All that said, the next week is crucial for Obama’s presidency. If he gets the tax deal through the House, he’s going to look like Clinton; if he fails to get I through the House, he’s going to look like Carter.
The question here is whether Nancy Pelosi will deliver again. She killed off many moderate Democrats and ended the Democratic majority over the course of the last two years, and now she could deal a severe blow to Obama’s presidency as one of her final acts.
If the deal goes down, it will be hard to put together again, and it could be even harder for a Republican House and a Democratic Senate to find common ground next year.