Taegan Goddard's Political Wire

June 03, 2009

Obama's Plan to Sabotage the Republican Party

By naming moderate Republicans to key positions in his administration, Politico says President Obama is executing a plan "that not only sketches the outline of a reelection strategy but manages to drive a wedge into the opposition at the same time. Call it a Sherman's March in reverse -- an audacious attempt by Obama to burn down any lines of escape for Republicans from their one refuge of popularity, the deep South."

Some examples:

• Naming Rep. Ray LaHood (R-IL) to his cabinet.
• Appointing Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman (R) as ambassador to China
• Choosing Rep. John McHugh (R-NY) as secretary of the Army
• Getting Sen. Arlen Specter to switch parties
• Nearly getting Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) to accept a cabinet appointment
  

Said Democratic strategist Tad Devine: "It's very smart politically on a lot of levels. First, it's a demonstration that he's keeping his promise to govern in a bipartisan way. Second, the fact is, every time you open up a seat in the House or Senate that an incumbent Republican holds, you give your party an opportunity to win one back. And some of those seats may come our way. It forces Republicans to defend their own territory and spend money on defense."

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Taegan D. Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country, including the Washington Post, USA Today, Boston Globe, San Francisco Chronicle, Chicago Tribune, Philadelphia Inquirer and Christian Science Monitor.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

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