In the wake of their resounding victory at the polls three weeks ago today, conservatives could be forgiven for expecting a chastened President Obama to lower his ambitions for the next two years and begin sending out signals of his willingness—even eagerness—to compromise with Republicans on a range of issues.  It hasn’t happened.

Instead they’ve seen the president:

       

  1. take unilateral action to protect over 4 million undocumented immigrants from deportation;

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  2. call on Congress to give him new powers to wage war against the Islamic State;

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  3. announce a major bilateral climate agreement with China to reduce the production of greenhouse gases;

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  4. pledge $3 billion to a global fund to help poorer nations fight climate change;

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  5. call on the FCC to preserve net neutrality;

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  6. nominate as successor to the first black man to serve as attorney general (Eric Holder) the first black woman (Loretta Lynch) who would hold the post;

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  7. request (and receive) the resignation of his (Republican) secretary of defense, Chuck Hagel; and

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  8. deliver a characteristically calm, understanding and thoughtful statement last night in response to a St. Louis County grand jury’s decision not to indict Officer Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown.

If Republicans and conservatives are surprised by the president’s behavior, they have only themselves to blame.  Beginning with the autobiography he published in 1995 as he prepared to launch his political career with a campaign for the Illinois state senate,  Barack Obama has been remarkably open about who he is and what kind of public figure he aims to be.

What politicians campaigning for endorsements say should always be taken with a grain of salt, but for proof, take a look at the clip below (shot, coincidentally, seven years ago today) of then-Sen. Obama talking with the Keene (NH) Sentinel editorial board.

The question is about Obama’s emotions (“Do you get angry? Do you explode sometimes in rage?”).  After his initial answer (“I have to say that it is really true that I am even-tempered…. I tend to be very steady.”), Candidate Obama offers the following glimpse into his self-understanding of how he acts in the public arena.

This is why actually, if you watch my political interactions, I am always best as a counterpuncher.  You know, if somebody comes at me, I will knock them out.  If not, then I will try to understand their point of view; and that actually serves me well.  

I give people the benefit of the doubt.  I try to understand their point of view.  If I perceive that they’ve tried to take advantage of that, then I will (…pause…) crush them. (disarming smile and general laughter)

But don’t just take his word for it.  Look at the record over these past seven years:

       

  • When his presidential campaign threatened to be consumed by questions about what his pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Jr. did or did not say in the pulpit, Obama responded with his “A More Perfect Union” speech.

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  • When Republican Scott Brown unexpectedly won the special election to fill out Sen. Ted Kennedy’s term, Obama responded by pushing forward to get the Affordable Care Act passed into law (rather than settling for a more modest reform).

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  • When Republicans won the 2010 mid-term elections in resounding fashion, Obama helped engineer one of the most productive legislative lame-duck sessions on record—including a second stimulus package, ending “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and ratifying the New START treaty.

Politically speaking, Barack Obama is most dangerous as an opponent precisely in those moments when he seems most vulnerable.  Republican strategists like Mitch McConnell and John Boehner are experienced savvy enough pols to know that.  Whether they can persuade their caucuses to act on that insight remains to be seen.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZC8C_JH2eQc&w=420&h=315]

Crossposted at: http://masscommons.wordpress.com/