An Upside to Partisanship for Obama

By Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers

Does the partisanship and political anger in Washington have a sunny side for President Obama? Just maybe, says former Clinton spokesman Mike McCurry. "I think there is a new 'silent majority,' and it is the great middle of the political spectrum—the nearly 50 percent of all Americans who self-describe themselves as 'moderate' instead of 'liberal' or 'conservative.' They are mostly moderate and turned off by the polarization in Congress and the media," says McCurry. "They don't identify with the extremes they see in the debate as portrayed by the media." He adds, "I think that will scare people into new behavior, and I think Obama will be the beneficiary because many people have a lot invested in him for the long term; they want him to succeed." What's more, McCurry says, race is a positive element. "We are proud of having elected a black guy president, and we don't want it to be a failed presidency again like his immediate white predecessors."

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