Obama Debates Issues at GOP Retreat

Andrew Sullivan comments in The Daily Dish on President Obama's impressive performance at the GOP retreat in Baltimore. Take a look at the video or transcript.

Obama is best at this. He is best at defusing conflict; he is superb at engaging civilly with his opponents. It's part of his legacy - I remember how many conservatives respected him at the Harvard Law Review. But he needs to do more of this, even though he may get nothing in return. Why? Because unless the tone changes, unless the pure obstructionism and left-right ding-dong cycle stops, we are on a fast track to catastrophe.

That was the core message of Obama in the election. It was one of my core reasons for backing him over Clinton - because he has the capacity to reach out this way. I remain depressed at the prospects for a breakthrough, but this was good politics and good policy. More, please. Do this every month. Maybe over the long haul, the poison of the past has to be worked through with Obama as therapist in chief.

Sully tracks reaction here. After eight years of Presidential events in which everything was tightly scripted and controlled, it was remarkable to watch a President take hostile questions from the opposition and more than hold his own without notes or a teleprompter. Despite frequently appearing to have a better grasp of the subject matter than his questioners, Obama was indeed civil, fair and respectful throughout.

--Ballard Burgher