2011 Essays

The Debt Ceiling and Obama's Silence

Mitchell, Lincoln A.

While observers, particularly progressive observers, may be upset or even angered by the president’s failure to stand up to Republican extortion, they can no longer be surprised. Giving in to Republicans and pursuing poor negotiating strategies have been among the hallmarks of the Obama presidency. It is not exactly news that Obama has been a disappointment to many progressives, but many have dismissed this as progressive frustration in the face of the need for Obama to negotiate and work in a reality that is confined by a far right Republican Party and division within the president’s own party.