Look Alive!

Advice offered to one’s opponent usually reflects one’s own desires more than the interests of your opponents. Democratic bloggers have coined a term — "Concern Troll" — for those who offer this kind of “poisoned apple [advice] to political opponents that, if taken, would harm the recipient.” It's a valid point, and it works both ways.

Of course, President Obama won’t be terribly interested in policy advice from those of us on the Right, and it would be an exercise in vanity for us to give it. In most areas, our policy premises and priorities are just too divergent. President Obama will set his own agenda, and the Right can only hope to shape it by making parts of the path harder … or easier. Rather than giving advice to President Obama on the policies he should offer, I would advise Congressional Republicans to take Obama up on some of his offers … and quickly, lest the opportunity slip away.

There are two areas of shared values and parallel goals where Obama might be interested in working with Republicans. For Republicans, these areas present a unique — and brief — opportunity.

 

• Senator Obama has demonstrated a reasonable interest in transparency reform, even working with Senator Coburn to pass the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006. Indeed, the Progressive coalition that organized behind Obama is also very committed to transparency … at least, rhetorically.

• Likewise, Senator Obama has frequently claimed support for PAYGO, to “require any new increases in discretionary spending to be offset by a reduction in other areas of spending.” (Unfortunately, he’s also tried to walk that back on more than one occasion.) However, one presumes there is a genuine interest in reducing the deficit.

For a very brief period after President Obama takes office, there will be an alignment of political interests.

• Republicans philosophically support federal transparency and responsible budgeting — at least, they are supposed to; theory and practice have diverged in recent years.

• Democrats have marketed themselves as supporters of transparency and responsible budgeting — at least, they claim to; theory and practice will diverge in coming years.

Democrats will briefly be motivated (by their idealist grassroots) to support these policies in order to avoid alienating their movement. Republicans might briefly be motivated (by idealism, but also by shame) to support these policies in order to begin rebuilding their credibility as an effective vehicle for conservative and limited government ideals.