E.J. Dionne: The Obama Admin is suffering because it did not court its base

[Retired Mizer]

From the POLITICO Playbook daily email newsletter,specifically from Mondays E.J. Dionne Column:


--SNEAK PEEK - E.J. DIONNE , for Monday: "In a series of campaign-style rallies, Obama exuded new energy. The friendly crowds he gathered radiated with a spirit that has been largely absent since the 2008 campaign. Cries of 'Pass this bill!' seemed comfortingly similar to the old shouts of 'Yes, we can!' And the initial response from congressional Republicans -- they pointedly did NOT reject all of his ideas -- suggested that things just might be turning the president's way. ... But then the Democrats lost two special congressional elections and the administration proposed to pay for its $447 billion jobs plan with a combination of tax increases that it had proposed before and that Congress had rejected. ...
"The administration is ... suffering because of its failure from the beginning to pay enough attention to courting its own side. At a moment when Obama desperately needs Democratic solidarity, there is no reservoir of good will from which he can draw. ... Obama, who has been so happy to stay distant and above the concerns of his Democratic allies, cannot afford to lose them now. Democrats in Congress have a long list of reasons for being resentful. The special elections will aggravate their fears of embracing the president too closely. Yet if Obama's presidency is weakened further, the resulting damage will afflict Democrats as a whole. However justified their past grievances might be, they have a powerful collective interest in seeing the fighting Obama get his new act off the ground."
=========================================================


So now what will we see from the President; More of the "reach across the aisle" capitulator? Or will the President's soft backbone FINALLY harden and he starts to fight for his party?

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/17/u...lan-is-well-received.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

 

[nyyyyce]

From the POLITICO Playbook daily email newsletter,specifically from Mondays E.J. Dionne Column:


--SNEAK PEEK - E.J. DIONNE , for Monday: "In a series of campaign-style rallies, Obama exuded new energy. The friendly crowds he gathered radiated with a spirit that has been largely absent since the 2008 campaign. Cries of 'Pass this bill!' seemed comfortingly similar to the old shouts of 'Yes, we can!' And the initial response from congressional Republicans -- they pointedly did NOT reject all of his ideas -- suggested that things just might be turning the president's way. ... But then the Democrats lost two special congressional elections and the administration proposed to pay for its $447 billion jobs plan with a combination of tax increases that it had proposed before and that Congress had rejected. ...
"The administration is ... suffering because of its failure from the beginning to pay enough attention to courting its own side. At a moment when Obama desperately needs Democratic solidarity, there is no reservoir of good will from which he can draw. ... Obama, who has been so happy to stay distant and above the concerns of his Democratic allies, cannot afford to lose them now. Democrats in Congress have a long list of reasons for being resentful. The special elections will aggravate their fears of embracing the president too closely. Yet if Obama's presidency is weakened further, the resulting damage will afflict Democrats as a whole. However justified their past grievances might be, they have a powerful collective interest in seeing the fighting Obama get his new act off the ground."
=========================================================


So now what will we see from the President; More of the "reach across the aisle" capitulaor? Or will the President's soft backbone FINALLY harden and he starts to fight for his party?

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/17/u...lan-is-well-received.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

The chess not checkers fan club will be here in a minute to slander you for this post, but before the do, in all honesty, you can't get Obama to be something that he is not - a fighter. It's not in him. Even when he has the upper hand he goes limp on wielding his power.

You know who Obama reminds me of in sports: Chris Bosh. I saw him on 1st and 10 sitting across from his biggest detractor: Skip Bayless. Bosh had the opportunity to body him verbally. Not to the point where he did something to make him look bad, but to represent. He starts talking about how he is proud of his last name and his "ancestors" have done too much to be called Bosh Spice. I'm sitting there thinking "get in Skip's @$$!!!!! and ....nothing. He came off very calm, took too much of the blame and the show went on amicably. The next day they did a review and Chris Broussard said that he talked to A LOT of NBA players and the were disappointed in Bosh for not standing up. Then Broussard said, like it or not, that id just who Chris is.

This is Obama. He is passive and uninspiring as leader, but a brilliant speech writer. (You would not have gathered that from his pre-election speeches). He does not fight, nor does he have an enforcer behind the scenes to fight for him.He lost his base way back when he agreed to off shore drilling - a huge no no for liberals. In trying to appear like he is all inclusive he has alienated his base and made it easier for repubs to undermine and attack him. He IS NOT who we thought he was. You can hate on me for writing this, but THE FACTS remain. If this were not true his base would NOT be eroding and there would be no NYTimes articles and ones like this out there.

