Controversy over common sense
Politics is a game of addition – successful politics anyway. Greatleaders, when faced with a divided electorate, not to mention difficulteconomic times, use a limited agenda to forge consensus out of brokenparadigms. Once they achieve an initial success, they seek a broaderconsensus. In the 1980’s Reagan faced a divided Republican Party and afractured and dispirited nation.
Concentrating on the prosperity issueand our national prestige, Reagan first brought Republicans togetherand then independents and even many Democrats. Indeed, so successfulwas Reagan at bringing people together, that in time he could rely on agroup of Reagan Democrats. Few other Presidents have hadsuch success at building consensus let alone are able to claim a votingblock from the other party in their name.There is little doubt that Obama faced a divided electorate when hefirst took office and a difficult economic climate. Rather than startwith a limited agenda designed to build consensus, Obama did theopposite. Obama chased too many rabbits at once and preferredideological fights over practical solutions. As a result, the Countryis more divided than ever – not less.