Relevant reading now, one tumultuous year later - especially the partisanship warnings. The general message here was - don't be afraid to make others angry, just do what's best for the country. Obviously, it was too hard to do.
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If we have any hope of balancing the budget, the alternative minimum tax cannot be entirely eliminated. In addition, demand for revenue will necessitate bringing back the estate tax—because it makes too much sense. It will both raise revenue and encourage more wealthy Americans to donate to charity. Government should incentivize the maxim I plan to follow: "The ultimate in financial planning is to bounce the check to the undertaker."
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We can also generate new revenue by promoting new industries. For instance, we should design our environmental agenda to be a stimulus plan for the clean-energy industry. A carbon tax or a cap-and-auction system, along with eliminating tax cuts for oil companies, could raise revenue for investments in green power or to retrain workers in older industries. To pay for long-term infrastructure, options will have to include tolls, taxes, fees or privatization. Raising revenue, as with reducing spending, will take real political courage. But remember: the public is smarter than most elected officials give them credit for being. They know that the days of something-for-nothing are over. Be honest with them about the costs and benefits, and you will be pleasantly surprised at how they respond.
A word of warning: no matter what the ideologues in your party say, history shows that you will not be able to ram your domestic agenda through Congress, even if your own party wins control of both houses. Ask Jimmy Carter. Or Bill Clinton. Or George W. Bush. Getting big things done will require building close relationships with both parties.
As someone with a strong independent streak, you have an unusual opportunity to pull the two parties together. This work must begin immediately, because once one party retreats into partisan warfare, it is very difficult for the other not to follow suit. And then your entire agenda—and the country's future—will be caught in the crossfire.
Based on my experience, bridging the partisan divide begins with three steps:
First, show respect. When you are asked by the media whether you have earned a mandate, do not take the bait. Be gracious in victory. Nothing energizes the opposition party more than the opportunity to defeat a president who claims a personal mandate.
Second, build trust. Demonstrate that your talk of bipartisanship is not just talk. Appoint a bipartisan cabinet. Invite the best and brightest from all parties to apply for agency positions. Will professional partisans scream? Yes. Let them. Voters are tired of the constant partisan warfare, and they rightly blame it for blocking progress. If they see you holding out your hand, it will be all the more difficult for the opposing party to walk away.
Discuss