Rep. Cassidy may not have noticed this, but Barack Obama was elected president, which means – as far as modern presidents are concerned – that he was elected with either a majority or a plurality of the popular vote. In last year’s case, Barack Obama beat his Republican opponent with a solid 52.9 percent of the vote. What’s more, if Rep. Cassidy were to look at the results of last year’s congressional elections, he would notice that Democrats represent an even more solid 53.04 percent of the population. Far from going “alone,” Democrats are accurately representing the stated preferences of a majority of the population, many of whom voted for Democrats so that there would be health care reform.
It is true that Obama has a mandate. One of every politician's most crucial jobs, and one very relevant to their re-election, is to interpret that mandate. A strong case can be made that the mandate includes health care reform because it was such a large part of the campaign. However, I think that Democrats overestimate the size of the health care mandate because health care was an even bigger part of the Democratic primary process. It was definitely talked about in the general election debates, but less so. So, I'd argue the mandate is definitely there, but Obama needs to tread carefully. The Clintons thought they had a mandate to reform health care and it bit them in the ass in 1994.
I would point out that both sides overestimate the size and scope of their mandates, and presidents in particular push it and their branch of government's power as far as they will go toward their goals. It's pretty much expected, but, as the Clintons found out, it can hurt you. Bush, I think, made the mistake of misreading his mandate with Social Security reform.
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This is a moderate to center right country. Obama/Biden won over a weak team, with heavy doubts about Palin spread assiduously by the MSM and the burden of people being very weary of George Bush. AND there was the war, and crooked Reep congressmen about whom there was a drumbeat of press. Obiden got 53%. And then Mr. O thought he had a worldbeating change in the nation, mandate, etc.
He's also been very unlucky in the economic problems which have hit the country since he took office. I think it is imprudent to try to force through huge changes, we'll see how he does. dave.s.
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