'Soul-searching' Obama aides: Democrats' midterm election losses a wake-up call

[ProSense]

'Soul-searching' Obama aides: Democrats' midterm election losses a wake-up call

By Anne E. Kornblut
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, November 13, 2010; 9:41 PM

After nearly two weeks of introspection, President Obama's top advisers have concluded that the "shellacking" Democrats took on Election Day was caused in large part by their own failure to live up to expectations set during the 2008 campaign, not merely the typical political cycles and poor messaging they pointed to at first.

While the president has been on a trip to Asia for the past 10 days, all but a few of his top aides stayed behind to figure out what went so wrong and what to do about it. Wearing casual clothes and with the White House to themselves, they determined that the situation they face is serious and will take significant adjustments to reverse.

The advisers are deeply concerned about winning back political independents, who supported Obama two years ago by an eight-point margin but backed Republicans for the House this year by 19 points. To do so, they think he must forge partnerships with Republicans on key issues and make noticeable progress on his oft-repeated campaign pledge to change the ways of Washington.

Even more important, senior administration officials said, Obama will need to oversee tangible improvements in the economy. They cannot just keep arguing, as Democrats did during the recent campaign, that things would have been worse if not for administration policies.

more

Well there you have it. As predicted. Let's see how long this version of reality lasts.

[leftstreet]

1. These morons just NOW realized people want 'tangible improvements in the economy?'

:eyes:

[ProSense]

4. It does prove

some people right.

[villager]

2. Ah yes -- "must forge partnerships with Republicans"

Disgusting.

[ProSense]

5. Still,

this shouldn't come as a surprise. A lot of people knew this would happen.

[ClassWarrior]

8. Ya think? Pretty much because it's what's been happening all along?

NGU.

[ProSense]

11. I agree.

No surprise at all.

[CoffeeCat]

15. Yes, but the problem is...

...that the Republicans with whom Obama would join hands--are corrupt Fascists
who are destroying our democracy.

We're not talking about compromising on Republican social issues, such as abortion, gay rights, etc.

They want us to compromise our democracy IN FAVOR OF THE CORPORATIONS.

That's what that means.

First order of service that all of those salivating corporations and the rich who run them---they want their
damn tax breaks.

This is just setting the stage for a big cave on tax breaks for corporations and the wealthy--while cutting
Social Security, raising the gas tax on average Americans, taking away child-tax credits and home-mortgage
interest and cutting Medicaid and Medicare.

That is NOT compromise. That is a complete handover of our government to the corporations and an obliteration
of Democrat ideals.

And, and I am sick and tired of being told when we must compromise--when we are simply kow towing to corporatist,
corrupt neocons.

[ProSense]

16. Yes, but

everyone knew it was going to happen.

[CoffeeCat]

20. So we all just get to stand around...

...and watch our country evolve into a neocon, corporate-run amusement park for sociopaths.

And with Obama at the helm! That's what gets me.

If Obama can't stop this train wreck, then I'm afraid we're pretty much done.

[Poll_Blind]

28. You know, we all spent 8 years basically getting a Ph.D in getting fucked over by....

...the Unitary Executive. I have callouses on my knees from bending over and grabbing them so frequently. And now we elect the guy who's supposed to, ya know, at least give it the ole college try to undo some of that shit and...even after all we've seen that a president can do if they want...we are consistently told (and will be told all through this lame duck session) how little is possible.

I'm real fucking fed up with that.

PB

[CoffeeCat]

39. You said it...that's exactly it...

The sweeping speeches and the promises of "hope and change", oh boy were we set up.

Obama practically lit us all on fire with his speeches where he yelled out to us, "Are
you fired up? Are you ready to go?" He whipped us into a frenzy, promised us "change"
and then proceeded to say, "Oh, I'm sorry--we just can't reform healthcare or do the
things I've promised because having majorities in the House and Senate and control of
the White House just isn't enough."

Oh boy.

And now we're told that because the Republicans now have control of the House (but not the Senate)
that we MUST kow tow to their every whim.

I'm with you...f'n fed up to my forehead with how stupid they believe we are.

[demwing]

69. What's your game?

You say everyone knew, but the truth is that you denied the very thing you now seem fatalistic about.

So what's your game?

[Hestia]

52. You have summed it all perfectly -

[XemaSab]

58. So much word

on everything you're saying in this thread.

