The Six Top Republicans Obama Listens To

The Atlantic:

Regardless of whether the President's bipartisan outreach is producing legislative results, there is a handful of conservatives and Republicans that the president and his White House team respect. By respect, I mean, quite simply, the degree to which the White House responds to their worries and needs and believes that the time spent responding is useful and necessary. It is unclear whether the quality of this outreach differs from the respect accorded to Sen. Ben Nelson by the Bush White House.

Read the whole story: The Atlantic

Comments

[DavidClaiborne]

Obama is an alchemist, in the best possible sense - he takes two "opposites" (thesis and antithesis) and by his art, he combines them together into a new, third thing (synthesis). In most cases these things aren't really opposites, and his skill has always been his ability not so much to find compromises but to learn how to communicate with the other side.

His approach to the age-old thorny debate surrounding abortion is a perfect example - he is shifting the focus from the issues of "pro-life"/"pro-choice" to a discussion about the soundest methods for reducing unwanted pregnancies, a perspective that is much closer to the attitudes of most people than the false dichotomies propagated by yellow journalists.

[rich3324]

I think Obama talks to these Republicans more than Bush did.

[plzchuteme]

Is it true that this was supposed to be a "top ten," list, but they couldn't come up with four more names of people worth listening to?

[alan2a]

That's because they, (the Obama Adminstration) are actually a lot more Republican than Democratic and lets not even mention progressive.

[jsgaetano]

Obama should be listening to no Republicans.

All they are going to do is undermine him at the first chance they get.

[LooktotheLeft]

...and the six he least listens to: Newt Gingrich, Newt Gingrich, Newt Gingrich, Newt Gingrich, Newt Gingrich, and Newt Gingrich.

...and adding a seventh if I may: Newt Gingrich

[naschkatze]

So does that mean he listens to ALL of them except Newt Gingrich?

[faithmarie]

do not be afraid of Obama listening to repubs...remember, He is not GW..he has a brain!!

[JackNasty]

For a change., it would be nice to read a headline about real Democrats, from the Democratic wing of the party, that President Obama listened to.

[GeneralDisarray]

Yes. there should be a news story for EVERY person President Obama ever talks to.

[naschkatze]

Probably the Democrats we want him to listen to the most are the ones he listens to the least.

[PoliticalRockChick]

Why listen to Repubs who are against everything you do and they want you to fail?

[ebanks84]

When you're the president, you should listen to everybody and made your own decision between the opposing views, just like Obama has been doing. Presidents don't have the luxury to pick and choose who to listen to and be fair.

[swan1]

..........keep your enemies closer. BTW sometimes Pelosi and Reid are more harmful than Repugs.

[Grunty1]

This certainly sounds more like some Rushpublican Wishful Thinking to me

Lindsey GRAHAM?? The man's a lunatic

[ebanks84]

The man has legitimate intelligence mingled into that lunatic quality.

[naschkatze]

I would say that that is even more dangerous.

[Samalabear]

No one the health care bill looks worse by the day. Between the Blue Dog Dems and this crowd, Kennedy's ridiculous mandates, what chance is there? Of course the biggest mistake that is being made is saying that all Americans need health insurance. Wrong. All Americans need health care. There is a difference.

[dinglebe]

How could he possibly listen to these people? They're all pragmatists. They surely don't represent the Republican Party in any fashion. If the President wants to talk with true Republicans, he's going to have to deal with the lunatics who represent the party's real values.

I guess I can't blame him if he prefers to talk with folks who have something between their ears besides hate.

[bbbbmer]

And yet none on this list of six ever respects of listens to Obama... The start of a rather abusive relationship and a study in masochism on Obama's part....

[Cryostatic]

He may listen, and he may respond, but his response generally falls along the lines of "I hear what you're saying, but I'm going to just go ahead and do it this way". To paraphrase, of course.

If you're worried about Obama giving in to conservatives on any level, there's little to fear.

[naschkatze]

Quashing Napolitano's domestic terrorism report?