Polarized Politics

By simply looking at the front page of any newspaper, the polarization of the two main parties in America is immediately obvious. Turn on Fox News & you'll find that Obama is a Socialist Muslim; turn on CNN & discover that Bush is a secret terrorist with a low IQ. The Boston Globe published an article addressing the polarization of liberals and conservatives last May and said, "in a time of hyper-partisan politics, President Obama is swimming against the tide. From the reactionary talk-show hosts to incendiary bloggers and Hollywood sneerers, from MoveOn.org to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, from the Bush-is-Hitler paranoiacs to the Obama-is-a-fascist fanatics, both sides have done their share to contribute to the acrimony."

It is obvious that in this day & age, being in politics must be HARD. Not only this, but being a Public Relations practitioner in politics is probably even worse. To be in this field you have to have a hard head & not be the type who gets your feelings hurt easily. It's a brutal world but it offers a lot of rewards.
If I were currently working in the PR field for President Obama, there would be a few things I would do to help the administration. I would issue informative brochures laying out the exact steps of his health care plan. His ideas for health care haven't received the warm welcome he was expecting, and I believe this is because most people only know the general idea of what he has in mind. If they knew the basics; if they knew that every person has a right to health care & that it would not be considered "socialized medicine," perhaps they would give it a better chance.

I would also put together several speeches and press releases for the President. Dealing with the media is the best way to get the correct information to American citizens & to decrease the polarization in the public. To do this, Obama must rely on PR practitioners to set up press conferences, assist in writing informative speeches and press releases, and handle the media's questions. By supplying the media with positive, informative answers, they are more likely to report positively about the changes President Obama plans to implement.
President Obama is in no way, shape or form a "socialist" or "Robin Hood." He simply believes that every person has a right to a doctor if they are sick or injured. As far as I'm concerned, that is not too much to ask.
Above all, as a PR practioner for the President I would survey citizens of the country to find out what specific questions, problems or concerns they have with his current health care proposal. If the President had a better idea of what questions those who are opposing the plan were, he would be better able to answer them and perhaps mend a few errors along the way.
Perhaps with these ideas, as well as others, the polarization in Congress and in the country would decrease. Wouldn't it be nice if everyone just got along for a change?

PS, just a personal opinion... I don't think Obama went "too far" by calling Kanye West a jackass. In fact, it was somewhat humorous. Some people don't understand that it's okay for a President to have a sense of humor. :)