Is Obama a Bad Negotiator or the Only Grown Up in the Room?

MSNBC’s Morning Joe is among the best of cable news options.  The program’s analysis and discussion offers cross-talk from a diversity of political thinkers and sharp analysis, packaged with rock song lead-ins and entertaining banter.  It’s not by accident that at the gym in the morning, the program is the perfect segue to flip between, alternating with SportsCenter.

This morning’s discussion, following the political speeches last night by Obama and Boehner on the debt deadlock is a leading example of the cross-talk and analysis that the program has to offer.  As the panel unanimously concludes neither the President nor the Speaker proved likely effective, though Scarborough (a Republican) is revealing in describing Obama’s proposal as very reasonable.  Each, however, overall found both speeches and leaders disappointing. 

In terms of communication strategy, as Newsweek Editor Tina Brown summed it up, the President with an eye towards 2012, no matter the resolution of the debt deadlock, is trying to end up looking like the only grown up in the room rather than a bad negotiator.

You can watch the discussion below.

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