The Most Pressing Question: Can Barack Obama Lead His Party?

If Barack Obama wants to become the transformative President his
supports hope he will be, he'll first have to learn to govern the
forces within his party.

In many ways Barack Obama’s election to the presidency is historic. Perhaps more important than Obama’s impressive list of election day accomplishments is the mood that swept him into office; people from across America have placed their hopes and dreams in Obama in a way that has not been seen in American politics in a generation. The good news for Obama is that he will be able to use his clout with the American people to pursue an aggressive political agenda. The bad news for Obama is that there is a strong possibility of his becoming yet another Democratic president who failed to live up to his potential.

For the second half of the twentieth century and into the twenty First Democrats have been reactionary, sluggish, and unable to define the political issues that drive American politics. Presidents like Lyndon Johnson, Jimmy Carter, and even Bill Clinton are perfect examples of the chronic Democratic woes in leadership. Each of these presidents allowed their failings, whether personal or political, to keep them from reforming a party in need of repair. The lesson for Obama to take from his predecessors is that redefining and building an enduring mission for his party must be a central aim of his presidency. The obstacles he faces in doing this are significant.

The first challenge Obama faces is the simple fact that his personal beliefs about the proper direction and course for American social and political life are not reflective of the American mainstream. Obama isn’t a socialist, but his views are definitely are few steps left of what most Americans see as the proper course for American politics and culture. President Obama will have to resist the temptation to build a party in his own image, which cannot survive long, and instead craft his party as a picture of the great American political middle. If Obama can accomplish this then his next job, getting the Democratic Congress on his side will be much easier.

Taming Congress and bringing it onboard will be a significant challenge for Obama even though his party has commanding leads in both houses. Jimmy Carter, despite Democratic control of Congress, was stymied by legislative battles in almost all of his efforts. If Obama pursues too left leaning of an agenda or if he takes his Democratic colleagues in Congress for granted he will suffer a fate similar to Carter’s. On the other hand, Democrats in both the House and Senate will welcome a leader who can finally articulate a mission and cause that reaches out to the American people at large and again makes the Democratic party a household brand across America.

There is a great deal riding on President-elect Obama; if he succeeds at building his party up correctly he can assure Democratic dominance in national politics for years to come. If Obama fails, either because he cannot resist his own leftist urges or because of his own personal arrogance he will join the long list of democratic have-beens. This failure will be sad, because more than ever, America needs a president and a party who can address and solve the problems of our day.