Daily Real Estate News  |  November 10, 2008  |   Obama Must Curb Democratic Leaders
President-elect Barack Obama is, at heart, a pragmatic and moderate politician. But whether he will govern that way will depend on how he handles the Democratic leaders in the House and Senate, said two popular and fiery commentators on Saturday at the REALTORSŪ Conference & Expo.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.) will want to take advantage of Democratic control in Congress to move fast and boldly to usher in Democratic priorities and shore up the economy, MSNBC TV show Morning Joe host and former U.S. Rep. Joe Scarborough (R-Fla.) told a packed audience.

The risk is that they’ll overreach, just as the Republicans did under President George W. Bush. “The House and Senate will push for things that just ought not to occur,” said Scarborough, referring to tax increases and other initiatives that could hurt business.

Scarborough and Mike Barnicle, a frequent guest on Morning Joe and a long-time news reporter, said Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) threw away the election by running what they called one of the worst managed and least focused presidential campaigns ever.

"Running a campaign is just like selling a house,” Barnicle said. “You have to have a clear picture of what you're selling and how to sell it.”

Scarborough said McCain could have won if he capitalized on Obama’s widely publicized remarks on wealth redistribution to Joe Wurzelbacher, the now well-known Joe the Plumber, by hammering on the stifling effect the policies would have on small business.

A phrase like “I don't want to tax Rickie the Real Estate Broker when he wants to hire four people," might have resonated enough to change the election outcome, said Scarborough.

In a potentially ironic twist, McCain's vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin could very likely end up in Washington within a few months.

Even if Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens is confirmed as the winner, he could end up resigning because of his seven convictions for lying to a jury about gifts he's received while in office. That will pave the way for Palin, as governor of his state, to make a replacement appointment. And that replacement could very well be her.

Despite the differences between Republicans and Democrats on taxes and other issues crucial to the country and the economy, both Scarborough and Barnicle agreed Obama's victory is a milestone that all Americans should be rightly proud of.

—Robert Freedman