A noted observer of the political scene finds that the Obama administration "has done a tremendous amount" in its first two months — not without a few stumbles — but there hasn’t yet been "a coherent message" from the opposition.
Matthew Corrigan, associate professor of political science at the University of North Florida and a frequent media commentator, led a non-partisan discussion of the early days of the new presidency at a Friends of the Library forum at the Ponte Vedra Beach branch library on March 12.
He contrasted the speed of the stimulus bill’s passage with the eight months it took the Clinton administration to pass its $15 billion stimulus bill in 1993. But, Corrigan noted, the lack of Republican support for the bill demonstrated "how difficult it is to get beyond partisanship" in Washington, D.C., "the most partisan place in the world."
For the new president that lack should be "a reminder that the excitement of the campaign is an outside game. He’s got to play an inside game," applying the campaign’s combination of advanced technology and grass-roots organization — which Corrigan described as "brilliant" — to the process of governing.
He described the new president as "confident. And we want confidence, in our presidents, our surgeons, our pilots." As an example, he cited President Obama’s "social overtures" to Republicans, seeking bipartisan support.
But, Corrigan noted, "Republicans are not sure there’s any benefit to crossing the aisle. So many districts are so conservative, there may not be any political benefit to it," although he does anticipate "some Republican support" on health care issues.
Responding to questions about whether Republicans hope to use their opposition to win back control of Congress in 2010, Corrigan said "it all depends on the economy. Can Washington turn it?" If circumstances don’t improve, "people will turn pretty quickly."
But, he warned, "Republicans have to have an answer. What’s their alternative? They tried tax cuts under Bush." He also noted that the bank bailout program "started on Bush’s watch, and you wouldn’t find anyone stronger on free markets."
Corrigan stated that "no one’s proposing a complete takeover of the economy by the government," because "you don’t want the entity that brings you the Post Office to bring you the banks." But he does expect that Americans will see more regulations aimed at preventing a recurrence of companies becoming "too big to fail."
Answering questions about whether Obama was being too ambitious — or whether he lacked executive experience — Corrigan pointed out that presidents have a short window in which to advance their initiatives.
He compared running the federal government to trying to ride a bull, and said the new administration has done a lot in its first 50 days.
Going forward, the big question for Corrigan is, "what will the economy look like when we come out of this?" No matter what your political viewpoint may be, he concluded, "it will be exciting and interesting to watch."
The next forum features Catherine Christie, director of nutrition programs at Brooks College of Health at the University of North Florida and author of "Fat is Not Your Fate" and "I’d Kill for a Cookie." She will speak on Eating for Wellness on Thursday, April 16, at 6:30 p.m. in the Friends of the Library Community Room. The program is free and open to the public.
