Dionne v. Alter

Last Friday night, while assessing the President’s inability to translate his legislative victories into political capital, Jonathan Alter said that he thought the problem was that the President is not just incapable but downright allergic to the kinds of soundbites that would translate his complicated policy proposals into something the average voter can understand.

This morning, in the Washington Post, E. J. Dionne has a different analysis: “And as long as Obama doesn’t define ‘Obamaism,’ his critics will do the defining for him. Right now, it’s a collection of real achievements without a strong underlying rationale.” Dionne does not want a soundbite, he wants a narrative.
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E. J. is right.