Despite tweety et al, West Wing sees little national meaning in election results

[babylonsister]

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/11/04/west_wing_sees_little_national.html?hpid=topnews

West Wing sees little national meaning in election results

By Michael D. Shear


As they woke up this morning on the one-year anniversary of President Obama's historic election, senior West Wing aides proclaimed themselves largely unconcerned about what last night's Democratic losses might portend for their boss or his agenda.

White House officials rejected what they said was over-hyped conclusions about the impact on Obama of losing the governorships in New Jersey and Virginia, and instead sought to focus attention on the Democratic victory in New York's 23rd Congressional District.

"We won a congressional seat that's been in Republican hands since Ulysses S. Grant was president, in part because of the disunity in the Republican Party," senior adviser David Axelrod said in an early-morning phone interview. "That was the only truly national
contest on the ballot."

Axelrod said the intervention of national conservatives in pushing the moderate GOP candidate out of the New York race will be the only lasting impact of the night.

"The most portentous thing that happened yesterday was that the right wing of the Republican Party ran a moderate Republican essentially out of the race, and lost a seat they had held for more than 100 years," he said. "I don't take that as discouragement."

snip//

Asked about the defeats, one White House official said, "But in all seriousness, what does that mean? What is the connection? What does it portend? It's easy to write it means something. It's impossible to make a rational, well-informed argument about why."

Axelrod said he and other White House aides would attempt to help the "merchants of conventional wisdom focus on the facts here." And he said there would be no reassessment of the president's push for health-care reform -- or even a change in tactics.

Early analysis in the media focused on the possibility that moderate lawmakers already nervous about casting tough votes on health-care or climate change legislation might see Tuesday night's results as a warning that Obama's policies can damage their hopes for reelection.

But Axelrod called that analysis wrong.

"If we operated on the day-to-day perceptions of some of the political class in Washington, we wouldn't be there," he said. Quoting former Democratic senator Gary Hart, he insisted again that the real news Tuesday night was the evident division in the GOP. "Washington's always the last to get the news."

[Cha]

1. And, doesn't this just jump out?!..

"Asked about the defeats, one White House official said, "But in all seriousness, what does that mean? What is the connection? What does it portend? It's easy to write it means something. It's impossible to make a rational, well-informed argument about why."

[babylonsister]

3. I know. Again, much ado about nada. But the 24/7 cycle makes this news. nt

[Proud Liberal Dem]

12. That's exactly what I would like the bobbleheads at MSNBC (in particular) to tell us

They keep jumping up and down with their hair on fire proclaiming that Republican wins in GUBERNATORIAL elections in Virginia and New Jersey are supposed to mean, I guess, that the Republicans are resurgent, President Obama is floundering, that this is a "wake-up call" for President Obama and the Democratic Party, and, most importantly, that these two state elections portend another 1994 massive Democratic loss and Republican gain. But I haven't really heard any rational, well-informed argument(s) about why this is so, at least not yet. They seem to be hoping, indeed salivating, at the prospect that President Obama's Presidency is going to be a blow-by-blow replay of Clinton's Presidency with Republicans being back in total control of Congress and able to launch hostile investigation after hostile investigation of everything from Acorn to Bill Ayers to Jeremiah Wright to Saul Alinsky to........G-D knows what else. I mean, the corporate media whores would never run out of tawdry stories to cover with the Republicans back in charge flinging more and more outrageous charges against President Obama. THAT would be "high drama". OTOH, Democrats doing actual work to help the American public instead of wasting time and taxpayer money on political chicanery IS kind of dull, I guess. :eyes:

[Cha]

13. The US corporatemedia is the downfall of our

country. President Obama and Team are trying to do something about that as well. I know they won in spite of them.

[timeforpeace]

2. In other news, dog bites man.

[babylonsister]

4. As usual, very helpful. nt

[Cha]

5. What is that suppose to mean?

That you agree with corporatemediawhores?

[tblue]

6. Of course the msm says the lesson is 'go moderate'. Please I hope that's not

what Obama will do.

[amandabeech]

7. The Republican party in the northeast, upper midwest and far west has been in decline for years.

Obama appointed the pubbie who held this seat to be Secretary of the Army, IIRC. He was not someone whom Sarah Palin and her friends would have liked. The district was ripe for the picking for a moderate Dem.

Frankly, I'm surprised that the lunatic right did so well carpet-bagging in that district.

[Clio the Leo]

8. I noticed that the MSM storyline changed by mid-afternoon...

... to "the election was not a referendum on the President." Why they changed their mind on that I dont know, but I'll take it.

Side note, fun watching Gibbs and Tweety's exchange today. I loved the...

Gibbs: Is that a question or a speech?
Tweety: It's a speech that demands an answer! (feigned mean face while he was trying not to laugh)
Gibbs: Well then I'll read the transcript of that tonight and try to find the question. As it is, this is what the President is trying to do......

It was clear after the exchange first between Steele and Matthews and then Matthews and Gibbs who Chris has more respect for.

[Cha]

9. Interesting, reading all

the snippets from the "media" on DU.

Steele hasn't earned anyone's respect.

[Clio the Leo]

10. Did you see him doing his "Heisman" pose on Fox?

Surely there's a random Steeler the President can call to prevent Mr. Steele from ever doing that again. ;)

[Cha]

11. Don't have cable "news" specifically

bc I don't want it..but, I like reading the various reports from DUers who watch it so I won't have to.:)