Talk Talk: Who is Obama in 2012?

Every week CUIP's president Jacqueline Salit and strategist/philosopher Fred Newman watch the political talk shows and discuss them. Here are excerpts from their dialogues compiled on Sunday, February 28, 2010 after watching selections from "Hardball with Chris Matthews," "The Charlie Rose Show," "Tavis Smiley" and "Meet the Press."  

Newman: So choosing comprehensive healthcare reform as their dominant cause meant that the partnership, such as it is, between Obama and the Democratic Party, was going to be dominated by the Democratic Party.

Salit: So, it's not that Obama turned the issue over to Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. It's that it came from them.

Newman: Yes. I don't know that Obama fully agreed to that part but I don't think he had much choice. The party did win that "internal" fight.

Salit: Yes.

Newman: And now Obama is obliged to lead this fight.

Salit: I'm assuming the Democrats have a Plan B.

Newman: Of course. The Democratic Party are not dumbbells.

Read Talk/Talk in its entirety here.