Doyle, Obama and herding cats

The last two nights provided us with an opportunity to compare and contrast two very successful politicians with much in common as well as some significant differences.

Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle and President Barack Obama are both dyed-in-the-wool Democrats and strong advocates for the important role that government plays in meeting people’s needs. Yet both have been committed to working with Republicans on important issues like education, healthcare and the economy.

Both are exceptionally smart and regularly display an impressive command of a wide range of complicated issues. And both also maintain a connection with the average voter and know the importance of discussing policies in layman’s terms.

Both have lived overseas; Obama lived in Indonesia for part of his childhood and Doyle spent two years in Africa with the Peace Corps.

And both have the competitive nature of a consummate politician and gym rat; both play to win in politics and on the basketball court.

Of course, there are differences, too. They are a generation apart; Doyle was born the year World War II ended and reached maturity in the ’60s, while Obama was born during JFK’s first year in office and couldn’t vote for president until 1980.

Obama is considered to be a powerful and charismatic speaker while Doyle’s oratory style is best described as competent and workman-like.

But I was struck these last two nights by how similar a challenge they face. Both work with legislatures with Democratic majorities that can be notoriously fractious and undisciplined. Both made passionate pleas for high-priority legislation that still faces an uphill battle to be enacted.

Obama’s signature health care initiative was on track to be passed until Massachusetts elected Republican Scott Brown to the Senate seat formerly held by the late Edward Kennedy. The loss of the so-called supermajority of 60 seats makes it possible for the GOP to prevent a bill from coming to a vote.

And Doyle’s big push to transfer control of Milwaukee Public Schools to the mayor’s office also appears on hold without sufficient legislative support.

Neither of these initiatives was going to be easy to enact, but I expect both had hoped to have victories under their belts by now.

There’s still time on the clock, and both of these savvy politicians like having the ball in their hands when the game is on the line.

I may tune in to watch the commercials and hear The Who play during halftime of that game in a couple of weeks in Florida, but for excitement and drama, I get my fix from politics.