It won't be easy.
If
you thought the Republicans were intransigent before they had control
of Congress, just imagine how diabolically obstructive they're going to
be now.
But
all eyes will be on them too. Americans are sick of Washington behaving
like a stroppy, petty, dysfunctional, point-scoring brat.
They
rightly want action and that action will only come if you now swallow
gigantic quantities of crow - and sit down with the enemy.
Your biggest weakness is your inability to negotiate.
President Clinton told Piers last year
that the secret to dealing with opponents is meeting with them, then
being direct and honest and blunt and working to reach a compromise
Last
year, Bill Clinton gave me a fascinating insight into how he made a
deal with opponents, both domestically and on the foreign stage, when he
occupied the White House.
‘You
should be very direct and honest with people in private,' he said.
‘Then if you want them to help you, try to avoid embarrassing them in
public. By and large, I found all the people I dealt with appreciated if
I told them the truth, how I honestly felt and what our interests and
objectives were.'
He
explained how he would get in a room with Vladimir Putin or Newt
Gingrich, kick out all the advisors, and go at it with them until
compromise was reached.
Of
the Russian leader, he said: ‘I had a brutally blunt relationship with
Putin, we would roll our sleeves up and go at each other hard behind
closed doors. BAM, BAM, BAM. But once we agreed on something, he always
kept his word.'
As
for former Speaker of the House Gingrich, Clinton said: ‘He was trying
to run me out of town, it was a game to him. He told me the difference
between us was, “We will do whatever we can, and you won't do that.”
Once I heard him say that, I let him do whatever he could and then we
did our business on the side. We reached an accommodation. And because
they wanted to hold onto their jobs and maintain their Majority, they
believed they had to turn up for work and get things done.'
You,
Mr President, have made it very clear you're more interested in playing
golf and getting home in time for tea with your daughters than talking
to, or socialising with Republicans.
Now, I play golf and I like having tea with my daughter, but I'm not running the United States of America.
Being President is a tough, relentlessly demanding job that requires 100% focus, drive and determination at all times.
It
also requires that you regularly sit in a room with people you'd rather
fly across continents to avoid. Especially when you've just seen a
large chunk of your political capital engulfed and destroyed by a vast
wave of discontent.
The
president should pick up the phone to John Boehner and Mitch McConnell
and invite THEM round for tea and make some deals, whatever it takes
Mr
President, you need to pick up the phone today to John Boehner and
Mitch McConnell and invite THEM round for tea, or even to join you for
you 202nd round of golf (yes, it really is that many…) since you assumed
office.
Talk, debate, argue, berate, raise fists, do whatever it takes.
But don't leave that room until you have mutually agreed things that will improve the lives of the people you serve.
Then keep getting in the room with them until the last day of your Presidency.
If
the Republicans refuse to compromise, as has been their witlessly
pointless strategy thus far, then don't be afraid to threaten widespread
use of your executive orders.
How do you want to be remembered, Mr President?
As
the guy in the casino who won all the chips and blew them by being too
safe, indecisive and arrogant. Or the guy who nearly lost all his chips,
learned some humility, then roared back to profit in a blaze of
gloriously bold deal-making.
You want to help those 11 million undocumented immigrant – then make it happen.
You want to keep your promise on gun control to those Newtown parents – then do it.
You want to fire up the economy properly – take real steps to ignite that switch.
You want to defeat ISIS – go at them harder than you've ever smashed a drive.
You want peace between Israel and Palestine – make it a priority.
Legacies, as any sportsman will tell you, are not won by taking the easy option.
They're won with blood, sweat, toil and tears.
It's time you rolled up your sleeves, Mr President - and made some deals.
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