How Obama has fundamentally transformed politics

Republican voters are frustrated and angry because for six years they have believed they have public opinion on their side, but their congressional leaders have failed to prevail on high visibility issues. Their successes (clamping down on domestic discretionary spending) have been invisible. They haven’t made gains through compromise because Obama, unlike his two predecessors, lacks both the inclination and ability to make deals.

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So Republicans who imposed harsh litmus tests in previous presidential cycles — Did you ever support a tax increase? Have you ever wavered in opposing abortion? — are flocking to Donald Trump, a candidate who would fail every one of them. They are paying little attention to candidates — Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, Scott Walker, Chris Christie and Bobby Jindal — who advance serious proposals to change public policy.

In polls Democratic voters have stayed loyal to the president. But to listen to their candidates (and maybe-candidate Joe Biden) you would think we are in our seventh year of oppression by a right-wing administration. You don’t hear much about the virtues of Obamacare or the Iran deal — or “choice.”

Most Americans hoped the first black president would improve race relations. Now most Americans believe they have gotten worse.

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