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

[brentspeak]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/01/us/politics/01obama.html?_r=1&src=un&feedurl=http%3A%2F%2Fjson8.nytimes.com%2Fpages%2Fbusiness%2Fyourmoney%2Findex.jsonp

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

By JEFF ZELENY
Published: July 31, 2010

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.

snip

It is a vivid shift from the last two elections, when Mr. Obama was the hottest draw for Democratic candidates in red and blue states alike. And it highlights the tough choices Democrats face as they head toward Election Day with the president’s approval ratings depressed, Republicans energized, the economic slump still lingering and two veteran House Democrats now facing public hearings on ethics charges.

[Skittles]

1. it won't help

[tularetom]

2. WTF good is that going to do?

Congressional approval ratings are way lower than Obama's.

[bluestateguy]

3. Sounds like a bunch of Establishmentarian Bos-Wash corridor media tripe

nt

[SunsetDreams]

4. That's what I got out of it, media tripe

You may not even want me to come, is not the same thing as you are on your own.

[smalll]

5. He's been underwater for over a week in the Gallup Daily Tracking --

first time ever. (Disapproval percentage is higher than the approval percentage.)

At this point, Obama is a wash across the country. There will be many, many districts where he can stil help - a lot -- but just as many, at this point, where he would hurt.

As the kids say, it is what it is.

[Oregone]

6. Hell get shredded for this

If there is one thing he can do right, its campaign; he knows how to say the right things to make people vote. Staying away isn't any sort of strategy for someone looking forward to 2012

[KingFlorez]

7. He knows what he is doing

Presidents can't go everywhere and help candidates, there are just some places where it doesn't help. He's got people that will get out there, Bill Clinton and Joe Biden can go many places and give candidates a boosts. There are still places where Obama's presence will do a lot of good, like California.

[Exilednight]

8. Compared to the 2008 election, voter turnout will be down drastically this election .........

I've been helping with my local Democratic party and this is going to be a tight race for Rep. Bishop in the NY 1st.

Voter apathy is pretty high, and Democrats just aren't that motivated in my district.

This is sad news for my district. We've had this seat 2002 when we won it by a narrow margin (less than 1% of votes).

[JoePhilly]

9. Sadly, the GOP's strategy is working ...

1) Obstruct everything to the point that voters get frustrated, or fall for the "throw the bums out" meme.

2) Anger the xenophobes in the far right wing base so they come out and vote against those "damn commie liberals".

If you can suppress turnout even a little via #1, and then you can get a decent uptick in turn out in the far right wing base via #2 ... the GOP gains seats, maybe even getting a majority.

[Exilednight]

10. I believe the apathy is well deserved. As far as the xenophob part .............

I am sure it works well in some parts of the country, but not out here. This is a pretty diverse area.

I really like my Representative, but it's not looking good.

[frazzled]

11. Sadly, this reflects how conservative some districts are ...

The Democratic candidates in these areas have to pander to extreme conservatism--whence the need for Obama to stay away.

It's the devil's bargain: to get Democrats elected here, they have to appeal to a conservative constituency. Then we end up with conservative Dems. It's still better than having the Republican win, if for one reason only: Nancy Pelosi versus John Boehner setting the agenda for the House.

It's as simple as that.

[butterfly77]

12. A lot of these Dems seem..

to not want to win on their own merits, they want him to campaign for them but WHERE WERE THEY DURING THE HEALTHCARE DEBATE AND TOWNHALLS!

Dems let the repugs take over and now some of them may or may not want him to campaign for him because THEY let the repugs plant the seeds of LIES because the Dems didn't get their asses out their when the TEABAGGERS,DICK ARMEY,PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES,INSURANCES COMPANIES and CONS in general planted lies.

TEABAGGERS harped on the lies day by day and the bluedogs stripped away everything we wanted..Baucas,Bayh,Conred and other bluedogs kept lying and stalling through the whole process right along with the RepubliCONS.

Here we go again with some more turn coat so called Dems who DON'T want bush's tax cuts to expire.

[BlueIdaho]

13. That has always been the case.

Regardless of the President, or the party in power. Come election time, there are always places where a Presidential visit is not in the candidates best interest. True for Obama as it was for Clinton, both Bushies, and presidents going back to at least FDR.

[Bobbie Jo]

14. Interesting find.

:rofl: