Last week after losing control of 'the hill' to the Republicans and then having to go the through the resultant political parlour game of pretending that Boehner, McConnell et al would now work with the President, Obama caught his opponents off guard by deciding to go onto the offensive via the sensitive issue of illegal immigration. Undoubtedly the President had been holding this particular card in his hand for some time but at last he decided to play it drawing out into the open his opponents holding on issues they would have rather have kept from view until 2016. Firstly, the same suit issue; what is the Republicans position concerning the 11 million odd illegals ? Secondly, the more nuanced play; who holds the will to mend a society that is increasingly fractured by issues surrounding economics and identity ? Thirdly, the trump card; who holds the power to deal with this changing domestic environment, the President or Congress ?
The Republicans instinctive reaction to the President using his executive power to push through legislation that would offer approximately 5 million illegals - mostly Hispanics - the opportunity to come out of the shadows and become visible for tax and residency purposes was informative. They angrily accused the President of acting like a dictator or even worse a King. They accused him of undermining the nation's notions of democracy and questioned the legality of his move. Of course, there are many other parts to this power play by the President. Firstly, the Republicans newly in control of both the Senate and the House thought they could just freeze out the President for the next two years, in other words, by doing nothing the Republicans would make sure Obama could or would not leave any lasting legacy, thereby damaging the Democrats chances in the next Presidential race. Secondly, they believed that Obama would not dare step over the 'red line' of political convention and take unilateral executive decisions, thirdly, they also thought they could now control the game by just running the clock down and nullifying any chance of a late Presidential score.
Unfortunately, for the Republicans underpinning this game plan was the belief that this lofty, careful, slightly unworldly White House man who to date had spent far too much time trying to make decisions by looking for consensus would just continue with the same approach and therefore, would become even more frustrated by the intransigence of Washington politics. However, always be careful of someone who suddenly has little to lose. Obama, increasingly trapped by his lack of incisiveness and instinctiveness, by the 2010 mid term swing for Republican control of the House, and finally by a Congressional 'full court press' of last week has decided to play hard ball at last. What makes this change of tactics even more interesting is it strikes right at the heart of the key societal issue; who are the contemporary Americans? Are they still largely those citizens that originated from the white Anglo-Saxon protestant tribe ? Or has their beliefs and understandings finally been altered and out gunned by the power of immigration and the notion that this particular ethnic group that has dominated the US political elite since independence will relatively shortly become a minority ? As we all know the United States was built, gained strength and became pre-eminent because of immigration. However, this process has always been controlled by the 'originating tribe', but Obama's latest play has suddenly suggested otherwise, not that this crucial, elemental game is up but it is certainly now ON.
KK
The Republicans instinctive reaction to the President using his executive power to push through legislation that would offer approximately 5 million illegals - mostly Hispanics - the opportunity to come out of the shadows and become visible for tax and residency purposes was informative. They angrily accused the President of acting like a dictator or even worse a King. They accused him of undermining the nation's notions of democracy and questioned the legality of his move. Of course, there are many other parts to this power play by the President. Firstly, the Republicans newly in control of both the Senate and the House thought they could just freeze out the President for the next two years, in other words, by doing nothing the Republicans would make sure Obama could or would not leave any lasting legacy, thereby damaging the Democrats chances in the next Presidential race. Secondly, they believed that Obama would not dare step over the 'red line' of political convention and take unilateral executive decisions, thirdly, they also thought they could now control the game by just running the clock down and nullifying any chance of a late Presidential score.
Unfortunately, for the Republicans underpinning this game plan was the belief that this lofty, careful, slightly unworldly White House man who to date had spent far too much time trying to make decisions by looking for consensus would just continue with the same approach and therefore, would become even more frustrated by the intransigence of Washington politics. However, always be careful of someone who suddenly has little to lose. Obama, increasingly trapped by his lack of incisiveness and instinctiveness, by the 2010 mid term swing for Republican control of the House, and finally by a Congressional 'full court press' of last week has decided to play hard ball at last. What makes this change of tactics even more interesting is it strikes right at the heart of the key societal issue; who are the contemporary Americans? Are they still largely those citizens that originated from the white Anglo-Saxon protestant tribe ? Or has their beliefs and understandings finally been altered and out gunned by the power of immigration and the notion that this particular ethnic group that has dominated the US political elite since independence will relatively shortly become a minority ? As we all know the United States was built, gained strength and became pre-eminent because of immigration. However, this process has always been controlled by the 'originating tribe', but Obama's latest play has suddenly suggested otherwise, not that this crucial, elemental game is up but it is certainly now ON.
KK
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