[dkf]

3. "Obama will need to oversee tangible improvement in the economy"

I can't believe it took this long for them to figure it out. Amazing.

[ProSense]

9. Yeah

almost two years is hard to understand.

[ProgressiveEconomist]

44. Sounds like Executive Orders are coming for jobs measures funded by returned/unspent TARP

funded by returned/unspent TARP monies. See http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=9518706&mesg_id=9521415 .

[ClassWarrior]

6. "They think he must forge partnerships with Republicans on key issues??"

How is that different than the brick wall they've been pounding his head against for the past two years, Mark?

And "his oft-repeated campaign pledge to change the ways of Washington" implied he'd be steering Washington to the left, not just a little less to the right as he "forges partnerships with Rape-Publicans."

NGU.

[CoffeeCat]

7. I went to an Obama house party...

...during the 08 campaign that was hosted by a Republican who voted for Bush TWICE.

The house-party hostess parted ways with the Republican party and went for Obama because
Bush had been too far right for her. This is a conservative Republican from an upper-mid
class suburb. There were many like her.

The Republicans and Independents who voted for Obama, were voting for CHANGE in Washington.
And end to the extremism and corruption and a beginning for common-sense solutions for
the American people. Bush's crazy-ass extremism drove many Independents away.

They did NOT want Obama to hold hands and glom on to the side of the extremist, neocon,
corporatist bastards who led us down the path to hell with Bush.

I'm so sick of this! If the game plan is to exterminate moderates and liberals and keep
America on its corrupt PNAC course, than just say so. Don't play these damn games
with us and tell us what the election was really about--so it coincides with that the
master manipulators want to happen.

So tired of this nonsense!

If you've got you're baloney agenda and your predetermined plan from hell--just DO it and
spare us the lies and spinning.

[Poboy]

34. Thats how I see it too.

They come up with these bullshit narratives to justify what they seem to want to do all along.

[CoffeeCat]

37. Isn't it so insulting?

That's what I'm tired of, the pathetic lies.

It's like watching a teenager tell you that they're not drunk, while they puke in the toilet
and stumble around the house.

Helloooo. We can see what you're doing. And we know you're excuses are completely ridiculous.

Why does this government even bother to stage the theatrics anymore?

[Poboy]

61. Its very insulting. And we are supposed to just play along and pretend.

We're supposed to invest our time and effort to support this bullshit.

[Ramulux]

10. Listen to this oxymoron

"To do so, they think he must forge partnerships with Republicans on key issues and make noticeable progress on his oft-repeated campaign pledge to change the ways of Washington."

Jesus Christ, if Obamas top aides dont see ho ridiculous this statement is we are so screwed. Do they honestly think that republicans have any desire to change the ways of Washington?

[ProSense]

12. You have a point. n/t

[Oilwellian]

47. I had to check and see...

if this wasn't a piece from the Onion. Things are getting rather Oilwellian in this country.

[Iggo]

13. They think people didn't vote Democratic...

...because Obama didn't forge partnerships with Republicans? Come on. I don't believe that, and I don't believe they believe that either.

[ProSense]

17. Now is not the time

to second guess the media. This is obviously a trial balloon.

[Iggo]

35. You think he knows?

While Mr Pres is out of town, you think he knows the kind of shitty trial balloons his people are floating?

Or am I the one being naive here? Is this bullshit actually working on the people it was aimed at?

[ProSense]

36. Once it's out there,

can't take it back. It's too late.

[CoffeeCat]

18. We still have the Senate!

The Republicans didn't take over the House and Senate, as they did in the '94 election.

America wants the Democrats, and their traditional policies, to govern in the Senate.

Republicans don't have some kind of tsunami-inducing, hair-on-fire mandate on steroids.

Jesus, I hate this kindergarten bullshit where they RATIONALIZE all of the stupid crap that
they're about to do--with phantom justifications that don't make sense to ANYONE.

[ProSense]

24. But

they run the country.

[katandmoon]

14. Two words: WE'RE FUCKED.

[ProSense]

21. But

not surprised.

[katandmoon]

27. No, not surprised at all that Obama doesn't get it.

[ProSense]

30. I understand

What now?

