Short Take: Return to the swamp
For months the Rahm Emanuel line was that once health care passed momentum would be restored to the Obama agenda. While there will certainly (and deservedly) be a lift after passage, the reality is that it will not produce sustainable new momentum. There is too much blood on the walls from the ugly process, mishandled ...
For months the Rahm Emanuel line was that once health care passed momentum would be restored to the Obama agenda. While there will certainly (and deservedly) be a lift after passage, the reality is that it will not produce sustainable new momentum. There is too much blood on the walls from the ugly process, mishandled by both sides. Coalitions are fragile, nerves are frayed and the November election looms in a way that will distract some and scare others into inaction.
There will be financial service reform and there may be some form of energy and climate legislation but like health care and the jobs bill, both will be smaller than ideal, smaller even than necessary to be really effective. Meanwhile the pre-election drumbeat will drown out most thoughtful conversation... and immediately following the election... seconds later, we will not only have smaller margins on the Hill but we will be entering the cloud-cuckoo land of a presidential election cycle. Further, many of the provisions of the health care bill don't hit for three years and most only affect a tiny minority of Americans. So... after the immediate celebrations end... there will be a letdown as reality sinks in and political Washington again resembles the swamp on which the city was built.
For months the Rahm Emanuel line was that once health care passed momentum would be restored to the Obama agenda. While there will certainly (and deservedly) be a lift after passage, the reality is that it will not produce sustainable new momentum. There is too much blood on the walls from the ugly process, mishandled by both sides. Coalitions are fragile, nerves are frayed and the November election looms in a way that will distract some and scare others into inaction.
There will be financial service reform and there may be some form of energy and climate legislation but like health care and the jobs bill, both will be smaller than ideal, smaller even than necessary to be really effective. Meanwhile the pre-election drumbeat will drown out most thoughtful conversation… and immediately following the election… seconds later, we will not only have smaller margins on the Hill but we will be entering the cloud-cuckoo land of a presidential election cycle. Further, many of the provisions of the health care bill don’t hit for three years and most only affect a tiny minority of Americans. So… after the immediate celebrations end… there will be a letdown as reality sinks in and political Washington again resembles the swamp on which the city was built.
More from Foreign Policy
Is Cold War Inevitable?
A new biography of George Kennan, the father of containment, raises questions about whether the old Cold War—and the emerging one with China—could have been avoided.
So You Want to Buy an Ambassadorship
The United States is the only Western government that routinely rewards mega-donors with top diplomatic posts.
Can China Pull Off Its Charm Offensive?
Why Beijing’s foreign-policy reset will—or won’t—work out.
Turkey’s Problem Isn’t Sweden. It’s the United States.
Erdogan has focused on Stockholm’s stance toward Kurdish exile groups, but Ankara’s real demand is the end of U.S. support for Kurds in Syria.
Sign up for Morning Brief
Foreign Policy’s flagship daily newsletter with what’s coming up around the world today. Delivered weekdays.
By submitting your email, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and to receive email correspondence from us. You may opt out at any time.
