Over the next two years, a Republican-controlled Congress may be able to cut President Obama out of key legislative battles, but they can’t silence his megaphone on hot-button social issues.
Political analysts say one way the president can fend off a lame-duck label — at least in the eyes of the public — is to remain out in front of matters that, to some degree, lie outside the purview of Capitol Hill.
Over just the past few weeks, Mr. Obama has opined on the NFL’s approach to domestic abuse cases, Sony Pictures’ handling of the star-studded film “The Interview” and the relationship of law enforcement with minority communities across the country.
His comments on race, pop culture and sports came at roughly the same time he was elbowed out of a key spending debate in Congress, where lawmakers crafted a massive $1.1 trillion spending package with little input from Mr. Obama.
He did, however, call fellow Democrats at the 11th hour and urge them to back the bill, which passed with bipartisan support.
It’s unclear how big a role the president will play in similar policy debates over the next 24 months, but specialists say he has other options to remain relevant.
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“Presidents have multiple levers of power. These are both policy and social. When one lever isn’t working, they turn to the other,” said Brandon Rottinghaus, a political science professor at the University of Houston who has written on presidential leadership. “The president, even if you’re not getting the policy traction you might want, manipulating that social lever and talking about social issues could lead to policy changes. He can talk about these big social issues as a way to maintain relevancy.”
Tensions between police departments and minority communities offer perhaps the clearest example of how Mr. Obama intends to use nonlegislative means to push his ideas.
On the heels of grand jury decisions not to charge police officers in New York City and Ferguson, Missouri, in connection with the deaths of black men, Mr. Obama formed a high-level task force on 21st century policing. He ordered the group to offer recommendations by March on how law enforcement can reduce racial tensions and more effectively serve their communities.
Beyond the task force, Mr. Obama has addressed the issue on several occasions, going out of his way during unrelated policy speeches to address race and law enforcement.
Among other steps, he and his Justice Department seemingly have come out in support of racial quotas in police departments, saying law enforcement agencies must represent the communities they serve.
“We know that a police force that is representative of the communities it is serving makes a difference,” Mr. Obama told a crowd in Chicago last month, going on to say there are legitimate reasons why some communities are distrustful of cops.
“The frustrations the people have generally are rooted in some hard truths that have to be addressed.”
Today, the public virtually demands that a president address such issues, said Matthew Dallek, a political science professor at George Washington University who specializes in political leadership and the presidency.
“I think this is an expected element in any administration nowadays,” he said. “People expect the president to weigh in at times like this, whether it’s Ferguson or the killing of two police officers in New York City. The pressures are pretty significant. The silence would be quite loud if he said nothing.”
Beyond race and law enforcement, Mr. Obama has offered clear indications that he aims to remain front and center on other controversial issues throughout his supposed lame-duck era.
Before leaving for a two-week Hawaii vacation, the president blasted Sony’s decision to scrap “The Interview” after threats from North Korean hackers, who attacked Sony systems and then released troves of embarrassing emails.
After initially scrapping the film’s Dec. 25 release, Sony changed course and made the film available online and in theaters, albeit many fewer than it had planned.
Mr. Obama’s harsh comments — and subsequent free speech debate — appear to have played at least a small role in Sony’s reversal.
The president also appears willing to offer his take on controversies in the sports realm. He’s previously spoken about inflammatory comments made by Los Angeles Clippers then-owner Donald Sterling, the furor around the Washington Redskins’ nickname and other hot-button issues.
Most recently, he took direct aim at the NFL and the way the league has handled a rash of domestic violence cases involving top stars such as Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson.
“The way it was handled also indicates the NFL was behind the curve, as a lot of institutions have been behind the curve in sending a clear message,” Mr. Obama said during an interview on ESPN Radio Dec. 12.
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.
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