Atlantic: In Competitive Districts, Democrats Run From Obama

[Poll_Blind]

From The Atlantic:

It's been a tough summer for swing-district Democrats seeking reelection in 2012 with a president at the top of the ticket whose approval ratings are in the weeds. As these members begin to focus on their reelection bids after Labor Day, they are increasingly calculating how close is too close to an unpopular President Obama.

Take Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), who represents a district that nearly went for Republican George W. Bush in 2004. In a recent local TV interview, DeFazio said of Obama that the word "fight" isn't "in his vocabulary" -- and he then repeated the criticism to constituents at a town hall. Or Rep. Bill Owens (D-N.Y.), who won a Republican-friendly district in a special election last year and pointedly declined to endorse the sitting president last week.

The president's dismal poll ratings, should they continue into next year, could sink Democratic hopes for reclaiming ground in the House and retaining control of the Senate -- especially in battleground states and swing districts.

"If he is where he is now, it's not going to work for Democrats," said Rep. Dan Boren (D-Okla.), who opted earlier this year not to seek reelection in his competitive district.

--snip--

Much more at the link.

I have no idea how all this is going to shake out, we've got a lot of time till November 2012, but the President's...well, whatever you want to call it...negotiation, capitulation, whatever...whatever you want to call it, it isn't, in the most basic sense, looking like its going to be lifting many congressional boats for the Democratic Party. Hopefully the Ghost Of Christmas Future will visit him sometime really soon and remind him it's about the jobs.

Not the speeches he gives about the jobs. Not the speeches he gave about healthcare. Not the speeches he gave about Iraq or Afghanistan or anything else.

It's about what he does. And he needs to start damn-well doing it in a hurry.

I've been voting for Wyden and DeFazio since forever and I'm seeing my Senator, House Rep, me, and a whole lot of people in my state get the short end of this stick from the Administration. I'm tired of that shit.

PB

[RobinA]

1. As Annoyed As I Am

with Obama, I'm not going to start worrying about the election until I see an alternative who isn't insane.