On December second I wrote an article saying that there are five tools to use in politics, and that generally you had to use two of them to succeed. Since then three politicans said four things to illustrate my thesis.
On December third Speaker Pelosi said, (referring to extending unemployment)
"This is something that is not only good for these families; it's the right thing to do in a downturn in our economy. But it's also the right thing to do to grow our economy.
Examine this speach in the terms of my thesis:
It is an appeal to morality.
It is an appeal to practical truth. (what I called "knowledge")
It counters the Republican opposition, by exposing their lies and immorality.
It appeals to public support, as almost everyone aproves of the extension.
This is an excellent strategy. Take a popular position, defend it on moral and practical grounds, and by the way, defuse the Republican's favored strategy, which is to use poverty to instill fear (Thank you, Beernotwar, for clarifying my termonology.) among the people. Thank you, Madame Speaker, for reading my article.
On December fifth Senator Kerry gave an impassioned defense of President Obama's efforts, speaking in terms of morality. He was supporting the strategy heroically.
On December sixth President Obama said that he would not stand to see the American people held hostage by Republicans demanding tax cuts. The President, the Speaker of the House, and a prominant senator are going to do the right thing; it will be good for everybody, and the villains have been exposed!
Then, on the seventh, President Obama said that he was giving in to the Republican demands. He said he had to agree to a "deal" to give the rich tax cuts in return for an extension of unemployment, and he said that he had to do it because "the people did not force the Republicans to give in".
The "compromise" will make an effective budget impossible. It hurts everyone, even the unemployed. By doing the wrong thing he sacrificed the tool of knowledge.
By not standing up to the Republicans' immorality he sacrificed the tool of morality.
He gave the rich money. (another tool)
And he blamed the people, sacrificing public support.
There are five tools. He sacrificed three and strengthened one of his opponents'.
To paraphrase Thom Hartmann, "If there's a strategy here, I don't see it."