[coti]

33. He needs to look at his 2008 campaign promises and carry them out. nt

[dflprincess]

26. "Cool, cool, considerate men"

(from "1776")

Dickinson:

...We'll dance together to the same minuet
To the right, ever to the right
Never to the left, forever to the right

May our creed be never to exceed
Regulated speed, no matter what the need
We sing hosanna, hosanna

Enblazoned on our banner
Is keep cool
What we do we do rationally
We never ever go off half-cocked, not we
Why begin till we know that we can win
And if we cannot win why bother to begin?

Rutledge:

We say this game's not of our choosing
Why should we risk losing?

All:
We are cool
To the right, ever to the right
Never to the left, forever to the right
We have gold, a market that will hold
Tradition that is old, a reluctance to be bold.

[Poboy]

19. After two more years of this, the entire party will be on the verge of collapse.

[CoffeeCat]

23. I think that's what they want

They want Progressives and reformers and people who don't want to live under corporate rule--to just
give up and take it on the chin.

They need the drones depressed and lethargic while they take over the world and take care of big-boy
business that we useless citizens couldn't possibly understand.

[Poll_Blind]

22. This is horse shit. I don't care if it comes from a D or an R. It's still horse shit.

The deep introspection thing? That's horse shit.

No, ya got burned by your attitude and disconnection from the electorate. You can push stories (like this one) that you all took sack lunches out to a rock garden and, while arranging sand in concentric circles with a fucking bamboo rake- then it occurs to you that you've maybe been shitting on the wrong doorstep?

That's great. You get to keep the bamboo rake as a consolation prize.

Your buddy Axelrod made it real clear a few days ago what the score is.

Here's a gem:

Officials stressed that the plans for the coming weeks are still being formed and are likely to evolve, especially as they determine what issues are most viable during the lame-duck session of Congress, which begins this week. Obama returns from Japan on Sunday.

How about have a plan now. How about don't run out the shot clock on the lame duck session thinking about what you might wanna do. How about just do something instead. You bunch don't strike me as native navel gazers, unless it helps while the weeks until the lame duck session is over.

Directly following the excerpt above, it continues with this:

Advisers also said it will probably take months, if not longer, to develop a strategy for restoring some of the early promise of the Obama presidency, particularly the notion that he was a different kind of Democrat.

Lovely. Take all the time you need.

Also, Sweet Jesus this is just page one of the frikkin article still:

Over the next few days, White House officials said they will begin to gauge whether they can forge an alliance with any top Republicans, many of whom are scheduled to attend a bipartisan meeting at the White House on Thursday. Although Obama could benefit from a high-profile compromise - perhaps on extending the Bush-era tax cuts or on other tax initiatives set to expire before the end of the year - officials are also prepared to point out any Republican intransigence.

Good luck with that. Good luck with all that. I wish you all the best of luck, gentlemen and ladies.

PB

[Suji to Seoul]

25. In other words, more of same:

Hello "President One-Term." It was a pleasure.

[ProSense]

29. As

predicted.

[Edweird]

31. The dilemma: Whether to move Right or FAR Right.

Of course, this was a forgone conclusion win/lose/draw.

[coti]

32. The first paragraph was great, then they lost me in their self-contradictions.

The 2008 campaign- as if they ran on a centrist platform.

[Major Hogwash]

38. How are they going to "forge partnerships" with people who have knives in their hands?

Just waiting for Obama to turn around so they can stick it in his back and then smile at the cameras and yell, "You lie" at his next State of the Union speech?

Obama is setting himself up for a complete and utter failure if he thinks they are going to compromise now.
They've got him on the run, he'd better stop, take a stand and fight back now!!
We're almost half-way done with the 1st term, and I didn't work my ass off just to let the Republicans steal my Social Security in the bottom half of the 7th inning.

I'm getting close to retiring and I don't want to live on cat food, goddammit!!

[demwing]

40. Prosense, you've been a veritable cheer leading force for the Administration

have you actually changed your perception, or is this seeming turn merely an artful prelude to some Pro-Obama point you have not yet played?

[ProSense]

41. My perception isn't relevant

The only thing that matters is what the administration plans to do according to the article.

Appears the moderate voices won.

[laughingliberal]

42. I think they won a long time ago

If the Democrats had kept the House by huge margins, it would have been seen as approval of the centrist legislation that's managed to get passed and seen as approval for all the attempts at bipartisanship.

We lost so that's taken as a need to find more areas of compromise.

[ProSense]

43. So it was/is

hopeless?

