A televised leadership meeting is the sort of cynical substitute that modern politics, abetted by the media, offers in place of real negotiations. It is about as honest and true as a marriage proposal made on reality TV. And about as propitious.
If the President really wanted to create a bi-partisan health care bill, all he had to do was invite the key participants to meet in private. True bi-partisan bills develop that way, not on television. Performances are what you get at shows like the one the President staged yesterday.
Peggy Noonan spoke for many in saying "the President has entered a boorish phase." He takes advantage of his position to monopolize time and to patronize rivals.
If you are a liberal, you agreed with Obama's arguments, and and found him adroit, knowledgeable and convincing. You may even have enjoyed Nancy Pelosi. If you are a conservative, you were delighted by the Republican team, including Lamar Alexander, Eric Cantor, John Boehner, Paul Ryan. They showed courage in accepting an invitation that was roughly equivalent to that of the Walrus in Alice in Wonderland who invited the oysters to lunch. More important, they were positive and resourceful. They cannot be as easily tagged as "the party of 'No'" after this.
But the general public, including independents, presumably were the real target for persuasion, and there is no sense that they were reached or even listening. Accordingly it probably is safe to say they remain as hostile to faux-reform of health care as to faux-bi-partisanship.
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