The Appearance of Bipartisanship is Important for the Majority

Monday, September 14, 2009

Jim VanDehei and Mike Allen have a very perceptive story in today’s Politico about President Barack Obama’s efforts to appear to be interested in a bipartisan solution to health care reform.

Make no mistake, President Obama certainly would love to have a parade of Republicans backing his health care reform plans, but he doesn’t and he is unlikely to secure vary many of them. Sen. Olympia Snowe, for example, poured cold water all over a public option plan this weekend and she is the Republican most likely to back a Democratic proposal.

Nevertheless, the president must keep up appearances. As VanDehei and Allen write:

From Obama’s perspective, he would be delighted if he won significant Republican support — but he does not want it bad enough to substantially scale back his policy goals or risk alienating Democratic congressional leaders.

But White House and congressional polling shows independents demand the public appearance of cooperation. Hence, the many nods to bipartisanship in Obama’s Wednesday night speech to Congress: replacing “acrimony with civility,” bringing “the best ideas of both parties together,” incorporating “ideas from senators and congressmen, from Democrats and Republicans.”

“If you ask the typical voter out there in a targeted district or state, they want bipartisanship — they want people to work together,” said one Democratic official. “That’s what he ran on. So that’s what Obama’s trying to portray.”

And sure enough, this morning we get a new survey from ABC News and the Washington Post that shows, among other things:

More than seven in 10 Americans, including majorities across party lines, say they think Obama and congressional Democrats should adjust the health-care legislation to appeal to some Republican lawmakers. Half credit the Democrats with making a good-faith effort to do so already, while most, 62 percent, say the GOP is not returning the favor.

The majority has an inherent obligation to a least look like they are reaching out to the minority.  The minority has no obligation to reciprocate.  Voters don’t hold those they boosted from leadership to a very high standard.