 

[Retired Mizer]

The chess not checkers fan club will be here in a minute to slander you for this post, but before the do, in all honesty, you can't get Obama to be something that he is not - a fighter. It's not in him. Even when he has the upper hand he goes limp on wielding his power.

You know who Obama reminds me of in sports: Chris Bosh. I saw him on 1st and 10 sitting across from his biggest detractor: Skip Bayless. Bosh had the opportunity to body him verbally. Not to the point where he did something to make him look bad, but to represent. He starts talking about how he is proud of his last name and his "ancestors" have done too much to be called Bosh Spice. I'm sitting there thinking "get in Skip's @$$!!!!! and ....nothing. He came off very calm, took too much of the blame and the show went on amicably. The next day they did a review and Chris Broussard said that he talked to A LOT of NBA players and the were disappointed in Bosh for not standing up. Then Broussard said, like it or not, that id just who Chris is.

This is Obama. He is passive and uninspiring as leader, but a brilliant speech writer. (You would not have gathered that from his pre-election speeches). He does not fight, nor does he have an enforcer behind the scenes to fight for him.He lost his base way back when he agreed to off shore drilling - a huge no no for liberals. In trying to appear like he is all inclusive he has alienated his base and made it easier for repubs to undermine and attack him. He IS NOT who we thought he was. You can hate on me for writing this, but THE FACTS remain. If this were not true his base would NOT be eroding and there would be no NYTimes articles and ones like this out there.

'
I agree with everything you just said especially after reading the article I posted earlier from the NY Daily News about Obama being dissed and insubordinated behind the scenes by members of his OWN cabinet. What a shame!!
I am just sorry that we all will suffer because he portrayed himself to be what he ultimately is not: A fighter for what he SAID was his beliefs!

 

[Upgrade Dave]

So now what will we see from the President; More of the "reach across the aisle" capitulator? Or will the President's soft backbone FINALLY harden and he starts to fight for his party?

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/17/u...lan-is-well-received.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

Why on God's green Earth should Obama fight for a party that spends half the time fighting against him?

 

[ballscout1]

It's very funny how everybody tries to focus on polls saying Obama's approval ratings are weak and his support is fading.

But they don't contrast that with the approval ratings of congress and the senate which is over 20 points lower.

It sure wouldn't hurt him to be fluid and change some of the ways he has approached his opposition, it also isn't time to panic. There are still more that approve of him than approve congress both democratic and republican..

WASHINGTON — By all accounts, these are grim days for Barack Obama’s presidency.

His approval ratings are at all-time lows. His new job creation plan is barely a week old, but already seems dead on arrival in Congress.

And a top Democratic strategist — the bellicose James Carville — has advised Obama to start firing his senior White House staff in a bid to rescue his presidency.

But with Democrats worried Obama looks more like Jimmy Carter every day, his senior campaign strategist weighed in Friday with a blunt message to supporters worried the 44th president will be a one-term wonder: Everyone take a pill.

In a widely-circulated memo, Obama campaign chief David Axelrod said the president’s poll numbers only look bad in isolation.

But put him up against Congress and the leading Republican presidential candidates, and Axelrod says Obama is doing just fine.

“Despite what you hear in elite commentary, the President’s support among base voters and in key demographic groups has stayed strong . . . stronger than any Democratic president dating back to Harry Truman through this point in their presidency,” Axelrod wrote in a note to producers of the Sunday U.S. political talk shows.

“The (Democratic) base is mobilized behind the president.”

If Axelrod sounds a bit defensive, it’s because Obama was on the receiving end this week of a withering critique from Carville.

The Clinton-era strategist, who has never especially warmed to Obama, said Democrats are increasingly despondent about the president’s performance heading into 2012.

Carville cited Democratic losses in two special congressional elections this week as the latest sign of storm clouds forming ahead of next year’s voting. He said the president needs to “wake up” to his the crisis he’s facing.

“What should the White House do now? One word came to mind: Panic,” Carville wrote in an opinion piece for CNN.com.

“This is what I would say to President Barack Obama: The time has come to demand a plan of action that requires a complete change from the direction you are headed.”

