What do President Barack Obama and New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick have in common? They both want you to do your job.
Longtime New England Patriots fans know that “do your job” is one of Belichick’s favorite mantras. Not only does he use some variant of it in almost every press conference, but he’s so thoroughly inculcated the idea with his players that they end up using it in practically any interaction with reporters that goes longer than three questions.
In last night’s State of the Union address, Obama’s message to Congress boiled down to the same message: do your job. Generally that’s not a good strategy for an incumbent president. It runs the risk of looking like the president isn’t doing his job, and is looking for someone else to blame. On the other hand, Congress usually has an approval rating that rises at least into the low double digits. With Congressional approval ratings at an all-time low, Obama’s strategy may work.
Obama’s remarks about extending the payroll tax cut are just one example among many in last night’s speech. “So let’s agree right here, right now: No side issues. No drama. Pass the payroll tax cut without delay. Let’s get it done.”
This is classic “no drama Obama” framing. Not only has he taken a traditionally Republican issue like tax cuts for his own, but he then places congressional Republicans in the awkward position of 1) agreeing with the president, passing the payroll tax cut extension, and handing him not only a political victory, but one that is likely to improve both the economy and his reelection chances; or 2) refusing to pass the payroll tax cut extension, thereby handing him a political (though not economic) victory, and ending up as the ones blamed for bad behavior, for creating “drama”. It’s a “heads we both win (but I win more), tails I win” situation.
Whether it will be enough to help Obama keep doing his job for the next 4 years depends mostly on state of the American economy over the next 9 months. But at a minimum, last night’s speech put him in position to take political advantage of a recovering economy. Just doing his job.
Crossposted at: http://masscommons.wordpress.com/
