These lame ducks could fly. For President Obama, the runway after next month’s midterm elections is strewn with obstacles. But he has some of the same opportunities that his predecessors seized. And, if anything, the costs of not acting have risen, at home and abroad. The American people are demanding leadership that only the president, in cooperation with Congress, can provide.
The fourth quarter of a presidency can free an incumbent to act with newfound autonomy. Past presidents have used the period to rise above constraints of their own party. President Reagan brushed past conservative protests to achieve his historic deal with the Soviets to eliminate intermediate-range nuclear missiles. President Clinton went beyond the Democratic base to normalize trade relations with China and to create Plan Colombia, in which the U.S. devoted substantial help to the fight against drug cartels and left-wing guerrillas.
In both cases, the White House refreshed its ideas factory and brought in seasoned advisers with clear eyes. It’s not necessary to clean house, but it can help to come to the table with a clean slate.
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