Obama must “fire a lot of people” in the White House who are giving him bad advice about how to fight Republicans on job creation and deficit reduction.

Carville argued Obama must also start making his case for his jobs bill “like a Democrat” and stop trying to find common ground with Republicans.

“The course we are on is not working,” Carville said.

But Axelrod counsels patience.

His pep-talk memo cites a wealth of polling data and campaign statistics to back up his assertion that it’s far too early for Chicken Little ‘sky is falling’ rhetoric on Obama’s re-election chances.

The U.S. media has focused on Obama’s approval rating — which dipped to 39 per cent in Gallup’s latest three-day rolling survey — as if it existed “in a black box,” Axelrod wrote.

What critics have ignored is that public anger against the Republican brand and Congress also tumbled to historic lows — below Obama’s ratings — over the debt ceiling debacle.

The latest CBS News/New York Times poll pegged congressional approval ratings at 12 per cent.

Moreover, an average of recent polls shows Obama leading or competitive against the top Republican presidential candidates.

An average of several recent polls show Texas Gov. Rick Perry, the current GOP front-runner, trailing Obama by five percentage points. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney trails by one per cent point.

According to Axelrod, that’s all good news.

He argues that once Americans start paying closer attention to the Republican race — with the candidates’ recent focus on budget restraints and “draconian cuts” to entitlement programs — Obama’s ratings will improve.

“Despite the Republican candidates just beginning to undergo the media scrutiny that occurs during a presidential campaign, from North Carolina to Nevada, the President remains ahead or in a dead heat with the Republican candidates in the battleground states that will decide the election in 2012,” he argues.

He also seeks to dispel the conventional wisdom that core Democratic constituencies — including Jewish Americans, environmentalists and progressives — are souring on Obama.

Axelrod cites the latest Wall Street Journal showing Obama had 81 per cent approval among Democrats, which is “stronger than President Clinton’s support among Democrats at this point in his term.”

More than 550,000 individuals donated money to Obama’s re-election campaign in the second quarter of 2011, more than in the same period four years ago, Axelrod said.

Axelrod cited a CNN poll showing a plurality of Americans favour the $447 billion job creation bill Obama proposed last week, even as Republicans balk at his proposal to pay for it partly with higher taxes on wealthy Americans.

House Speaker John Boehner sounded a pessimistic tone this week about finding a bipartisan compromise.

“Sometimes the conversations we have, it’s like two different people from two different planets,” Boehner said of his talks with the president.

Axelrod contends Republicans have more to lose politically by rejecting Obama’s plan than the president does by failing to get it through Congress.

“Americans are still dealing with the impact of the financial crisis and recession and the long-term economic trends that have seen wages stagnate for many, and that is manifested in their anger towards Washington,” he wrote. “There’s no doubt that Americans are calling on leaders in Washington to take immediate action to address their economic challenges — exactly what the President is advocating for.”

 

[Retired Mizer]

Why on God's green Earth should Obama fight for a party that spends half the time fighting against him?

I guess you're right; Obama never fought, and never will fight!
Especially for those who elected him-how absurd an idea is that?

He seems destined to end up as this generations Jimmy Carter!

The unfortunate thing is that now we will all suffer for Obama's folly!

He shouldn't have even run just to toy with the hopes and aspirations of millions of Americans, who were sold a bill of goods! He coudda been a great one!

 

[Retired Mizer]

It's very funny how everybody tries to focus on polls saying Obama's approval ratings are weak and his support is fading.

But they don't contrast that with the approval ratings of congress and the senate which is over 20 points lower.

It sure wouldn't hurt him to be fluid and change some of the ways he has approached his opposition, it also isn't time to panic. There are still more that approve of him than approve congress both democratic and republican..

 

[nyyyyce]

Forget polls. I voted for Obama. Let them hit my check card for donations too. I had always been skeptical about his passiveness, but I was like: Just wait until he gets in the White House THEN he is going to let loose. -___-


NEVER HAPPENED.


I ask ALL my Obama colleagues to name three things that he has done that has made you go: DAMN, now that is what I was expecting from him (legislatively). The only thing that gets mild support is health care. (HOWEVER, there are still insurance holes and things that that still leave it open to destructive tweaking). To a man/woman they shift to "Well, he did not get us into this mess" or "how long does it take to undo all the f-ups that got us here - not three years!"

