During the course of the development of national healthcare legislation, President Obama has set a series of deadlines for a variety of steps in the process, and most of them have not been met.
Still, for PR reasons, this creation of deadlines is an essential step in the legislative process. In order to maintain momentum among otherwise leisurely legislators, deadlines, and the attempt to meet them, spur action and create a sense of urgency.
Specific deadlines also captivate the public, creating a horse race environment to what could otherwise be a very dull process. When the story becomes the deadline -- will they meet it or not -- you generate additional news stories and help to set the national agenda.
Deadlines work especially well for President Obama. His ability to rally the public with a barnstorming campaign, and his use of the “bully pulpit,” draw the national focus to his timeline as well.
Throughout our lives, Americans are faced with a series of deadlines, and we understand the urgency of them. Whether it’s school or work-related, we have become conditioned to meeting them, whether it be for the optimum grade (tardy submissions are automatically demoted) or that promotion at work.
So, President Obama, keep on setting those deadlines and don’t be discouraged if they should slip a little.
