Should Obama announce some new initiatives?

[Beet]

Romney has been shifting around a lot and it hasn't seem to hurt him much, as long as they are not massive reversals of position but believable tweaks that appeal to centrist voters. Obama's best moment in the debate, according to the dials, was when he talked about bipartisanship and working with Republicans. Furthermore, this election is a prospective choice. It is about the future; Obama has done a decent job driving home that things are slowly turning around even though there is still massive suffering out there. And at least he's tried to show why his policies would be better for the middle class than Romneys. The one thing he needs right now more than ever is a story about what he would be able to get done with Boehner after the election. This allows him to shift the tense if the debate to the future and at the same time pivot to the center. There are a number of moves he could make on this front.

1. Obamacare. Say he's willing to work with Republicans to reform
Obamacare. Even Democrats were saying in 2010 that the health care bill was one step forward but likely not the last word in health care reform. Since this is the top issue of Republicans it'll definitely be relevant. Say he'd be willing to listen to ideas. For instance, replace a part of the penalty enforcing an individual mandate with a tax credit for purchasing health insurance, and find some other budget offset to pay for it. Say he'd be willing to add tort reform.

2. The deficit reduction. Make some concession on this that looks forward to the lame duck session. The fiscal cliff is a source of anxiety right now and Obama needs to at least try to address it in some way before the election. Say he'd be willing to keep or lower capital gains taxes for those making below a certain amount, or put some limitations on deductions. The budget and tax system is big. Find something. Or just reiterate support for any plan that has at least 10 percent from revenue and which doesn't raise taxes on the middle class.

3. Jobs. Obama has a lot if good proposals in his jobs plan, but the problem is they're all tied up in one package that the Republicans are blocking. Okay, so break it up. Say that would come back after the election and offer up the pieces on a line item basis. For instance, Obama would cut the business portion of the payroll tax in half for small businesses. This would have a more direct impact on hiring than cutting the marginal rate at which profits are taxed. How many people on this forum knew this? He never talks about it; nows the time to start. He has allows unemployment insurance for employees of companies that encourage the successful work-sharing policies implanted by Germany's conservative government which cut their unemployment rate in half. Romney points to Spain; Obama could point to Germany. He also had a jobs training program called Georgia Works that encourages people on unemployment insurance to work and get jobs training. As the name suggests, it's a bipartisan  It's in his plan. I haven't heard him
Mention it. Doesnt he read his own plan?

Put these ideas to the Republicans one by one. Dare them to shoot it down. Some of these proposals, there are quotes from Republicans praising them.

There is still time in this election for at least one more major move.

1. Health care
2. Fiscal cliff
3. Jobs plan

If Obama can make a significant gain on these 3 issues before the election, I believe he can recover from his debate performance.

[Mr.Phips]

No.  Trying to out Republican the Republicans is never a good strategy for Democrats. I would rather lose.

[Harry]

If he desperately starts trying to throw away Obamacare, I'll be tempted to vote Stein instead, and I think a large chunk of his base agrees.

He needs to do a better job of exposing Republican lies about it, instead of just surrendering to them.

[Torie]

Good ideas, but it is more than a bit late - it would reek a bit of desperation. But I am in favor of anything from a policy standpoint that moves the ball in the right direction.

[Beet]

Why does Rimney get to change his position every time he makes an appearance but if Obama just reminds people of what he proposed in writing over a year ago it "reeks of desperation"? Its not in dispute that he needs to do something to recover from the debate. There are lots of changes that could be made to Obamacare without "throwing it away".

[IDS Speaker Ben Kenobi]

He needs to go full moonbase. :b:

[Harry]

He needs to go full moonbase. :b:

That was one of the few legitimately good ideas from the Republican primaries, so I would like that.  I hope that Obama appoints Newt to be some kind of chairman of space policy for the second term.

[Hoverbored123]

From a political standpoint, these are pretty reasonable ideas, but I don't think Obama's likely to do anything along those lines.  Come to think of it, is congress in session?  I assume they're adjourned for the campaign season. 

Re-visiting the health care law doesn't seem likely.  Obama already got pretty much what he wanted from the law, so he has very little reason to want to change it. 