So I say: "He could have done some undoing by NOT keeping the same leadership in place that lead us into the financial crisis. That WAS SQUARELY PUT IN HIS HANDS" and you know what...the conversation quickly spirals into arguing and loud EMOTIONAL banter. Not a discussion about what I introduced. We could go into the Bush Tax Cuts, Off shore drilling and other tidbits that alienated him from his base, but people are too invested in this dudes color to discuss with me the merits of my points. They have more civility and sense to refute each point with "coon" and "uncle Tom" like most BGOL'ers but they are just as mad - AT ME - for looking deeper than how his skin is close to my complexion. I am going to be pissed if you are green and your whoring me. Forget if you are white or African American.

I am not excited about another four years of his passive and mediocre reign. It has been such a letdown after the election that was filled with TALK of change. Nor do I look forward to a Republican in office. They are more F-ed up in their paradigms and policy's than the dems, but they are vocal, vindictive and firm in their approach. I was not expecting dude to be Superman, but I did think he would man up at some point. We are so F'd.

 

[ballscout1]

Forget polls. I voted for Obama. Let them hit my check card for donations too. I had always been skeptical about his passiveness, but I was like: Just wait until he gets in the White House THEN he is going to let loose. -___-


NEVER HAPPENED.


I ask ALL my Obama colleagues to name three things that he has done that has made you go: DAMN, now that is what I was expecting from him (legislatively). The only thing that gets mild support is health care. (HOWEVER, there are still insurance holes and things that that still leave it open to destructive tweaking). To a man/woman they shift to "Well, he did not get us into this mess" or "how long does it take to undo all the f-ups that got us here - not three years!"

So I say: "He could have done some undoing by NOT keeping the same leadership in place that lead us into the financial crisis. That WAS SQUARELY PUT IN HIS HANDS" and you know what...the conversation quickly spirals into arguing and loud EMOTIONAL banter. Not a discussion about what I introduced. We could go into the Bush Tax Cuts, Off shore drilling and other tidbits that alienated him from his base, but people are too invested in this dudes color to discuss with me the merits of my points. They have more civility and sense to refute each point with "coon" and "uncle Tom" like most BGOL'ers but they are just as mad - AT ME - for looking deeper than how his skin is close to my complexion. I am going to be pissed if you are green and your whoring me. Forget if you are white or African American.

I am not excited about another four years of his passive and mediocre reign. It has been such a letdown after the election that was filled with TALK of change. Nor do I look forward to a Republican in office. They are more F-ed up in their paradigms and policy's than the dems, but they are vocal, vindictive and firm in their approach. I was not expecting dude to be Superman, but I did think he would man up at some point. We are so F'd.

you walked in fucked up with that sentence right there.

he really can't do anything legislatively since he isn't in that branch.

he has supported things that didn't have votes so they were watered down but

people always scream about public option but fail to see how important

no denial for pre-existing conditions are especially when people are changing jobs due to closure and layoffs.. There are many people who previously wouldn't leave their job because a child with asthma wouldn't be covered if they did.

no limit on coverage. there was a brother playing HS football at the same HS D Wade went to that took a hit and went into a coma. A few years later the insurance policy the school had reached it's limit of 5 million and he was finished. Most peoples had a limit of 2 million.

passing the money for black farmers had been held up by Bush and would not have been sent through without Obama in my opinion.

While he didn't cause the current condition he did keep it from getting worse.treading water is much better than going under.

He did save over a million jobs by saving the auto industry and the things he was doing was with conditions to not just give away the money.

When the GOP saved Chrysler back in the 70's they got free money with not collateral and no give back.

He got BP to foot the bill and no other president ever asked for them to do shit for a spill.

He has made funding available to minority business.

He has appointed more black judges than anybody previously although their confirmations have been held up.

We can't change the judicial until there are more judges that understand the disparity.


Has he been able to do everything he wanted. NO

Has he done things that make a difference YES

does he need the legislative help to get things important voted and passed YES

Most of his accomplishments happened in his first two years even with the blue dogs.

If you don't think shit will be worse without him then ask somebody in Ohio, Wisconsin how's that GOP working for them ?

