To Help Fellow Democrats in the Fall, Obama May Stay Away

[Faygo Kid]

Source: New York Times

WASHINGTON — As lunch was served in the Roosevelt Room of the White House one day last week, President Obama assured the nine Democratic members of Congress sitting around the table that he would do anything he could to help them survive their fall elections.

Even, he said, if it meant staying away.

“You may not even want me to come to your district,” Mr. Obama said, according to guests, nearly all of whom hold seats that Republicans are aggressively seeking.

Three months before the midterm elections, the president is stepping up his involvement in the fight to preserve the Democratic Party’s control of Congress. But advisers said he would concentrate largely on delivering a message, raising money and motivating voters from afar, rather than on racing from district to district. . .

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/01/us/politics/01obama.html?hp

---

Dunno, maybe it's just me, but I was kinda hoping to put up a fight for our country this fall. Not shrink from the battle.

Dems have done it before successfully, after all.

"I see one-third of a nation ill-housed, ill-clad, ill-nourished."

[elleng]

1. He WILL put up a fight; has already begun, and he's smart enough to stay away where apropos.

[NYC_SKP]

2. It's not only gracious of him, it's wise.

And, really, who's to say that working from a distance on some races is "shrinking from a battle" or constitutes not putting up a fight?

"But advisers said he would concentrate largely on delivering a message, raising money and motivating voters from afar, rather than on racing from district to district. . ."

:patriot:

[sabrina 1]

13. Well, that's not what Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats think.

In fact, many of the them are wondering if he cares at all about keeping a Dem. Majority in November as he hasn't been doing much to help them. And that's the reason why they have already had two meetings with him and his DLC advisers, to try to figure out what he intends to do, or why he is remaining at a distance from the party, especially since, as many of them are now admitting, they took political risks in order to support some of his very unpopular bills. Health Care eg.

Democrat In-Chief?

And then there was the president — their president — who for 17 months had cajoled them into taking tough votes on stimulus spending, on the trading of carbon emissions, on health care. Barack Obama, the postpartisan president. He continued to go out and shake his head disbelievingly at “the culture of Washington,” which to the Democrats in the House sounded as if he were saying that his own party was the problem, as if somehow the Democratic majorities in Congress hadn’t managed to navigate the bulk of his ambitious agenda past a blockade of Republican vessels, their ship shredded by cannon fire. And all this while the president’s own approval ratings fell below 50 percent — an ominous sign, historically speaking, for a majority party.

This frustration among Democrats was bound to find an outlet, and that’s what happened at a meeting in Nancy Pelosi’s conference room at the end of April to discuss the party’s election-year message. Around three sides of the table were close to a dozen Democratic leaders in the House. On the remaining side sat David Axelrod, the president’s senior adviser and message-molder, along with two other White House operatives: Jim Messina, the deputy chief of staff, and Stephanie Cutter, a senior aide to the president.

.....

When the other lawmakers departed for a vote, Pelosi remained with the White House aides and some staff members. The speaker strolled down to Axelrod’s end of the table and delivered the message bluntly. Obama, she insisted, needed to be cutting and clear about the choice between parties that he was asking voters to make. Did the president really think he could enhance his own standing with the public by criticizing his Democratic allies?

“Look, if the president could take 10 points off his numbers to give you 10 seats — ” Axelrod began, referring to Obama’s approval ratings.

“That’s not what we want,” Pelosi said, cutting him off. “That doesn’t do any of us any good.”

It's the first time that a Democratic President thinks he doesn't need to get out there and help his party win. His 'advisers' don't seem to think he should be slumming it out there in the trenches. Nancy Pelosi is not happy, nor should she be.

This latest article appears to confirm what this one said. That he will not be out there for whatever reason. He appears to want to keep a distance between him and his party. Maybe he thinks Republicans would hold it against him?

[Snotcicles]

3. Be BOLD Dems if your going to go out, go out with a bang. Who knows? nt

[Psephos]

4. Hiding is the new leadership?

WTF?

Whatever happened to "If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun"?

How long before some sneering pug starts calling it "redeployment"?

[BrklynLiberal]

5. I am saddenend by the idea that having the President stay away would be more helpful

than his appearance.. It reminds me too much of the Bush years.......

[Tennessee ploughboy]

31. weak presidents

just so, brklynliberal, when your president can help more by staying away, a la bush, than by coming to your district and directly engaging for you, you know that you, the party, and the country are in deep trouble. it is unfortunate that after weathering perhaps the most vicious, misguided, incompetent presidential administration in history, we get one that, although much saner and less strident, appears to be almost equally incompetent.

[msongs]

6. what about running on all those "accomplishments" - run on the record nt

[sandnsea]

7. Arkansas, for one, never supported Obama

He would not be a help to Blanche Lincoln or any Dem running for Congress there. That state could turn Republican this year, for the first time ever.

If you don't like it, get your ass in there and start talking to rural people. Change Minds, Change Votes.

[Faygo Kid]

9. Exactly. Change minds, change votes.

See the accompanying pic? The natural constituency of the Republicans is NOT Arkansas.

As you say, Arkansas has never turned Republican. Ever. Why is that? Because FDR ran away from the game? LBJ? Carter? Clinton?

