ABC: Obama must corner labor vote for reelection

[Omaha Steve]

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/politics&id=8053135

On Monday, President Barack Obama officially announced his intention to run for reelection in 2012. No longer the outsider, this time he's hoping to raise nearly $1 billion.

Last time around, Obama has huge support from unions and the young. The youth folk didn't turn out in 2010, at least not as much as the president would have hoped, and now he's got his work cut out for him with labor -- and he must have labor if he wants to win reelection.

In a video released announcing his candidacy, there isn't one frame Obama, just images of middle America and middle class Americans talking about why they support him.

Rather than a statement from the White House, the president is opting for the outsider approach by using emails and text messages, but this time he's running on more than hope. He has a record. And at a union rally in Oakland Monday afternoon, it was his record that was causing members to take a wait and see approach.

"We are going to weigh all our options and see if he's really supporting what we are fighting for," said Karen Hearne from Oakland.

FULL story and video at link.

[vi5]

1. "cornered" is an apt description...

in that the basic pitch seems to be "Where you gonna go? Huh? Who you gonna vote for? Republicans?"

[Omaha Steve]

4. Labor turned out for 2010

While other groups didn't vote. Labor had been a dependable 80% D vote for years. With all that has happened the last couple months, I'm sure there will be an uptick on that figure IF labor doesn't not vote like other groups in 2010.

[bread_and_roses]

6. If we had any courage we wouldn't put one cent or one minute into elections

- we'd spend our time and $$ working with our community allies to put people in the street to demand jobs, wages, fair taxes (ie, lots higher for the rich and corps), health care, retirement security - you know, the things ordinary people - organized or not - want and need. We'd spend our time and $$ creating a movement that would scare the pants off anyone in office or running for office. Obama has shown that he takes Labor for granted and will not lift one finger against the Oligarchy for workers - witness just the latest, his pushing the obscene Columbia Free Trade Agreement.

Elections get us nowhere. Obama has done his best to teach us that.

However, I have no doubt that my Sisters and Brothers in leadership - trapped in a failed paradigm of electoral politics and business unionism - will once again call on us to go out and elect the least worst. I find myself wishing I could retire before beginning that slog. Here's what we're going to face in terms of enthusiasm, from a woman who joined the "We Are One" rallies in Upstate NY:

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2011/04/rallies_in_central_new_york_ba.html

... Earlier in the day, President Obama posted a video on the internet announcing he is running for re-election. Paoletti was not enthusiastic. He’ll probably get her vote because she couldn’t vote for a Republican, she said. “They’re out to destroy the whole country, as far as I’m concerned,” she said.

“I don’t know what happened to the hope and change,” Paoletti said ...

How much luck do you think we're going to have getting her to go out and knock doors?

[MrTriumph]

2. There is an obvious reason Pres. Obama does not appear: Lack of Credibility

[DrDan]

3. I think I know how much support will be coming from the teachers' unions

[iwishiwas]

5. Getting bashed at the local, state and Federal level (Duncan) is

not good for one's mental health. I wonder what the enrollment figures for schools of education will be next fall. Each year gets worse.

[DrDan]

7. the choice of Duncan sure said a lot about Obama's education "reform" thoughts

[robcon]

8. Who decided that the labor vote might go Republican?

Does anyone believe that labor will vote for Romney or Huckabee or some other GOP loser?

False premise - false analysis.

[MrTriumph]

10. Oh, and it isn't like they voted for Reagan, right? As Jim Wright often said

there are plenty of Democrats that convinced themselves since they'd made it they were also Republicans.

[Siouxmealso]

9. Vote for Me because

at least I'm not a republican.

Does that fit on a bumper sticker?