Year Two: "I feel your pain"

In the Obama administration's response to Ma-Sem, I'm feeling something of a similarity to the Clinton administration's restart, although to a much lesser degree.

The Bill Clinton response was to dial back the big change ambition and target small, definable and achievable, incremental changes, and to reorient his domestic/economic message to the now parodied "I feel your pain" connection.

Now, Obama is definitely not in as bad of a political situation as Clinton circa 1994, but, flagging healthcare efforts, economic tension, there are some similarities.

But, when I read the Obama administration's political message they're pushing to the AP for example, I could sort of see the Clinton blueprint. (Or the WaPo)

Here's hoping he "focuses like a laser beam," because it did work pretty damn well last time.

(PS. I think that's not a bad narrative at all if that's where it settles. Big Bill's is still a popular presidency, and using that echo might be quite useful.)