Obama's post-election gameplan: 5 suggestions

With Democrats expected to suffer severe midterm losses, pundits have plenty of advice for the president

Obama
(Image credit: CC BY: The White House)

President Obama is making a final campaign swing before the midterm elections, trying to energize Democratic voters by warning that big Republican gains in Congress could sink his legislative priorities. "My name may not be on the ballot," he said Tuesday on the Rev. Al Sharpton's radio show, "but our agenda for moving forward is on the ballot." With pollsters predicting the GOP will gain seats in the Senate and take control of the House, commentators have plenty of advice about what Obama should do if next week's election shakes out as expected. Here are five suggestions:

Obama should stick to his guns: Democratic presidents are "more easily intimidated by midterm losses" than Republicans, says Robert Reich in The Christian Science Monitor. Instead of moving to the center, as Bill Clinton did after the 1994 GOP landslide, Obama should do what Republican presidents do and continue looking for ways to make progress on the issues that matter most to him. Leaders don't give up after a predictable setback — they "push even harder" for what they believe in.

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