 

[nyyyyce]

you walked in fucked up with that sentence right there.

he really can't do anything legislatively since he isn't in that branch.

he has supported things that didn't have votes so they were watered down but

people always scream about public option but fail to see how important

no denial for pre-existing conditions are especially when people are changing jobs due to closure and layoffs.. There are many people who previously wouldn't leave their job because a child with asthma wouldn't be covered if they did.

no limit on coverage. there was a brother playing HS football at the same HS D Wade went to that took a hit and went into a coma. A few years later the insurance policy the school had reached it's limit of 5 million and he was finished. Most peoples had a limit of 2 million.

passing the money for black farmers had been held up by Bush and would not have been sent through without Obama in my opinion.

While he didn't cause the current condition he did keep it from getting worse.treading water is much better than going under.

He did save over a million jobs by saving the auto industry and the things he was doing was with conditions to not just give away the money.

When the GOP saved Chrysler back in the 70's they got free money with not collateral and no give back.

He got BP to foot the bill and no other president ever asked for them to do shit for a spill.

He has made funding available to minority business.

He has appointed more black judges than anybody previously although their confirmations have been held up.

We can't change the judicial until there are more judges that understand the disparity.


Has he been able to do everything he wanted. NO

Has he done things that make a difference YES

does he need the legislative help to get things important voted and passed YES

Most of his accomplishments happened in his first two years even with the blue dogs.

If you don't think shit will be worse without him then ask somebody in Ohio, Wisconsin how's that GOP working for them ?

"you walked in fucked up with that sentence right there. he really can't do anything legislatively since he isn't in that branch."

Really fam...? You think typing all of this I don't have a working understanding of the three branches of government? This...

The point is not to be pedantic for effect or get stuck on a word, but understand that there is nothing of monumental sweeping change (which is the key election promise) done by Obama*. There is nothing he rolled up his sleeves and got dirty for to unequivocally reverse. I was going to go point by point but after I read this:


While he didn't cause the current condition he did keep it from getting worse.treading water is much better than going under.

"Tread water", when you could have bought a new F-N boat?!?!? You keep the same people in place that poked holes in the boat in charge!?!?!? All the money that was tucked in the bail out to save FOREIGN BANKS? Money that could have been put to social programs? All the things Obama "could" have fought for when he had the hopes and aspirations of the nation as the wind at his back pushing him forward? The same people are letting water in so that we keep "treading" and that is okay to you? HE had the power to CHANGE things from the beginning. This article is only encapsulating what a lot of people feel now that they have seen him in action. My friend, our views are too skewed for me to even begin to have a further discussion if our expectation levels of our president are this far a part. I respectfully agree to disagree. But I thank you for the response.


* besides the still to be tweaked health Care bill.

 

[ballscout1]

"you walked in fucked up with that sentence right there. he really can't do anything legislatively since he isn't in that branch."

Really fam...? You think typing all of this I don't have a working understanding of the three branches of government? This...

The point is not to be pedantic for effect or get stuck on a word, but understand that there is nothing of monumental sweeping change (which is the key election promise) done by Obama*. There is nothing he rolled up his sleeves and got dirty for to unequivocally reverse. I was going to go point by point but after I read this:


While he didn't cause the current condition he did keep it from getting worse.treading water is much better than going under.

"Tread water", when you could have bought a new F-N boat?!?!? You keep the same people in place that poked holes in the boat in charge!?!?!? All the money that was tucked in the bail out to save FOREIGN BANKS? Money that could have been put to social programs? All the things Obama "could" have fought for when he had the hopes and aspirations of the nation as the wind at his back pushing him forward? The same people are letting water in so that we keep "treading" and that is okay to you? HE had the power to CHANGE things from the beginning. This article is only encapsulating what a lot of people feel now that they have seen him in action. My friend, our views are too skewed for me to even begin to have a further discussion if our expectation levels of our president are this far a part. I respectfully agree to disagree. But I thank you for the response.


* besides the still to be tweaked health Care bill.

damn dude it was a conversation. Don't be so sensitive, I wasn't questioning anything you know or do.

What I was doing was explaining what I wanted to in regards to your post. I didn't know I had to phrase my shit in any particular way to avoid somebody taking a response personally.


BTW

what does pedantic mean ?


as matter of fact please explain the point of the thread if not to have civil discourse. after all this is a forum and you trying to do commercials.

okay you correct ,you wasted your money and time. you shouldn't support Obama anymore.You should support whoever you like...cool