Well, not surprisingly, I didn't make the final 10 in the Washington Post pundit contest. I read the 10 that made, and think they were good pieces. My congratulations to them.

Here is the piece that I submitted, with an asterisk. Interestingly enough, each piece had a 400 word limit. I used the word counter on the Microsort Works work processor to trim my piece to 400 words. I didn't really worry about the words in the very first draft, and then I proceeded to whittle it down. I got it where the counter said exactly 400 words.

Imagine my surprise when I pasted the piece into the Washington Post's field for placing entry, and it said I was about 30 words over the limit and couldn't post it until I got it down to their 400 word count.

I did. But I didn't copy and paste into a file those edits. All I have saved on my computer is the version as it was put into the field originally. But you can get the gist. I still feel good about my entry, and think it could very well have been picked. But, when you are having to read almost 5000 pieces in a week and judge them, you have your hands full. I think it is a great outreach effort by the Post, and I congratulate for doing it. But below is the piece that I submitted.
_________________________________________________
Obama needs to get some things done
by Mark Donham

The Health Care Reform bill snaking around Congress is dubbed a “Democratic” bill. There’s been scant Republican support for this health care reform and other Obama ideas (except for sending more troops to Afghanistan). This cold shoulder isn’t strictly issue-based, and is less than sincere. It is part of a long shot Republican attempt to regain their majorities in Congress and limit Obama to one term. They think inaction may further divide the Democrats and define Obama as an ineffective smooth talker. They want to help that along.

By some criteria, it’s working. Saturday Night Live’s latest opening skit portrayed Obama, fairly or not, as a guy who isn’t getting anything done. That is a political benchmark of sorts hitting one of his bases - youth. Many pundits say that if Health Care Reform fails, the Obama presidency will fail. Even as Obama received the Nobel Peace Prize, pundits mused about what Obama had actually done to receive the award.

He best not ignore the charge. Ask John Kerry. When an idea like this grabs hold, it can grow, like mycelium, in the fertile D.C. media, and then mushroom. It can move like a wildfire that creates its own weather and char the political landscape. Obama is an historic figure, but he is not above being badly damaged by a well-run campaign to discredit him. He could end up getting nothing done, an unimpressive one-termer, his place in history squandered.

The Democratic majorities are enough to get things done without the Republicans, but it takes all of them agreeing. The President plays a key role in uniting Congress. If Obama can’t unite his own party it will only reinforce the notion that he can’t get things done. But if Obama does manage to get changes made that positively affect the middle and working class, and the Republicans are seen as not helping at all, there could be a political backlash. It’s a gamble, but the minority’s options are limited.

There is a lot of noise about the Republicans making significant gains in Congress in the mid-term elections next year. No doubt, the cycle tilts toward the Republicans, but they still need a good campaign. Short selling an intelligent and youthful president may or may not work. If I had to bet, my money would go on Obama and the Democrats to do better in the midterms than conventional wisdom would suggest.