The Morning after

In the train wreck that was the elections, especially at the state level, the principal question is how the President and the Democrats will react.  What is the story they are telling themselves?

We have a President who told ABC's Charlie Gibson that he would favor higher capital-gains tax rates even if they brought in less revenue to the government.  Much can and should be presumed from such a gob smacking statement.

We have a President that continues to believe Americans are just unable to understand the nuances of the health care bill and his other initiatives.  He has a 'communication problem.'  This is a President and a party in denial.

This is a President that feels most Americans cling to guns and butter and the Bible out of fear and frustration and generally a mystification at the workings of the world.  This is a Party that holds a hammer that is big government, and every issue looks like a nail.

These and other memes reveal a President and a party whose values and philosophies and economics are deeply and structurally biased against free markets.  How does such a party negotiate with the new majority in the House, supposedly determined to shrink the size of government?

How does such a President even begin to give the speech he gave the day after the election (see links below), promising his willingness to negotiate on virtually every pillar of his Presidency?  The sardonic look on his face matched his impudent tone much more than the words from his mouth. 

The words of his speech do not add up.  He is deeply in denial.  The narrative lens through which he sees the world will never allow him to understand what happened in the election.  A party and a President backed by academics deeply entrenched in a story that is alien to most Americans do not 'see the light' because of an election.  There will be fireworks.  And there will be a structural fight for the nation.  Are the Republicans up to it?  They have a President and a Party and a media and a Fortune 100 and an academic elite against them.

Nov 3, 2010 Press Conference by the President

Video of Nov 3, 2010 Press conference