More Obamawatch

Further detail of the strategies used by presidents to overcome the limitations on their powers can be found in spades in the press at the minute as they analyse Obama’s moves in relation to the economic crisis.

Obama has not had as much success as he would have liked in convincing Congress of the merits of his plan. For this reason he has been on his bike this week touring small towns in order to shore up public support for his bound to be over a trillion dollar proposal. As the Independent reported today:

‘With partisan rancour threatening to blow his economic and financial agenda off course, President Barack Obama will today try to appeal over the heads of members of Congress and shore up public support for his $800bn stimulus plan and a second massive bailout for Wall Street.’

As someone with similarly limited experience in cutting deals in the Capitol, appealing to the public directly was a strategy used by President Reagan in the 1980s to soften up congressmen on his tax cut proposals. The gipper is not regarded as one of the most intelligent politicians to work behind the desk in the Oval Office, but he knew what skills he had. The ‘great communicator’ used his telegenic nature, and acting skills, to appeal to the people on TV. The environment Obama is opertaing in is probably one of higher stakes, but the rewards of success are also greater. Watch this space.