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Brit Hume's Commentary: Obama's Political Dance

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  • Description

    Can president appease base for re-election?

  • Duration 2:05
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Perspective now on how the dead issue and others figure -- -- president Obama's political future senior political analyst for him joins us tonight -- Britain I'm -- Republicans and obsessing about their lack of a new political superstar to lead them against the vaunted Barack Obama next year.

Seem not to have noticed something.

This president is in is full of political retreat is this town has seen in many years.

He was elected to fix the economy but people think he and -- party have failed and exploded the nation's debt in the process.

His poll numbers are abysmal on both counts moreover.

His political base is cranky about the war in Afghanistan unhappy that he failed in the bush tax cuts.

And worried now they may be willing to cut spending significantly to win an increase in the debt ceiling.

Mr.

Obama knows he must stir his base to have any hope re election.

But he knows also that of the independents who backed him in 2008 and deserted him and his party last fall don't come back.

His base won't be enough.

So even as he gave ground on spending and dead in the negotiations the congressional Republicans he talked tough about taxing the rich in that White House news conference last week.

By -- -- he was sounding conciliatory again and confident of the deal.

And he said he's against kicking issued down the road but he has the same guy only weeks ago one of the debt ceiling increase -- no action on spending.

He's like a man who took two dates to the -- -- is trying to keep them both happy he may not pull it off but he's dancing as fast as he can't print.

What about all this talk about balance in the final deal.

Today and that brief statement in front of the press briefing.

Well Republicans would say of course it is balance they're giving on the deaths debt ceiling increase and the president and his and his colleagues.

In congress in the Democratic Party giving on spending but the president I think fears.

That if he gives too much on spending and doesn't get anything seemingly in the deal on the debt ceiling increase.

That he will be just infuriate his base and he's looking for some sort of a fig leafs and some taxes.

Or -- it can go up and give him a chance to say he's got something more in return for what he's giving which is a lot our --

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