Media checkers vs. Obama's chess

MSNBC political report Chuck Todd (whom I like a lot and recommend) suffered a rare stupid attack this morning. Writing on his First Read blog, he asked: The White House sees history as a driving force, but does its focus on the long run keep it from winning the politics of the moment? He observed that "history has been a driving force" for Team Obama. But, sadly wagging a finger, he concludes that:

In the past year Team Obama's reliance "on history isn't always the best way to win the current debates or news cycles over the economy, the health-care law, and the upcoming midterms."

This is a classic example of what's wrong with the national press corps in Washington. Todd is right. Not focusing on short-term often means losing the "news cycle." (About which most Americans care little.) Fortunately for the nation, political chess master Obama is playing the long game, zwischenzug-style. The idea, he knows, is not kingside castling but checkmate. The necessary pins, forks and skewers provide great fodder for reporters. And is the stuff of endless debate among the chattering class, princely checkers players all. But a president knows that these tactical maneuvers are not an end to themselves. They merely service a broader, largely over-the-horizon strategy. It ain't about ratings or the daily horse race. It's about being the last man standing on history's chessboard. The breathless (and often wrong) observations made by media stars today will vanish into the winds of time. But I suspect history will remember Obama's Immortal Game.