In case you missed it, President Obama gave everyone a first class lesson in tough politics when he faced a room full of his harshest critics at the Republican retreat on Friday.
Take a look at the videos after the jump . . .
And here's the really good part:
Make no mistake about it . . . President Obama is tough.
And by the word "tough" I mean actually confronting one's adversaries instead of hiding behind surrogates and talking points.
By the word "tough" I mean actually addressing the issues head on rather than dodging questions or pandering to be liked.
By the word "tough" I mean having the ability to completely destroy your political opponents without once ever having to resort to name-calling because you have a far superior grasp of the issues and a powerfully clear and persuasive way of getting your point across.
By the word "tough" I mean being able to engage in debate on two different levels at the same time; being able to slog through the wonky policy details while still arguing a larger point on the state of political discourse (or lack thereof) in our country today.
By the word "tough" I mean always being one step ahead of your competition.
By the word "tough" I mean being flexible enough to acknowledge when the other side makes a good point, not allowing pride to commeth before the fall.
By the word "tough" I mean standing on principle, but being smart enough to know that there is more than one way to get from points "A" to "B" without succumbing to predictable political dogma and ideological purity.
By the word "tough" I mean understanding that voters care far more about results than political chest-thumping.
And . . .
By the word "tough" I mean going against an entire room of individuals who wish nothing more than to see you fail, and finding joy in knowing that you're just too damn good to let that happen.
That's what being "tough" means in today's politics. It's knowing who you are and being comfortable in your own skin. It's talking to the American people like adults. And it's having faith in the belief that voters are smart enough and patient enough to strive for something better than bumper-sticker politics and cheap political gamesmsnship.
We saw this on Friday.
Good job, Mr. President.
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