Cost Reading (last week)

I was just looking over the Cost article for last week and came to a different conclusion then when I originally read it. I think the majority of class viewed Cost’s argument for “party proposals from the middle” more tenable then Reich’s idea for extending the limits of politics. In reading the article again however, I kept thinking how Costs suggestions would be unproductive if put into effect. Costs believes that, “Obama lacks the broad appeal to guide the House’s liberal proposal through the Senate,” which consequently leads to “compromise bills” that no one likes. Costs proposes that Obama “disarm his opponents” by moving towards more moderate, middle of the spectrum politics. Additionally, Cost makes the point that Obama “…could have wooed the moderate flank of the Republican Party, marginalized the conservatives, and alleviated the concern of those gettable voters in the South and Midwest.” Cost argues that Obama policies get too watered down due to compromise, yet he makes the suggestion to make a more drastic compromise by shifting his entire liberal agenda to gain support. It seems to me that if Obama changes tack towards “policy built up from the center” he will still be caught between appeasing the moderates/republicans and democrats, only now the liberals (who were the majority voters) are upset with him too. I understand that to gain support Costs ideas for Obama are feasible, however now that he is in office, Obama would be more successful changing “…politics to extend those limits and thereby more assuredly achieve goals” (Reich suggestion).