[laughingliberal]

46. I don't know.

Pretty hopeless for those of us over 50 who were taken out by the economy ever regaining any of what we lost. There may be hope for others to turn the tide back at some point.

[ProSense]

50. What if this

report is BS:

While the president has been on a trip to Asia for the past 10 days, all but a few of his top aides stayed behind to figure out what went so wrong and what to do about it. Wearing casual clothes and with the White House to themselves, they determined that the situation they face is serious and will take significant adjustments to reverse.

The advisers are deeply concerned about winning back political independents, who supported Obama two years ago by an eight-point margin but backed Republicans for the House this year by 19 points. To do so, they think he must forge partnerships with Republicans on key issues and make noticeable progress on his oft-repeated campaign pledge to change the ways of Washington.

<...>

Obama's advisers held no political summit to discuss the midterm results, one said, but rather worked on the problems individually. Regular political meetings are expected to resume after Obama's return.

The President is in Asia. If there was no meeting, is this report based on a hodgepodge of selective statements from anonymous aides?

We'll see.

[laughingliberal]

51. If it's BS, I'll be glad. It does tend to sound like what the President has been saying, though.

He keeps talking about trying to find more common ground with the other side. I don't know of anything the other side wants that won't make life worse for people like us.

[ibegurpard]

45. they think compromising with republicans is going to win the independents back

fucking morons.
the "independents" are generally not very tuned in and vote for the loudest noises.
When progressives are pissed off they don't counter the constant drumbeat of the right wing.
Hence that's all the "independents" hear.
So, republicans have absolutely no reason not to continue attacking him as a left-wing socialist, he will continue chasing republicans and pissing off progressives and the cycle will continue.

[ibegurpard]

48. which leads me to believe that was his plan all along

you can't be that monumentally tone-deaf.

[ProSense]

54. You could be right. n/t

[ibegurpard]

55. so what's up with you?

something finally push you over the edge as well?

[Poboy]

59. I'd like to get a reply as well. The poster is not their usual blinders-on cheerleading self.

[ibegurpard]

67. it seems she's just trying to make some kind of point by attempting to be funny

[Poboy]

70. Well, it doesn't look like we will be getting an answer. The OP is here, but has abandoned the topic

[Poll_Blind]

49. They hoped to ride the Left into the Presidency then surf the Center into a second term.

Despite how I feel about being given the short end of that stick as part of their gameplan, I'll at least admit that the idea might have had some political merit in some other place, some other time.

But not now.

Whoopsie!

PB

[laughingliberal]

53. I think you're right.

After all, it worked for Clinton is how they see this.

I think they fail to recognize a couple of huge differences, though. The economy was much better under Clinton and Clinton had raised taxes on the rich in '93 which had produced very good results by '96. We're looking at extending the tax cuts for the wealthy.

[TwilightGardener]

68. Just following the Clinton playbook.

But they don't have the mid-90's economy, and the mid-90's media. On edit--laughingliberal just made the same point above, I see now.

[ima_sinnic]

56. He and the Democrats were given a huge mandate in 2008 with the backing of the entire world

He and the Democratic Party knew exactly what The People wanted, as reflected in their votes for Hope and Change.
NOW he thinks the voters want him to be more Republican? When doing so already cost us dearly?
Wasn't there a thread on here somewhere about what a high IQ he has?
Sometimes it seems as though he WANTS to lose.

[orleans]

57. they think he must forge partnerships with Republicans on key issues

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

fucking assholes!

keep up the "great" work and you'll all be out on your asses in two years!

[Poboy]

60. .

[dkofos]

62. The only wakeup call they need to hear is that BILLIONS spent on FALSE

advertising wins elections.

[senseandsensibility]

63. Anne Kornblut is a well known rightwing leaning

inside the beltway stenographer. Not saying that what she reports here is wrong or that it would surprise me, but she is one of my least favorite "political reporters".

[bvar22]

64. This is just the Cover Story...

...for lurching even further to the Corporate Right.

"By their works you will know them."

[WinkyDink]

65. "Although Obama could benefit from a high-profile compromise...extending the Bush-era tax cuts...."

I don't CARE about how OBAMA might benefit. How about the United States???

[SidDithers]

66. K&R...nt

Sid

[Individualist]

71. DLC's agenda: Lose Congress, move to the right; win Congress, move to the right.

[Poboy]

72. Kick for impotence. -nt