Obama's biggest mistake in his first term (to the consternation and despair of his supporters) was treating his political opponents as gentlemen, a loyal opposition: by offering to negotiate with them, meeting them halfway, trying to compromise.

In typical fascist fashion, they interpreted fairness as weakness, reason for cowardice, and intelligence for effeminacy and indecision. I don't think he will make that mistake again.

Mr. Obama, scarred by failed negotiations in his first term and emboldened by a clear if close election to a second, has emerged as a different kind of negotiator in the past week or two, sticking to the liberal line and frustrating Republicans on the other side of the bargaining table.

Disciplined and unyielding, he argues for raising taxes on the wealthy while offering nothing new to rein in spending and overhaul entitlement programs beyond what was on the table last year. Until Republicans offer their own new plan, Mr. Obama will not alter his. In effect, he is trying to leverage what he claims as an election mandate to force Republicans to take ownership of the difficult choices ahead.

His approach is born of painful experience. In his first four years in office, Mr. Obama has repeatedly offered what he considered compromises on stimulus spending, health care and deficit reduction to Republicans, who either rejected them as inadequate or pocketed them and insisted on more.