A jobs bill might boost his standing in the polls, but it won't help him all that much overall.  For better or for worse, the timing of it would make it look like a re-election ploy, even if he was already in favor of it long before.  Also, the actual jobs numbers (along with other economic indicators) will probably be more decisive. 

Addressing the "fiscal cliff" is probably the most effective and most likely thing for him to do.  But there's a catch: there's little reason to think the House and Senate can reach anything resembling an agreement before the election.  If he convenes congress to address it and nothing gets done, it could backfire on him by making him look desperate and ineffective.

[IDS Speaker Ben Kenobi]

That was one of the few legitimately good ideas from the Republican primaries, so I would like that.  I hope that Obama appoints Newt to be some kind of chairman of space policy for the second term.

The Obama administration is pretty set on destroying what's left of NASA. So if you're looking for the side that actually cares about it -

[Torie]

Why does Rimney get to change his position every time he makes an appearance but if Obama just reminds people of what he proposed in writing over a year ago it "reeks of desperation"? Its not in dispute that he needs to do something to recover from the debate. There are lots of changes that could be made to Obamacare without "throwing it away".

Yes, except there is one big difference: Obama has been POTUS all this time. Where was he? Mittens as a candidate without any power to do anything whatsoever,  has certainly changed his tone, but he is hardly offering brand new initiatives.

Having said that, Mittens apparently reads my posts, because he did  tack through his campaign staff yesterday, who revealed/leaked that if his tax rate cut ideas are not offset by deduction rollbacks, and thus are in conflict with the idea that government revenues should not be reduced, then the rate cuts will have to be shaved back, because the revenue neutral aspect is the top priority because mitigating the deficit is the top priority.  

[Politico]

Why does Rimney get to change his position every time he makes an appearance but if Obama just reminds people of what he proposed in writing over a year ago it "reeks of desperation"? Its not in dispute that he needs to do something to recover from the debate. There are lots of changes that could be made to Obamacare without "throwing it away".

Yes, except there is one big difference: Obama has been POTUS all this time. Where was he? Mittens as a candidate without any power to do anything whatsoever,  has certainly changed his tone, but he is hardly offering brand new initiatives.

Having said that, Mittens apparently reads my posts, because he did  tack through his campaign staff yesterday, who revealed/leaked that if his tax rate cut ideas are not offset by deduction rollbacks, and thus are in conflict with the idea that government revenues should not be reduced, then the rate cuts will have to be shaved back, because the revenue neutral aspect is the top priority because mitigating the deficit is the top priority.  

Your contributions are duly noted, Good Sir.

[Beet]

Re-visiting the health care law doesn't seem likely.  Obama already got pretty much what he wanted from the law, so he has very little reason to want to change it.

He got most of what he wanted, but not a bipartisan imprimatur, which is important and which he surely has wanted from the beginning. Only it hasn't been explicitly stated by him. I'm proposing a subtle but significant tweak in how he presents his outlook on the law to the American people. It would be something that's been true all along but which is being reemphasized now. Surely that much can be allowed him. Of course I'm not proposing any actual action by Congress; merely more explicit statements about how he would work with Boehner if he won.

A jobs bill might boost his standing in the polls, but it won't help him all that much overall.  For better or for worse, the timing of it would make it look like a re-election ploy, even if he was already in favor of it long before.  Also, the actual jobs numbers (along with other economic indicators) will probably be more decisive.

Well yes, it would be a reelection ploy, duh. But it would also be a genuine offer. Is Romneys new promise to walk back his tax cut pledge a ploy? Yes; he would not be doing it if he thought it hurt him politically. But he's still allowed to do it. Campaigns are times where the issues are discussed in detail and it shouldn't be a surprise if the candidates refine and home their messages. It's good for the country too.

dressing the "fiscal cliff" is probably the most effective and most likely thing for him to do.  But there's a catch: there's little reason to think the House and Senate can reach anything resembling an agreement before the election.  If he convenes congress to address it and nothing gets done, it could backfire on him by making him look desperate and ineffective.

I don't think it requires anything by Congress to propose. If Boehner ignores it, he cedes the field to Obama. If he rejects it, he makes the GOP look unreasonable and underscores the Dems' point about a do nothing Congress. If he accepts it, then Obama can say his proposal is bipartisan.

[Beet]

I hope your joking about the part of them reading this. Obama should be reading our posts, damnit! Heh