There were actually two elements to the Obama campaign: he wanted to transform the way government works; and he had an ambitious domestic agenda -- in effect, a third wave of Democratic reform to join FDR's New Deal and LBJ's Great Society.
Instead, he got two wars to finish and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, and he had no choice but to go into damage control on the economy and at the same time begin on the domestic agenda (health care reform, climate).
Such reforms have been stymied by the ultra-partisan situation he hoped to avoid -- and to change.
Now, according to Brooks, the way forward for him to salvage his presidency is to re-embrace the other goal: transforming the way government works.
That goal is even more simple now, but maybe also more difficult:
He has to show the American people that this nation is governable once again.This would require a campaign of "brazen honesty" with the American people, treating them like adults who can understand fiscal realities and explaining that they cannot continue to expect programs that they are not willing to pay for.
He should propose incremental changes in a range of issues and prove that "Washington can at least take small steps." He should continue to serve as a model for bipartisan behavior and continue to champion his fiscal commission. And finally, Brooks recommends that it's time to have a constitutional debate, perhaps amendments, to fix the broken political system.
Not bad for a conservative, although Brooks no longer identifies himself as a Republican but as an Independent.
Ralph
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