Get in there and fight. Don't cede the high ground to those whose highest goal is to deny health care, destroy Social Security and end the estate tax. The Dems need to fight. That includes our President.

He helped Blanche Lincoln in the primary, but if she tries to out-Republican the Republicans, she loses.

Be a Dem, Blanche.

[sandnsea]

16. What do you know about her opponent? n/t

[The Northerner]

12. Although many Arkansan Dems are conservative

haven't they voted for Repubs in the last three presidential elections and didn't they elect one for senator in 1996?

I always thought Arkansas was a socially-conservative Democratic state, much like Louisiana & West Virginia.

[sandnsea]

15. One Republican in 1996???

Yes, occasionally they vote for a Republican outside of the Presidency. But not normally.

And yes they are conservative, probably more economically than socially.

Which is why I say, Change Minds, Change Votes.

If we don't do anything on a person to person level to bring information into those states, we can't be surprised when they vote for conservative Dems or Republicans on incorrect information.

And if you're suggesting it doesn't matter whether they vote for a Republican because they're conservative Dems anyway... I guess I'll just say Sonia Sotamayor.

[JJ]

19. I think the President should immediately go to Arkansas...

and campaign for Lincoln non-stop. When he's done there, it's never too early to head north and help out Ben Nelson as well.

[lbrtbell]

22. Fear not - Benson's destroying himself just fine

He's hated in Nebraska by both Republicans and Democrats. Much like Lieberman, he's rapidly becoming a man without a party.

[sandnsea]

23. Ben Nelson is voting for cloture for Kagan

And that is why you get these dumbass Dems in there.

[Kolesar]

8. If you wanna run the rapids, you gotta put your paddle in the water

--Kolesar

[AzNick]

10. I disagree, he needs a show of force

We need a strong show of force in large cities and Obama talking.

That's how we got the White House, dammit.

[still_one]

11. Let's see, this is a story from the NYtimes. You know the NYTimes, one of the papers that lied

about Iraq and WMDs

If the President said this, what was the context? Was he kidding around.

The papers are so anxious to report about Rangel's problems, but they fail to name the others who are also being investigated for ethics violations, both repukes and Democrats

The NYTimes used to be a reasonable paper, but with all the bullshit they pulled during the bush administration, I am now skeptical of anything that comes from them

[JJ]

20. LOL when was the Times reasonable?

During the Iran-Contra cover-up? Or was it Whitewater?
I was in grade school before Reagan and wasn't very politically aware, so it must have been during the Carter, or Ford administrations that they were "reasonable."

[edbermac]

14. He should be out 24/7, linking the Repubs to the TeaBaggers

[tnlefty]

18. I've been staring at that sign for a few minutes now...

and the salute is more than over the top.

I sang Kumbaya at Girl Scout's camp and I'm angered that these freaks are fucking with a happy part of my childhood, and the massa/plantation reference with the above slurs I just don't understand. Not that the idiot teabaggers were ever meant for me to understand, but Jeeze, I just don't get this one.

[thelordofhell]

17. Shades Of Al Gore

If Al Gore embraced Bill Clinton's record and ran proudly on that, instead of being sheepish and not letting Clinton stump hard for him, he would have won. It never would have been determined by a 5-4 vote.

[lbrtbell]

21. How much better the world would have been!

But regarding Obama, it's a sad state of affairs when a hugely-popular president-elect is so gutless about fighting for the reforms he promised (even HCR turned out to be a handout for Big Insurance), that his popularity has plummeted this low. :(

[rpannier]

24. Sometimes that's what is best

Every President in my lifetime (LBJ-Dumbya) has done that

He won't be the last either

[defendandprotect]

25. Wasn't Pelosi complaining to Obama/Rahm about UNDERMINING of Democrats by White House?

Who is Obama trying to get elected?

[vercetti2021]

26. Seems to me now

If Texas Goes blue, it will definitely cause a rift in the GOP.

[Cronus Protagonist]

27. What a ludicrous story

They didn't mention the huge grin on Obama's face when he said that. Of course he'll kick ass in November! Jeebus Cripes!

[RFKHumphreyObama]

28. This happens to a lot of first-term Presidents during midterms

Congressional incumbents/candidate don't want their President in their district because (1) their district is hostile to them in the first place or (2) the congressional incumbent/candidate wants to distance himself or herself from the presidential administration

It happened to Clinton, it happened to Dumbya and now it's happening to Obama. It probably happened to Presidents before that as well but I wasn't paying attention

It's not shrinking from any battle. It's just the logistics of midterm elections

[Mr. Sparkle]

29. He is the most popular politician in the county with around a 50% approval rating.

That is genius, that is!

[No Elephants]

33. I never saw a poll that said he was the most popular politcian in the country.

[tinymontgomery]

30. The way I read it is that

he won't go to the districts that don't want him to show up. If someone thinks it will help then he will show up.

[No Elephants]

32. Is it even possible for him to go to every district? Every state yes, but every district?

[upi402]

34. Dean is under the bus, more to follow thanks very much.

Dean went scorched earth and we gave 'them' a majority. But the 'them' turned out to be far from an 'us' it seems.