Democrats Distancing Themselves From Obama - NationalJournal

[WillyT]

Democrats Distancing Themselves From Obama
By Alex Roarty and Beth Reinhard - NationalJournal
Updated: September 1, 2011 | 7:16 p.m.
September 1, 2011 | 11:12 a.m.

<snip>

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.

Democrats are also keeping their distance in two House special elections taking place later this month -- in both a solidly-Democratic district in New York City and a Republican-leaning one in rural Nevada. The sting of Obama’s low approval ratings is already being felt in Queens and Brooklyn, where Republican candidate Bob Turner has turned the Democratic-leaning district into a battleground by framing the special election as a referendum on the administration and its treatment of Israel. Liberal firebrand Anthony Weiner held onto that district with ease for more than a decade, and even when scandal forced him out of office, few had thought the race to replace him would be close.

In the Nevada race...

<snip>

More: http://nationaljournal.com/politics/democrats-distancing-themselves-from-obama-20110901

:kick:

[xchrom]

1. interesting. nt

[durablend]

2. HATERS! All of them!!!!!

All want President Perry, I know it!!

:sarcasm:

[tblue]

3. He should send them The List.

They could pass out copies at their campaign stops.

I wonder what he thinks is why this is happening.

[mfcorey1]

4. More bull crap. Infiltrate the minds of dems and some will believe anything you spew.

“If you can control a man’s thinking, you don’t have to worry about his actions. If you can determine what a man thinks you do not have worry about what he will do. If you can make a man believe that he is inferior, you don’t have to compel him to seek an inferior status, he will do so without being told and if you can make a man believe that he is justly an outcast, you don’t have to order him to the back door, he will go to the back door on his own and if there is no back door, the very nature of the man will demand that you build one.”

Carter G. Woodson

[Bluebear]

10. La la land

[roguevalley]

11. Read Harry Truman. He had a few ideas about standing for

something and never apologizing especially to the fuckers. Obama is no Harry Truman. And how many zillions and billions and quadrillions of people have to say the same thing before people stop blowing it off. Mind control? Really?

[Rex]

5. Wait...his ratings are in the dumpster!?!

BUT I JUST READ that he has a GREAT appoval rating with the Masses! Don't tell me it was a lie!

[grantcart]

6. You would think that an article that heralds Democratic office holders

distancing themselves from the President en masse would have found more than 2 quotes that apply to the premise.


The truth is much closer to this statement buried at the bottom which much more accurately reports the reality and completely contradicts the main point of the headline and the article;

snip
Democrats running in 2012 should take their cue from those 2010 successes, Beattie said.

“There’s a greater fear of tea-party extremism than a fear of Obama,’’ he said. “I don’t think there will be a lot of Democrats actively running against Obama because those who are left are in swing areas where the president will be competitive.’’

snip

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

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[Arctic Dave]

8. They should have mentioned Alaska.

Happening up here. Obama is basically a curse word. I'm sure the repugs will do their best to tie all Dems up here to him.

[Historic NY]

9. Really not all Dems.......

http://www.flickr.com/photos/61923834@N02/6107017184/