MR. CANDIDATE TACKLES THE ECONOMY – AT 8:26 P.M. ET:  Barack Obama, the perpetual candidate who is happiest running for something and unhappiest when actually doing the job, proved again today that candidacy is his game, his only game.

Al Smith, the late governor of New York and the Democratic candidate for president in 1928, was called "the happy warrior."  But, as a candidate, he was absolutely glum-faced when compared to battlin' Barack.  The president put forward his deficit-reduction plan today, and even his partisans declared it primarily a campaign document.  From Dan Balz at the Washington Post:

Rarely has this president been as blunt in his challenges to the other party as he was on Monday. Rarely has he been so willing to draw lines in the sand. Rarely has he waved the threat of a veto with such emphasis...

...With his own political standing weakened and his base in near-revolt, the president may have had no choice other than to reappraise both his economic and his political strategy. Attempting to stay above the fray and appealing for at least a temporary cessation in the partisan wars in Washington was no longer an option.

Gone is any illusion that he and Boehner can really make a deal along the lines discussed during the summer — a deal that would take a serious bite out of entitlements, particularly Medicare, and include some new taxes. Gone too is his willingness to offer anything that would make his base even more estranged that it already is. Instead, Obama is under pressure to produce a program that can produce jobs and to reassert his standing as the leader of Democrats...

...With more force than at any time in his presidency, Obama pressed his argument of mutual sacrifice, with a significant share of it aimed at the wealthiest Americans. His call for an end to the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and a millionaires’ tax (in the name of billionaire Warren Buffett) on top was greeted by charges of class warfare from his Republican critics. “This is not class warfare,” he said. “It’s math.”

Finally...

Obama’s speech was obviously anything but a blueprint designed to produce bipartisan consensus. For now, those days are over. Instead, the president has decided he must win the battle for public opinion in the debate between his vision and that of the Republicans if he hopes to win a second term in office.

He believes the American people are with him on the broad outlines and values he espoused Monday. The campaign that began on Sept. 8 in the House chamber continued Monday in the Rose Garden, with a weakened president fighting to win that battle.

COMMENT:  Say what you will, these boys know their politics.  The president's proposals today, a combination of tax increases on the wealthy, corporations, and other unpopular entities, cuts in tax breaks for oil companies, and some deficit reduction, will play well in many constituencies out there, and will help solidify the Democratic base.  The president also defends Social Security and Medicare, two very popular programs. 

The Republicans naturally declared the plan dead on arrival.  But in so doing they appeared to be reinforcing their image as the party that exists primarily to protect certain economic classes.  This may be unfair, but politics isn't about nice rules for nice people.

The ball is in the Republican court.  They could begin by attacking crony capitalism, as Sarah Palin and an increasing number of conservatives have done, realizing that corruption in the free enterprise system grates on Americans, infuriates them, and weakens pro-capitalism arguments.  Then the GOP must come up with an economic plan that works, actually creates jobs, and has about it the sense of fairness.  It is not easy, but the future of this country will be heavily influenced by next year's election, and I fear the Republicans, never a swift party, might be left at the starting gate by an unpopular president whose greatest ability is counting votes.

September 19, 2011