Obama needs to use those oratorical gifts that won him the election. He is a disciplined intellectual and conveys confidence and clarity when he speaks. The stimulus debate did not gain much clarity until President Obama took to the road and held town halls meetings in order to explain the stimulus and why it is needed. In his first press conference, he showed off a knack for speaking over the reporters' heads to the people and used his rhetorical gifts to skillfully articulate his message.
He will need to summon these gifts in the future to explain to the public the problems the country faces as well as reassuring the nation. When he speaks articulately, he can garner support from Democrats and Republicans outside of Washington and be better positioned to negotiate and work with congressional Republicans.
His first attempts at bipartisanship have been (for the most part) a fruitless endeavor. However, I have been struck by how many Republicans have said they like President Obama; this was in stark contrast to President Bush, where many Democrats openly voiced hostility towards him.
To put it plainly there are many problems facing this country and in order to tackle them, everyone - Republicans and Democrats - need to be on board. If they don't come together, our generation and generations after us will feel the damaging effects. Lets hope President Obama's pledge for unity and bipartisanship is more than just words.
Brandon Southward is a sophomore in political science. The opinions expressed in his columns do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Daily Barometer staff. Southward can be reached at forum@dailybarometer.com.
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