http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2013/01/1 ... n-the-mud/With respect to this “truism” about me not socializing enough and patting folks on the back and all that stuff, most people who know me know I’m a pretty friendly guy. (Laughter.) And I like a good party. (Laughter.) And the truth is that when I was in the Senate, I had great relationships over there, and up until the point that I became President this was not an accusation that you heard very frequently.
I think that really what’s gone on in terms of some of the paralysis here in Washington or difficulties in negotiations just have to do with some very stark differences in terms of policy, some very sharp differences in terms of where we stand on issues. And if you think about, let’s say, myself and Speaker Boehner, I like Speaker Boehner personally, and when we went out and played golf we had a great time. But that didn’t get a deal done in 2011. When I’m over here at the congressional picnic and folks are coming up and taking pictures with their family, I promise you, Michelle and I are very nice to them and we have a wonderful time. (Laughter.) But it doesn’t prevent them from going onto the floor of the House and blasting me for being a big-spending socialist. (Laughter.)
And the reason that, in many cases, Congress votes the way they do, or talks the way they talk, or takes positions in negotiations that they take doesn’t have to do with me. It has to do with the imperatives that they feel in terms of their own politics — right? They’re worried about their district. They’re worried about what’s going on back home.
I think there are a lot of Republicans at this point that feel that given how much energy has been devoted in some of the media that’s preferred by Republican constituencies to demonize me, that it doesn’t look real good socializing with me. Charlie Crist down in Florida I think testifies to that. And I think a lot of folks say, well, if we look like we’re being too cooperative or too chummy with the President that might cause us problems. That might be an excuse for us to get a challenge from somebody in a primary.
So that tends to be the challenge. I promise you, we invite folks from Congress over here all the time. And when they choose to come, I enjoy their company. Sometimes they don’t choose to come, and that has to do with the fact that I think they don’t consider the optics useful for them politically. And, ultimately, the way we’re going to get stuff done — personal relationships are important, and obviously I can always do a better job, and the nice thing is, is that now that my girls are getting older, they don’t want to spend that much time with me anyway, so I’ll be probably calling around, looking for somebody to play cards with me or something, because I’m getting kind of lonely in this big house. (Laughter.) So maybe a whole bunch of members of the House Republican caucus want to come over and socialize more.
That seems to me to really miss the whole point....
It's not about "enjoying a golf game" or "being the life of the party or a stick in the mud", it's about establishing an ongoing relationship of trust and communication that helps to keep the wheels of government moving....
Obama is certainly not entirely to blame for this, (nor does a lack of good personal relationships fully explain our current governmental dysfunctionality ; Boehner is saddled with a kamikaze faction in his caucus, and for his part, Obama has shown himself to be extremely timid when it comes to imposing his will on his own party on The Hill) but his attitude about the value of personal relationships between major political players definitely doesn't help....If you read through that entire answer of his, it's obvious that he finds the idea of personal relationships impacting policy effectiveness to be amusing and rather silly....
History would suggest that he's wrong about this...
But history would also suggest, that for political leaders of vastly divergent ideological viewpoints to be able to work together effectively, they need to have some things in common which helps to build trust and a sense of camaraderie....(this is also lacking between Obama and Boehner; more about that in a moment)
Let's take a look at the two most recent examples of the relationships between Presidents and House Speakers of different parties that are most frequently compared with Obama and Boehner's relationship; Ronald Reagan and Tip O'Neill, and Bill Clinton and Newt Gingrich:
In the case of Reagan and O'Neill, despite enormously different views about the role of government, they also had many things in common. They were both of the same generation, they both came from ethnic Irish working class backgrounds. They also both had outgoing and gregarious personalities, and were great story tellers.
They established a real rapport, genuinely came to like each other, and enjoy each others company. O'Neill was over at the White House so frequently, that far from "worrying about the optics", it ceased to be news. They spoke almost daily on the phone.
In the case of Clinton and Gingrich, again, they had a lot in common. Both were from the same generation.(they both achieved their first electoral success in 1978; Clinton first elected as Governor of Arkansas, and Gingrich elected to The House) Both were bright, ambitious over achievers who had risen from relatively humble southern roots. They were also both "policy wonks" voracious readers, and lovers of both the intricacies of policy and politics and "big picture" theories. (And of course also the lovers of women not their wives, but I doubt they discussed that much)
They never had the kind of friendship that Reagan and O'Neill developed, but they enjoyed each others company and met and communicated on a very regular basis. And like Reagan and O'Neill, they were able to make deals and get a lot accomplished.
By contrast, Obama and Boehner really only have two things in common, and one of those is a negative rather than a positive...
The one positive thing they have in common to base a personal relationship on, is that neither was born to wealth, and they both come from a middle class background, and had to earn everything they've achieved....
That's it...nothing else...
They're different generations, (Boehner was born in '49, Obama was born in '64) one grew up in Beaver Cleaver Ohio, the other in exotic Hawaii....When John Boehner was first elected to The House in 1990, Barack Obama was 16 years old....Boehner was Animal House generation...Obama, That 70s Show....
Boehner worked his way up through the ranks for nearly 20 years before he became Speaker Of The House....
Obama went from being a nationally unknown Illinois state Senator to President Of The United States in four years.....
Boehner considers Obama to be an incompetent political neophyte, and Obama considers Boehner to be a political troglodyte who's time is past....
Neither has any confidence in the other to deliver on a deal, (both are convinced that the other pulled the rug out from under them and took an agreed upon deal off the table at the last minute when they tried to strike a "grand bargain" in the summer of 2011)
And the one other thing that they do have in common....
The fact that neither is a particularly outgoing or engaging individual on an inter-personal level, (ala Reagan or Clinton) doesn't make the situation any better....
All and all, not a great basis for a politically effective relationship....
