A fascinating insight from Robert Reich today on the Tom Daschle withdrawl. There has been speculation all day as to why the former Senator would bail at this point when people thought he would be confirmed despite his $128,000 tax bill controversy. Obama didn’t ask for him to withdraw. The New York Times did. But according to Reich what really mattered was that the American people did.
Could it be true? Is the populous pissed to the point that they reached into the bubble of Washington DC and swatted away the Daschle nomination like a blocked shot. Now, i’m not suggesting that phones don’t light up on a daily basis in Hill offices but if Reich is right it had to be quite a groundswell.
On one hand it stinks because Daschle is just what we needed to shepherd real reform in an area where most citizens want to see action.
But if he is a casualty of an informed and annoyed citizenry than it may be a small price to pay. Maybe it is much needed shot across the bow to Congress and the Administration that people are watching and they want action. Not the same old posturing and shell games. And certainly not stupid chart gimmicks.
The “change” theme was a brilliant, if obvious, campaign mantra for Obama. In an election year when so much of the electorate was unhappy with the course of the country you should run on a platform that promises to bring change, and in fact all the major candidates did at some level — Obama was just more convincing. It was the perfect theme for an extremely well branded and run campaign. One that has made marketers envious. And what do marketers do when they have envy? They copy.
