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In his book Nixonland: The Rise of a President and the Fracturing of America, historian Rick Perlstein argues the seeds of today's polarized politics were sown during the 1960s and 1970s. He traces the fault lines of contemporary controversies such as marriage, abortion, the environment, the role of government and even the very terms of our national self-image, back to this earlier period.

President Nixon stepped into those stormy times and helped define a language of politics still used today--a "silent majority" of middle-class, conservative-leaning, middle-American "people of...]]> Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0500 Increase Font Size

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Democrats face a growing political crisis with federal spending and debt, a self-inflicted quandary they created in some obvious and non-obvious ways.

Enacting a massive stimulus bill that failed to produce economic growth and tax revenue contributed to this predicament. Not a lot of bang for the bucks.

But President Obama and his allies in Congress now face another, less foreseen dilemma. Ironically, it was Obama and his party that stoked these fiscal concerns over the last eight years. As a result, worries about spending and debt are now a bipartisan pastime. It wasn't...]]> Thu, 03 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0500 Thu, 07 May 2009 00:00:00 -0500 Thu, 09 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0500 Thu, 12 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0500 Increase Font Size

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"You've got to give it all you can, that first year," the president told a senior advisor. "Doesn't matter what kind of majority you come in with. You've got just one year when they treat you right." President Obama, however, did not utter these words of wisdom to Rahm Emanuel or David Axelrod last month. Lyndon Johnson said them to his aide Harry McPherson nearly a half-century ago.

Fleeting power and fickle public opinion are enduring challenges for presidents. This reality contributes to the "strike while the iron is hot" mentality we witness with most new presidents...]]> Thu, 05 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0600 Increase Font Size

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President Obama has embarked on one of the most audacious experiments in American political history. He's trying to expand support among America's broad middle class through new programmatic appeals, while paying for this new largesse by boosting taxes on "the wealthy"--those individuals who earn more than $200,000 per year (or families who earn more than $250,000).

No big surprises here. Obama indeed promised to "spread things around a little" during the 2008 campaign. Normally an exercise like this produces some political friends and enemies. But here's the twist. The...]]> Thu, 05 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0600 Increase Font Size

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"CONGRESS IS LIKE A whiskey drinker," President Lyndon Johnson once observed. "You can put an awful lot of whiskey into a man if you just let him sip it," he said. "But if you try to force the whole bottle down his throat at one time, he'll throw it up."

The 36th president and former Senate majority leader was referring to Congress's ability to produce legislative outcomes -- too much activity inebriates the system. Congressional Democrats learned the hard way this week as the bloated economic stimulus bill stalled in the Senate. Moderation in all things--including the speed...]]> Thu, 22 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0600 Thu, 08 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0600 My earliest memories of machine politics in Chicago involved my grandfather. A German immigrant, he owned a small apartment building on the city's North Side, not far from Wrigley Field. Too much garbage and too few trash cans were constant challenges. My grandfather regularly noticed a friendly Irishman walking around the neighborhood who seemed to have a keen grasp on how to procure city services. Turns out he was a Chicago "municipal employee" but spent most of his time practicing politics as the local Democratic precinct captain. "I can get you all the garbage cans you need," he told my grandfather. "The only thing you have to do is promise me you and your wife vote Democrat and hand...]]> Thu, 18 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0600 According to OpenSecrets.org, over 90 percent of the millions of dollars of union money spent in 2008 went to Democrats - no big shift from previous years. Business interests are typically more bipartisan and pragmatic. Many just try to gain access and win favor with the party in power, Democrat or Republican. Corporate and trade association giving shifted following the 2006 election to reflect the new Democratic majority. Labor's approach, on the other hand, is more overtly political. They engage in less "strategic giving." Labor supports Democrats whether they are the majority or the minority in Congress.

The problem for Democrats is a mismatch between labor's growing political...]]> Thu, 11 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0600 All are partially right. But as Karl Rove wrote in Newsweek recently, this debate looks like a "pundit-driven shoutfest ... that presents a sterile and unnecessary choice." And the conflict-driven media only amplifies the alleged intra-party war.

I'd argue there is more consensus than schism. The real problem may not be the direction of the party, but the quality of its ideas and the style of its language. Many Republican leaders are now coalescing around this theme. But the details - and how to apply a solutions narrative to federal programs - require more development.

True, fresh position papers or new slogans alone will not heal the GOP. Elections are won through a mix of...]]> Thu, 20 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0600 Thu, 30 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500 Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500 Washington's response to the current economic storm opens a window on how the system works - or doesn't. It reveals some dirty little secrets about the limits of Congressional policy making and regulatory oversight. But it also raises another question: Can Washington learn from this crisis? Especially when it comes to other issues - like energy independence - where the costs and answers are better understood and the consequences of inaction equally devastating. Do we have to live by gun-to-the-head legislative politics to produce needed reforms?

The current crisis exposes some ugly realities about the policy-making process and how it addresses big problems. The consequences of...]]> Thu, 11 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500 But last week, at the Republican convention, John McCain took issue with the media's anointing Barack Obama as hope's sole prophet. He created an alternative vision - one that is both distinct from and more realistic than Mr. Obama's narrative. The Republican nominee's recent surge in the polls suggests many Americans agree.

Mr. McCain offers his own avenue to hope. It's premised on an odd foundation in an era of rock-star politics. It's called selflessness. Mr. Obama wants us to believe that he personally possesses the power to change government. The Arizona senator knows better. And as he likes to say, he has "the scars to prove it." Mr. Obama suggests he holds the keys to...]]> Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500 Most media reporting about the Obama campaign focuses on his broad national message: the "yes we can," "change" and "bringing people together" narratives. But equally transformative is the tactical side of the Democratic nominee's efforts.

Democrats' talk about running a 50-state, national campaign is a bit of a misnomer. Roughly 30 states are still solid red or blue - already lost or won for all practical purposes. Only a huge game changing event might alter this dynamic. So, when it comes down to it, Obama will focus on about 17 or 18 states: Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota,...]]> Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500 This pattern repeats itself every day. Earlier this month, after House Republicans organized protests in Washington demanding Congress return from its August recess and vote on energy legislation, MoveOn.org announced it would run ads against House Republicans spearheading these efforts. Democrats regularly benefit from well-organized, well-financed and effective outside liberal advocacy groups who relentlessly investigate, attack and criticize Republicans. The GOP lacks this kind of advocacy infrastructure.

Why the asymmetrical warfare? I believe it's because liberals understand and want "the prize": controlling the levers of power in Washington, spending, taxes, regulations,...]]> Thu, 17 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500 The House majority leadership has pulled out all the stops to block votes on measures aimed at increasing domestic supply. The entire appropriations process has virtually ground to a halt because of Democratic leadership concerns that Republicans might offer amendments aimed at expanding energy resources. The majority has canceled markups in committee and restricted the types of bills the House considers, using its considerable procedural power to exclude amendments and other legislative ideas from consideration.

All of these efforts are aimed at blocking one thing: congress working its will. Lawmakers could come together on legislative proposals aimed at more domestic production,...]]> Thu, 12 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0500 Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500 Thu, 24 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500 Thu, 10 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500